The Spectrum, Vol.68 No.46

THE SPECTRUM THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

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VOL. 68 NO. 46 | APRIL 25, 2019

Chefs, drugs and rock n’ roll

Inside the legendary career of UB alum and retired music mogul Shep Gordon

BRENTON J. BLANCHET, BRIAN EVANS MANAGING EDITOR, SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

Shep Gordon’s parents brought their son to a Queens Greyhound station in the summer of 1964 and loaded his bags onto a midnight bus to Buffalo.

Once Gordon, a ‘68 alum and retired music mogul, got off the bus, he and a friend decided to hitchhike all the way to Buffalo State College, where they heard “beautiful women” attended school.

And when they arrived at what they believed was Buff State, they saw a giant fence. The two were confused, but in true teenage-boy fashion, still hopped over the barrier to get to the girls.

But instead of finding themselves surrounded by “beautiful women,” they found themselves in a mental institution.

Gordon couldn’t resist laughing at this punchline, which he delivered like a comedy pro at 73 years old. And even in a documentary about his life,“Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon,” Gordon refers to his college experience as “the best years

of his life;” years where he was politically active, experimented with drugs and pulled historic pranks.

To most, however, these years wouldn’t top making Alice Cooper famous, creating the concept of a “celebrity chef ” or bringing the Dalai Lama to one’s alma mater; all of which Gordon has accomplished and mastered. Those years paid off too, as Gordon now resides in Maui, fully retired from the management business, with the exception of Cooper.

And all of the LSD, acid, marijuana, codeine and cough syrup that Gordon toyed with during his college years and in his early career haven’t hindered his memory.

If anything, they’ve enhanced it, he said.

“Taking the drugs was a part of the experience of liberating yourself,” Gordon said. “We’d get really stupid a lot of times because we didn’t know why we were doing them. It was very innocent in a way, where it turned into something not innocent later in life.”

Gordon, who lived off campus throughout his time at UB, said his drug use was more exploratory than anything else. But when he wasn’t exploring drugs, he used his college years as a way to stay politically active. He publically burned draft cards to protest the Vietnam War and said this activism played a role in shaping his career.

“I had the feeling that, ‘Wow, this worked.’ The war ended. You can affect history,” Gordon said.

“That’s the way I felt. … That gave me the confidence to go out after Buffalo and do the kind of things that I did because I really felt like, for the first time, I was an important part of what happened on this planet.”

But Gordon didn’t just impact history he and his pranks specifically impacted Buffalo history.

In his early years at UB, Gordon was a recruiter for fraternity COURTESY OF UB SMUGMUG music mogul Shep Gordon holds a copy Sigma Alpha Mu and sought UB Retired of his documentary, which Mike Myers made freshmen in Allentown. While re- about his life. Gordon often refers to his time at cruiting, he met several biology UB as some of the greatest years of his life. students, all of whom were laughcided, let’s see if we can pull a hoax on the ing over the name “Thallus of Marchan- city of Buffalo,” Gordon said. “We got a tia,” or the scientific name for a fern’s sex friend in New York City to go the United organ.

Nations Western Union office, and send Gordon and his new friends realized a telegram to the mayor of Buffalo that that the name ‘Thallus of Marchantia” the ‘Thallus of Marchantia’ was making funnily sounded like the title of a head of his first royal visit to America, and he has state in a foreign country. Armed with this family that lives in Buffalo.” realization, Gordon and friend Artie Shein Gordon thought the telegram would be decided to organize a prank visit to Buf- the end. In reality, it was only the beginfalo for the “Thallus of Marchantia,” and ning. earned the attention of The Buffalo News in Schein flew to New York in order to the process.

“One thing led to another, and we de> SEE CHEFS | PAGE 6 program.

Student Association the“You see bulls all around campus, we picks up Sign-A-Bull didn’t want that to be lost from campus so program after Student the e-board decided they want to conEngagement’s tinue that tradition,” Brown said. discontinuation Brown said there’s

Seniors excited following SA’s commitment to continue tradition BENJAMIN BLANCHET EDITORIAL EDITOR

DATA COURTESY OF CYNTHIA KHOO-ROBINSON UB has over 268,000 alumni across all 50 states and 150 countries, with roughly 39,000 alumni living overseas, according to Cynthia Khoo-Robinson, associate vice president for alumni engagement and annual giving. Over 12,000 alumni donate money to UB annually and over 7,500 volunteer a collective 30,000 hours.

probably a “thousand names” on a single bull and its important to continue the tradition since students care about the program. He said the logistics are still being worked out with Student Engagement, which has given SA tips on where it gets the bull from.

Thompson went down to the Student Engagement office last week asking for details of the program only to find that it had been discontinued due to issues of staffing and capacity.

Thompson said Jude Butch, Student Engagement’s senior associate director, told her no students were a part of the decision-making process. Butch did not confirm this in time for publication.

Thompson was concerned that Student Engagement didn’t announce they had discontinued the program. She believes the program is a way for students to “leave a legacy for many years to come.”

Butch, in an email, wrote that Student

Seniors will still be able to continue UB’s tradition of signing a painted buffalo before graduating in May. The Student Association committed to host the Sign-A-Bull program last week after a student questioned Student Engagement’s choice to discontinue it.

SA, in a press release to The Spectrum, wrote that members have decided to continue the “great tradition” and will work with Student Engagement to figure out the logistics of getting a bull to UB. This will be the eighth year of the program, according to UB’s website, and students said they were “excited” to leave a physical mark to commemorate their time at UB. “It doesn’t really matter how that has come to be, I’m just thankful that it’s happened,” said Katherine Thompson, a senior chemistry major.

SA Chief of Staff Jacob Brown, a graduating senior, said it was BENJAMIN BLANCHET | THE SPECTRUM Sign-A-Bull program would have been 8 years old this year under Student important for the The Engagement. Bulls appear across campus and feature hundreds of signatures student govern- from graduating seniors. ment to continue > SEE SIGN-A-BULL | PAGE 7

NEWS

2 | Thursday, April 25, 2019

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UB’s food pantry program, Blue Table, is now open JACKLYN WALTERS CO-SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

UB’s virtual food pantry program –– Blue Table, –– is officially accessible to students.

Sherri Darrow, director of Health Promotion, announced the program went live on April 19.

Students can place an order for food online through the Student Life Gateway website and orders will be ready to pick up at 114 Student Union within two business days.

Darrow said students have already submitted over 90 requests, 25 of which came in during the first two days and are ready to be picked up. She said the first orders are helping her team determine how to “iron out the kinks” in the program.

“The demand has made us rethink what food items are the most cost-effective for purchase,” Darrow said. “We are off to a good start and we look forward to understanding more as we move through this soft launch of Blue Table.”

Student Association President Gunnar Haberl said he was “excited” for the pantry’s opening, as it was one of the last initiatives of his term.

The program is currently funded pri-

marily through food donations and Darrow said there will be an opportunity for faculty, staff and students to donate money through UB CrowdFunding in the next two weeks. Those who would like to donate food can reach out to SA to learn more about contributing to Blue Table.

Email:@ubspectrum.com Twitter:@JacklynUBSpec.

Inside One World Café One World Café steering committee discusses developments with upcoming market ALEXANDRA MOYEN STAFF WRITER

One World Café will become the “new front door” to North Campus, according to its steering committee.

The upcoming global cafe, featuring a “modern” design, will be three floors high with “alternating” food available on two of the floors and seating available on all three.

The 50,000-square-foot white building, which is part of the Heart of the Campus initiative, will also be wheelchair accessible and the construction could cost UB roughly $20 million, according to the committee consisting of UB community members. Construction for the market will begin in fall 2019 and construction workers will block off Norton and Capen. The committee plans to introduce unique food options each semester to continue student interest for the market. Students will be able to use their meal swipes at the cafe.

Graham Hammill, vice provost for educational affairs and dean of the graduate school, was at first “hesitant”1 to1/24/19 make the Adm_SUNYBuffaloAd_002_FA18.pdf 2:03 building white but the committee decided to leave it white due to student concerns that North Campus is “a lot of brick.”

Kelly Hayes McAlonie, director of Campus Planning and member of the One World Café steering committee, said the committee decided to respond to those concerns and create some “relief from the brown brick” and accentuate the “modern campus.”

Ronald C. Van Splunder, manager of architectural support, said the location’s construction will not interfere with foot traffic.

“Walkways that are affected by construction will be altered and redirected with clear routes and covered pathways,” Splunder said. “These will be fully accessible to all students, faculty and staff with disabilities.”

Although 1,300 students chose Mediterranean, Indian, Asian, Japanese and American food for the cafe, the steering committee said it will alternate cuisines each semester to keep it as diverse as possible.

“These are just starting points, the intention of the campus dining is to actually rotate and change those out,” Van Splunder said. “We might have a Caribbean station in the near future, you know, something like South American.”

The committee said it will set the cafe up to reflect cultural changes in its atmosphere and food options.

The committee has reached out to a rabPM bi in New Jersey that will bless the food so students can have access to kosher food.

The cafe also plans to serve halal, vegan and vegetarian food.

Jeff B r a d y, executive director of Campus Dining & Shops, said they will price food “as COURTESY OF KRISTEN KOWALSKI COURTESY OF KRISTEN KOWALSKI c o m - CInterior design of One World Café. Construction for the cafe will begin fall 2019, according to petitively the cafe’s steering committee.

Hayes McAlonie said One World Café as posis the third and “most ambitious” phase sible,” as CDS looks at similar dishes off of UB’s 2020 physical plan. The point of campus to ensure students are getting their the plan is to set the two campuses apart, money’s worth.

Hayes McAlonie said CDS has no inten- with South Campus being known as the tion of competing with any of the existing professional and medical campus and North Campus being the undergraduate food companies on campus.

“We’re not anticipating any competition and research campus.

“So the notion of each campus being per se, we’re just looking to satisfy the condifferent, but also having its own identity, cern of long wait times,” Hayes McAlonie but having similar experiences for students said.

The committee said its main focus is to was very important in this comprehensive satisfy UB students and provide a “flex- master plan.” said Hayes McAlonie.

The committee is “very excited” to presible eating environment.” Hayes McAlonie said CDS hopes to constantly receive feed- ent One World Café to the students.

“It’s very rewarding to work on a project back from students. that will have the level of impact that we Brady meets once a month with CDS’ student advisory board to get ideas. There know it will have on the campus, but also are a wide range of undergraduate and that it will directly impact the students,” graduate students on the board –– some said Hayes McAlonie. have meal plans, some have block plans, Email: news@ubspectrum.com some are commuters and the students range from freshmen to seniors.

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OPINION

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THE SPECTRUM Thursday, April 25, 2019 Volume 68 Number 46 Circulation: 4,000

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hannah Stein MANAGING EDITOR Brenton J. Blanchet CREATIVE DIRECTORS Caitlyn Di Vita Grace Klak COPY EDITORS Savanna Caldwell Cassi Enderle Lauryn King Cherie Jacobs, Asst.

NEWS EDITORS Tanveen Vohra, Co-Senior Jacklyn Walters, Co-senior FEATURES EDITORS Thomas Zafonte, Senior Isabella Nurt, Asst.

ARTS EDITORS Brian Evans, Senior Samantha Vargas, Asst.

Julianna Tracey, Asst.

SPORTS EDITOR Nathaniel Mendelson, Senior

EDITORIAL EDITOR Benjamin Blanchet MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Shubh Jain, Senior Davila Tarakinikini, Asst.

CARTOONISTS Ardi Digap

Thursday, April 25, 2019 | 3

UB needs to do more to honor, respond to Sebastian Serafin-Bazan’s death EDITORIAL BOARD

Last week, we lost one of our own.

Freshman Sebastian SerafinBazan died on April 17, six days after alleged hazing at the Sigma Pi fraternity in the University Heights.

His roommates described him as a dedicated student. They no longer see his Post-It note reminding him of his goal to get a 4.0.

He won’t graduate with us.

UB President Satish Tripathi issued a letter to students and suspended all Greek activities for the rest of the semester.

But aside from counselors available in the Student Union, where were the vigils and other outlets for students to express their condolences, hurt, pain and grief ?

We’re saddened and wished for more.

We hate to imagine it is because his death coincided with Accepted Students weekend.

Our editors last week reported seeing overturned copies of our front-page memorial story on Se-

bastian so the headline and photo were not readily legible to visiting parents and students.

We assume this was an anomaly; we can’t believe anyone imagines this story will fade.

We know administrators and the UB Office of Communication sent out emails suggesting faculty be careful what they post on social media as the campus reeled from the shock.

But why did no one help students publicly mourn?

Media across the country — including the New York Times, CNN and USA Today — covered the death. Sadly, our campus gave them no reason to cover a celebration of his life.

Students could have lit candles and held hands.

Campus Life’s Fraternity and Sorority Life should have spearheaded a vigil.

Instead, it’s far from the public eye.

Our paper remains the only one in the nation to have talked to people who knew Sebastian and to describe him as a person, not as a statistic.

Sebastian was a student, just

like us. His story should not fade away.

Spectrum reporters have contacted UB’s director of Greek life, Pamela Stephens-Jackson, numerous times asking for details about Greek life on campus, how her office monitors fraternities and sororities and how many students have been suspended in recent years for hazing-related incidents.

This is crucial information we need to understand the environment in which we live and study.

It’s also crucial information accepted students need as they decide if they want to attend this university.

In an email on April 17, Stephens-Jackson said, “I am in direct contact with the students that I serve, but do not have any public comment.”

We want Stephens-Jackson to understand that she serves all students, even if they are not in fraternities or sororities.

These are your questions and UB employees should provide you answers.

We want to learn what her office does, how it has been work-

ing and if it potentially failed to monitor Greek life on this campus.

A. Scott Weber, Vice President for Student Life, has promised a thorough review of Greek policies.

We’d like to see this, too. Will his findings be public? We hope so. We feel we are owed that.

We also want to know what she is doing to honor Sebastian’s memory.

Sebastian’s family has experienced unimaginable heartbreak this week.

So have his roommates and his friends, including probably some of his fraternity brothers.

These, too, are the students this university serves.

Sebastian was studying medical technology. He liked to laugh with his roommates late at night and he loved soccer.

We are still trying to understand why he died. That could take weeks, perhaps months.

But it should not stop us from remembering how he lived.

Email:opinion@ubspectrum.com.

The Spectrum encourages UB to help #SaveStudentNewsrooms

PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER Ayesha Kazi GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGERS JuYung Hong

ABOUT THE SPECTRUM The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Opinion section of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address.

For information on adverstising with The Spectrum: VISIT: www.ubspectrum.com/advertising CALL US: 716-645-2152 The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100

JOIN OUR STAFF Do you have an interest in journalism, graphic design, photography, social media, advertising, cartoons or copy editing? The Spectrum is always looking for enthusiastic students who want to be part of our team.

Join our 45-time award winning independent student newspaper for hands-on, real-world experience in your field.

Anyone interested in joining The Spectrum’s editorial staff can email Hannah Stein at: eic@ubspectrum.com.

Anyone interested in joining The Spectrum’s professional staff or advertising team can email Helene Polley at: hapolley@buffalo.edu.

EDITORIAL BOARD

The first Spectrum came out in December, 1950. In it, our staff wrote that a campus newspaper must present “all the hues and facets” of important issues at UB. We don’t use the term “hues and facets” anymore, but we still have the same mission: to deliver news and information to the UB community.

Today is Save Student Newsrooms Day, a day when across the country students are advocating for campus news. Local news across the country is in crisis.

The number of newsroom employees has dropped about a quarter nationwide in the past decade, according to Pew Research Center. Pew also reports that about 36% of the largest U.S. newsrooms have experienced layoffs since 2017. Associated Press also reported that about 1,400 U.S. communities have seen their local paper disappear in the last 15 years.

At The Spectrum, in 2016, we shifted from three times a week to twice a week. We’ve been

working to increase our online presence because we know that is where and how you want news.

The news we covers matters.

It’s also not covered by anyone else.

For instance, we covered the Living Stipend Movement, students’ concerns of decreasing black faculty, racism in UB’s past, UB Athletics’ legendary season and much, much more.

We are the historical record of the UB campus.

In return, we ask little.

We just want your support.

We want you to understand the value of student news and help us do our jobs when we ask. Every day, our reporters work to get facts and information you need to know about our community.

Recently, this has become more difficult. Often administrators don’t want to talk to us. That makes our job of bringing you quality information harder.

Save Student Newsrooms Day began as a national movement last year.

Recently, we’ve covered stories of administrators Dennis Black and Andrea Costantino’s

shameful conduct in 2017. The two stole and used more than $330,000 of your state money.

Both pleaded guilty to grand larceny charges.

Our reporting pushed UB to take down an abandoned and potentially dangerous ropes course outside Sweet Home High School. It got more attention to the Student Association’s decision not to recognize an LGBTQ club. SA changed its stance less than 24 hours after our article.

These stories led to campus conversations and change.

To do this reporting we need you.

We want to be a forum and a voice for your campus experience.

The Buffalo News no longer has a higher education reporter.

We’re often the only journalists writing about campus meetings.

We’re often the only ones reporting on trends that affect students, like decreasing participation in student government. We’re at council meetings, campus events and art expos.

We print your opinions, your letters and report on them. We

also write about faculty issues, cover their meetings and print their letters. And we stay in touch with our alumni. This issue is dedicated to them.

The Spectrum began nearly 69 years ago.

Across decades, people who were involved in the paper describe it as their defining UB experience.

We are always looking for new staff and encourage anyone interested to join our team of reporters, editors, photographers, videographers and social media editors.

Hundreds of student writers have walked through our doors when we were on South Campus, in Baldy Hall or right here in the Student Union.

The Spectrum has mattered since the 1950s. It still matters. It is a fundamental part of UB campus life today. We want it to be that way for the next 69 years, in 2088 and beyond.

Help us help you.

Share our stories, your stories.

Help us #SaveStudentNewsrooms.

Email:opinion@ubspectrum.com

NEWS

4 | Thursday, April 25, 2019

The advice column you didn’t ask for, but you’ll wish you did my oh my, it is worth it.

DAN MCKEON, SARAH CROWLEY PROFESSIONAL ALUMNI

Hello, teens! It’s us, Dan and Sarah. In our advanced age (We both graduated in 2018), we’ve decided to bestow some of our sweet, sweet post-grad wisdom in order to make sure you enjoyed your time here before you shake UB administrator’s hand. And don’t worry, you’ll find out who Tripathi is eventually, we all did.

DAN McKEON ‘18 alum English major, former Copy Chief Go to Buffalo UB’s North Campus is oppressive, and no amount of trees, flowerbeds or nice little pocket parks is going to fix that. The Spine is a wind tunnel designed to chill your spirits, the giant lecture halls made to make you feel small, and the half-mile stretch from Ellicott to the Student Union exists to mock you. So, bold idea, you should leave it when you get the opportunity.

Buffalo, the rusty jewel of New York State, has neighborhoods with bars, cafes and miscellanea built in the skeletons of the city’s heyday, parks designed by worldclass urban planners, and some fantastic museums. Tired of the goose-poop-laden, grey-on-grey brutalist North Campus?

Take a walk around Hoyt Lake in Delaware Park. There’s just as much goose poop, but

Crush your apathy Go to class, study, socialize, drink and tweet about how Buffalo’s weather “makes literally no sense lol.” It’s tough in the daily grind to drum up the energy or enthusiasm to care about anything outside of what needs to get done, and yes, I’m counting drinking and lame tweeting as “needs to get done.” But caring is a motivator, caring is the thing that will make college valuable and really worth it in the end.

Some students will say or show that they just don’t really care about anything, but it’s a bit of a myth that caring is something that just springs up inside you. To beat apathy, you need to try. People usually go with joining a club, which is definitely a solid option, but another good way is to treat classes like opportunities, not requirements. I came to UB a psychology major, took a creative writing class as a gen ed, loved it, joined The Spectrum, switched my major and now I’m a published writer who is going to graduate school for it. I could’ve just gone on autopilot through a class not relevant to my major, but I didn’t and it changed my life for the better.

Don’t be a jerk Many students haven’t lived independently of their parents until now. The dizzying high that comes from no supervision can turn some people into real pieces of work. Don’t be one of them.

Listen when someone tells you they’re upset with something you did or said, reflect on how you act as honestly as you can, and grow. The “haters gonna hate” mantra is often misapplied. If you think you have to block out the haters, make sure they really are haters and not just people point-

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ing out valid problematic behavior. Put as much work into being a decent person as you do into schoolwork, and in no time at all, you’ll stop being an annoying little s--t.

SARAH CROWLEY, ‘18 alum English, Political Science. Former senior news editor.

Keeping up with the Joneses? Who are they again, and why do we follow each other?

There is enough to worry about in college. Don’t stress out over how your “college experience” is being perceived by an invisible audience of social media acquaintances you will never talk to. This can seem like an almost impossible task for our generation, but I believe it is crucial to try.

Make a sticky note, come up with a fun mantra to remind yourself: No one cares!

Make decisions that you can feel proud of, and truly, forget the rest. Changed your major for the fourth time? Nobody cares.

Back with your high school boyfriend again? They don’t care. Transferring to Alfred State? Curious on the back-story, but still don’t really care. Pregnant and the father is your Chemistry TA? OK, I’m not here to lie to you.

But seriously, take comfort in the fact that no one is watching your every move or misstep. This becomes even more true after you graduate. I am embarrassingly bad at remembering what friends are up to. I assume everyone I know is in the midst of a six-year PT program at D’Youville, with a roughly 60% success rate.

Go to class Oh, the mental gymnastics we will perform to justify missing class on a 60-degree day in Buffalo. But the truth is, going to class will always be better than skipping, even if the teacher doesn’t take attendance, or the notes are all online. There are a few reasons: Professors, even if only subconsciously, reward those who show up. It’s just not a “good look” to always be the person coming in 15-minutes late, or

missing every fourth class, no matter how chill the professor seems.

You will gain credibility with your classmates and the professor, which can be invaluable later in the semester. UB professors are some of the most humane people you will ever come across, but in my experience, they tend to be more willing to help students who make an honest effort to show up, and once in awhile, turn off the laptop that they are oh so clearly not taking notes on.

So you f----d up. Time to “face the music.”

When I was a kid and I forgot to do my homework or lost a paper I needed for school, I would beg my mom to let me stay home. She would gently insist I needed to go to school, “face the music” and assured me I would actually feel better for doing so. She was right then, and the advice still holds up.

Throughout college, you’ll undergo (hopefully) tremendous professional and personal development. And you will inevitably misstep. Maybe you’ve waited an uncomfortable amount of time to send a thank-you note you really should’ve emailed months ago. Or you’ve missed a class three consecutive weeks and would now rather transfer than face that professor again. Take a deep breath and recognize that at some point, everyone was a dumb 19 year old. The world is full of grace and people looking to do someone a favor. Send the email with a brief, lightly apologetic addendum, and feel the sweet relief of “facing the music.” You will be glad you did.

Dan McKeon and Sarah Crowley are ‘18 UB alumni and worked at The Spectrum from 20142018 and 2015 to 2019, respectively. Both are enjoying life after UB working in the Rochester/ Buffalo area. Sarah really wants you guys to know she’s going to law school in the fall. Dan is in the process of buying a snake.

Email: opinion@ubspectrum.com

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NEWS

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From Wall Street to eclipse-chaser UB alum Charles Fulco travels across the country educating students on solar eclipses BRITTANY GORNY ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Charles Fulco, who was once trading bonds on Wall Street, is now traveling the country to educate students on the astrological phenomena of total solar eclipses.

Fulco, a ‘90 alum, is a national education outreach coordinator for solar eclipses for the American Astronomical Society and a NASA solar system ambassador. Fulco left his teaching job in Port Chester, New York to travel across the United States to speak at schools about the 2017 solar eclipse. He’s now doing the same for the 2024 solar eclipse. He teaches schools how to prepare “educationally and emotionally” to experience solar eclipses.

After the 2024 solar eclipse, Fulco will have traveled to every state in the U.S. “I love getting to travel and see the country,” Fulco said. “Getting to meet new kids and teachers all the time is an adrenaline rush for me.”

Prior to travelling the country discussing eclipses, Fulco traded bonds on Wall Street and worked at Port Chester Middle School as a science teacher and planetarium director.

Fulco said trading bonds “wasn’t creative enough” for him. Teaching allowed him to experience the “joy” of leaving “lasting impressions” on students, but the “once-in-a-lifetime” experience of total solar eclipses inspired Fulco to leave the jobs he loved.

Leslie Umanzor, Fulco’s former student, said she appreciated how involved Fulco was with his students.

“Even though I’m pursuing a major in history and pre-law, I still chose to take an astronomy class my freshman year because of Mr. Fulco,” Umanzor said.

Umanzor said Fulco’s “dedication” to

teaching astronomy inspired her to continue learning.

After teaching at the middle school, Fulco decided to take a sabbatical, and what he thought would be a one-year leave, to travel the country as a NASA ambassador.

He said he couldn’t pass up the “opportunity of a lifetime” to educate students on the 2017 solar eclipse.

“I loved traveling and educating kids on the eclipse so much that I resigned from my teaching position in New York,” Fulco said. “I ended up traveling for four years prior to the 2017 eclipse.”

He said he never thought he’d have the opportunity to do something like that again. But now, two years later, he’s doing the same thing for the 2024 solar eclipse.

“I don’t want to ever lose this [job], I’m kind of addicted to it,” Fulco said.

Fulco now speaks as the AAS solar

eclipse education coordinator at schools located on the “path of totality;” areas that will see complete darkness for a period of time during an eclipse.

A total solar eclipse begins by looking like an “engagement ring” in the sky. And then the moon’s shadow comes toward the earth. Once the moon’s shadow covers the sun, there’s complete darkness in the middle of the day for a period of time.

Animals think it’s nighttime, so they go into hiding.

It’s a “dynamic” event, one that gives Fulco “chills” to think about.

“To see stars in the sky at noon is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,” Fulco said.

Fulco said he hopes his lectures create more awareness to the rarity of eclipses and the importance of experiencing one.

“It’s disheartening to see school administrations force their students to stay

Thursday, April 25, 2019 | 5

indoors for an eclipse, contrary to what I preach,” Fulco said. Fulco is continuing to travel from Maine to Texas for the next five years, educating school districts that fall in the “path of totality” for the 2024 solar eclipse.

“I will have seen the entire country once the 2024 solar eclipse is over and I would have never done that if I just stayed in my classroom,” Fulco said.

Jack Zaccara, Fulco’s predecessor as planetarium director, knew Fulco was the “only person” who could take over the planetarium following his retirement.

“It was not about making a living for Charles [Fulco], it was about his love of the night sky,” Zaccara said. “His passion was not just for astronomy, but for sharing it and getting other people to awe over it.”

Email:news@ubspectrum.com

COURTESY OF CHARLES FULCO Charles Fulco surrounded by some of his students from Port Chester middle school. Fulco is currently traveling the United States educating students on solar eclipses.

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6 | Thursday, April 25, 2019

NEWS

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FROM PAGE 1

CHEFS

fly back to Buffalo wrapped in a sheet as the “Thallus of Marchantia,” prolonging the prank even further. And Gordon had another idea and sent another telegram. “[We sent another telegram] and said, ‘How can you let the Thallus of Marchantia come to Buffalo? He’s the most antisemitic ruler,’” Gordon said. “Over 1,000 people showed up at the airport [protesting the arrival].”

The Spectrum’s archives highlight Shein and Gordon’s prank and the eventual hundreds of protestors it brought out to the Buffalo airport in late 1964.

“I realized you could create history. You didn’t have to wait for it,” Gordon said.

But Gordon didn’t prank alone in Buffalo. Gordon’s friends Dan Alterman, a ‘68 alum and Alan Brandt, have all remained close since their college days and find time to regularly meet up and reminisce.

The trio went out often and helped give Gordon his first taste of the Buffalo music scene.

Alterman said he, Gordon and Brandt used to listen to rock music at the Pine Grille on Jefferson Street, occasionally catching a glimpse of music legends Chuck Berry and Sam Cooke.

“We didn’t study very much until finals,” Alterman said. “It was only after we left Buffalo that we realized we were smarter than we thought.”

Brandt laughs when thinking back to his UB days with Alterman and Gordon. He says he “certainly didn’t realize the value of education until” after graduation, but he thinks the bond the trio shared in Buffalo is the most important takeaway.

“The friendships we’ve made we still have, and it’s a testament to the closeness we shared [in Buffalo]”

Creating history After leaving a humorous mark on friends in Buffalo and graduating with a degree in sociology in 1968, Gordon flew to Los Angeles with the goal of becoming a probation officer.

Instead, he found Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison at a “fleabag”

motel.

The music legends bonded with Gordon and became some of his first friends after college. But Gordon wasn’t starstruck.

“It was a very different time and they didn’t make a lot of money,” Gordon said.

“It was fairly limited … they didn’t have real ego issues. They were real people.”

But they carried real problems. Before they all passed away at a young age, they led Gordon to his first massive client in management: Alice Cooper.

Gordon formed Alive Enterprises in 1969 and set out to make Alice Cooper a rock superstar. He had Cooper perform naked, throw live chickens into his crowds and even create traffic jams — caused by cars with Alice Cooper billboards on top — to make his first client a household name. He did all this without ever having a contract with Cooper.

Gordon later oversaw the release and production of titular albums like “Love it to Death,” “School’s Out” and “Billion Dollar Babies.”

But like Gordon’s friends in Los Angeles, drugs and alcohol took their toll on Cooper and eventually strained the duo’s relationship.

“The last thing I ever wanted to do was work hard to make money for someone who took the money and killed themself,” Gordon said. “I told him that I didn’t want to help kill him. For two years I didn’t see him. He ended up in the hospital and called me, and we got together again like a day hadn’t gone by.”

Cooper led Gordon to managing the likes of Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross, Anne Murray and Rick James. But even this wasn’t enough for Gordon, who later pounced on a newfound passion for cooking decades later.

Gordon noticed that chefs rarely received compensation for their fame. So in the ‘90s, he became the first to represent some of the biggest names in the culinary world like Emeril Lagasse, Roger Verge and Wolfgang Puck. Lagasse famously said that Gordon is responsible for creating the concept of a “celebrity chef.”

COURTESY OF SHEP GORDON Protestors packed outside the Buffalo airport in 1964 to protest the arrival of the anti-semitic “Thallus of Marchantia,” a made-up ruler that Gordon and friends invented to prank the city of Buffalo.

Using an old connection with CNN founder Reese Schonfeld, Gordon offered his roster of chefs to be featured on the newly launched Food Network.

Gordon always kept strong roots, and UB was no different.

When his newest cooking venture exploded, his connections in the cooking world led him to not only feed the 14th Dalai Lama, but to serve on the board of the Tibet Fund, His Holiness’ nonprofit organization that allows Tibetans to sustain their cultural and national identity.

In the early 2000s, UB representatives reached out to Gordon to facilitate bringing His Holiness to UB. Gordon then flew to Buffalo, met with four administrators and had an idea.

Gordon, using leverage through his position on the nonprofit’s board, would administer fulbright scholarships to Tibet students. He told UB administrators that, if Buffalo houses the most Tibetan students compared to other schools, His Holiness will “break down the doors” to tell those students how proud he was of them.

And it happened.

On Sept. 21, 2006, the Dalai Lama spoke to a crowd of 30,000 at UB Stadium for one of the most historic days in school history.

“It was a beautiful day,” Gordon said.

“The weather was beautiful. The audience

was beautiful. He was beautiful and it was a beautiful moment.”

And Gordon’s connections made the beautiful day happen, which is a side of the story that UB rarely shares when discussing the historic day.

But Gordon seems O.K. staying behind the scenes, as long as he can make somewhat of a difference.

“Shep really wants his life to be a service so that he can make your life a little bit better,” Alterman said. “He’s someone who asks, ‘what can I do for you that will help you enjoy your experience [in life]?’”

He recognizes that “every human is different” and hopes his journey -- which started with him hopping fences to get to girls and now stands with him lying on a hammock in his Hawaii retirement home -- serves a model for graduating students unsure about their futures.

“I wake up in the morning and react to what the planet gave me. I think overstressing about ‘what am I going to do’ or who am I going to be’ will only lead to forcing yourself into something that isn’t natural,” Gordon said. “Question yourself about how much you’re questioning yourself. ... Always gravitate toward what makes you happy.”

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

FEATURES

ubspectrum.com

Thursday, April 25, 2019 | 7

Bulls turned entrepreneurs Coolest UB alumnifounded businesses across the country LEAH HIGGINS STAFF WRITER

Not all UB alumni take the same path into the workforce. While some look to get a job out of school with their professional degree, others set up shop to work for themselves.

UB alumni consist of an extensive network of individuals who have made themselves entrepreneurs out of their passions.

These five unique businesses founded by UB alumni show where a degree from Buffalo can get you.

1. The Tool Library, co-founded by Darren Cotton (MA ’12, BA ’10) The Tool Library is exactly what it sounds like, a place to rent tools.

This sustainable, volunteer-run program rents tools to homeowners, local businesses and community-based projects next to South Campus on W. Northup Street.

It hosts workshops 2-3 times per month covering topics like “Prep your home for summer,” “Basic car maintenance” and “Tree maintenance & stewardship.”

Its “Dare to Repair” invites people in the community to bring broken items like lamps and vacuums to have an expert volunteer try to repair it for free. The Tool Library and its volunteers regularly work on cleaning up local neighborhoods, planting trees through their “Re-Tree” initiatives and keeping community gardens growing with their “Mulchmania” designated days.

2. Lloyd Taco Trucks & Lloyd Taco Factory, co-founded by Chris Dorsaneo (BBA

’03) They started out as a lone food truck, but now, most in the Western New York area know about Lloyd. The taco trucks are considered the first food trucks of Buffalo. They have revolutionized local cuisine and made staple events like Food Truck Tuesday at Larkinville possible. It has two factory locations in North Buffalo and Williamsville. Lloyd Taco Factory has worked with The International Institute of Buffalo to hire refugees that are new to the community. Stop by this Cinco De Mayo to celebrate in the most Lloyd way: A Star-Wars-themed weekend party.

3. Gear Hut, founded by Leah Wzientek (BS ’12) Gear Hut, based in Reno, Nevada, is a sustainable consignment shop that buys and sells used camping gear. Gear Hut acts as an alternative to websites like Craigslist or throwing gear away.

The company had its grand opening in October 2018 and is only available inperson at their store. The company gives those who sell their gear encouragement to donate some of their portions to nonprofits such as the Sierra Climbing Team, SPCA of Northern Nevada, Great Basin Outdoor School and Truckee Meadows Park Foundation. It posts a “Nonprofit of the Month” to bring awareness to other Reno-local sustainable organizations.

4. Christopher Street Tours, founded by Michael Ventureillo (EdM ’16) If you’re interested in making your next trip to Manhattan more meaningful or about learning the history of the LGBTQ movement in the city, this is the tour for you. Christopher Street in New York City is remembered as the center of New

York’s LGBTQ movement throughout the 1970s. Tours include: LGBTQ History Walking Tour, LGBTQ Bar Tour, Private Tours and Group tours.

Ventureillo’s master’s thesis sparked his passion while he was a student at UB and he wrote about the significance of the Stonewall Riots. After moving to New York City, he found that there was a lack of accessible and affordable options to learn about the history of the event. To close the gap, he began the Christopher Street Tours. It offers speaking engagements, LGBTQ training and workshops and LGBTQ alternative break trips. Tours last two hours and are free for those under the age of 21. Walking tours are $30 and can be found on Facebook to book your tour.

5. MoMath, founded by Cindy Lawrence

(BS ’88) People have all types of perceptions about math. Most surround the fact that math requires an aptitude that you are born with or as something to be memorized. At MoMath, the National Museum of Mathematics located in New York City, these perceptions are abolished. As the only mathematics museum in the United States, they use a hands-on approach to show connections between the algorithms that make up our world.

These interactive exhibits include trying a square-wheeled bike, using a projection of you to make a fractal tree and using statistics to shoot the perfect free throw. The museum is open to people of all ages and has been covered in The New York Times, Forbes and Daily Mail.

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

SHUBH JAIN | THE SPECTRUM The Tool Library, a Buffalo business located near South Campus. The store is run and founded by UB alumni Darren Cotton.

FROM PAGE 1

SIGN-A-BULL

Engagement understands that “leaving a legacy on campus is important to graduating students” and the program was one of

those ways.

“Our staff facilitated a careful and thoughtful review of which activities and

services Student Engagement would be able to continue to offer in order to provide high quality and impactful learning experiences for UB students –– which is the mission of Student Engagement,” Butch wrote.

“The [program], unfortunately, is an initiative that we could not take on this year.”

Seniors such as Carl Wiedeman, a psychology major, said SA leading the program doesn’t make a major difference to him and it’s more important that “it’s happening at all.”

“If SA takes over, that’s great as long as it gets done. I have no idea how a program

like this gets done, it could be a complicated thing, so I hope it gets done before the semester ends,” Wiedeman said.

He said the program is definitely an emblem for outgoing seniors and the bull is a way to leave your mark on UB. Butch wrote that his office is listening to students’ feedback.

“If leaving a legacy at UB in a visual way is something that is important to our students, we will collaborate with students and student groups to create a solution going forward,” Butch said.

Email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @BenjaminUBSpec.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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‘A true hustle’: The life of a young entrepreneur UB alum juggles running a business, marketing a product and working a corporate job JACKLYN WALTERS CO-SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Yusef Burgos — or Sef, as friends call him — sits in a low chair dressed in a hoodie and jeans that clearly cost over $400. He speaks in a relaxed voice that does little to convey his busy schedule.

He is surrounded by shoes that cost more than UB tuition, four guys hanging out around the counter and 2015 Drake playing in the background.

This is exactly the “calm, cool, chill environment” he wants his store to emanate.

Burgos, who got a BA from UB in 2017 and an MA in 2018, co-owns The Cellar with Adam Kellerman, and will be celebrating the store’s second anniversary next Monday. The Cellar, located at 569 Elmwood Ave., is a streetwear store and well-known spot for students looking to buy hypebeast essentials: Yeezys, Supreme and the like. Burgos and Kellerman also co-created the shoe cleaner Scuffed Up to help their customers keep their products always looking like new. But the 23-yearold entrepreneur also works full-time as a risk assurance associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, a multinational accounting firm.

Burgos said he couldn’t run The Cellar without a team he can “trust” to uphold the “vision and culture of the store.” He relies on a six-person team to run the store while he works 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“It’s not really all me, it’s my team,” Burgos said. “I couldn’t do it without these boys.”

Justin Alvear, a senior media studies major, saw Burgos’ passion for the culture as a customer.

“He is a really humble and good guy,” Alvear said. “He’s really passionate about

the streetwear culture.”

Burgos opened The Cellar when he was a senior accounting major at UB and said his time at the university “opened a door” for him with the store.

Burgos used his connections with students when he was opening The Cellar and spent his time on campus handing out flyers and promotBENJAMIN BLANCHET | THE SPECTRUM ing the shop.

Kellerman said (Left to right) Adam Kellerman and Yusef Burgos are co-owners of The Cellar. Burgos is ‘17 UB alum and runs The Cellar, owns shoe cleaner brand Scuffed Up and works as a risk assurance associate at PricewaterBurgos’ education houseCoopers, a multinational accounting firm. has greatly helped something you want to do as far as hav- tend to see groups of teens go inside and the business because it’s “like having a built-in accoun- ing your own business, you gotta take that kind of just hang out.” leap. The best experience comes from doBurgos recommended that students “letant.” ing it.” verage” the resources around them while In its two years of business, the store Burgos’ future plans include opening they can, as the people he met at UB has gained a following among UB students and community members alike. The store- another Cellar storefront and giving back helped spread the word about his business.

“People don’t realize when you’re a colfront is stacked with retro and modern to the community. He said he doesn’t have sneakers and memorabilia. The walls are any concrete plans for donations, but lege student, you have so many resources lined with skateboards and a claw machine hopes to provide “guidance” to Buffalo at your fingertips to really do almost whatever you want. There are so many people offers thousand-dollar kicks to customers youth.

“The youth are ultimately the future around you and in your network that just who try their luck.

Kellerman said The Cellar has grown leaders of our world.” Burgos said. “So want to help you simply because you’re a through “trial and error” and opening whatever I can do, gathering my experi- college student,” Burgos said. “When you the business has taught him a “ridiculous ences and the people I’ve met, [I want to] graduate, all of that goes away.” give them an outlet and shed light on my Burgos attributed his success to his amount” of information. path [with] my knowledge as well.” “constant grind” mentality and urged oth“The last two years have just been the He said he wants The Cellar to be a ers to “delay gratification.” greatest learning experience ever,” Keller“You can’t have that instant gratificaman said. “And that’s something that you place that people of all ages can hang out and know they “don’t necessarily have to tion. A lot of kids, a lot of my peers ‘want can’t buy or get somewhere else.” it now,’” Burgos said. “It’s all about just Burgos said building The Cellar from come here just to buy things.”

Alvear believes the store gives off this staying focused on delaying gratification. the ground up was “one of the coolest … It’ll ultimately pay off in the end, and things.” He said creating the store “didn’t exact “vibe.”

“They have a really dope store that epitthat’s the mindset.” happen overnight” but has left him “hapomizes the positives of streetwear culture py, humble and blessed.”

Email:Jacklyn.Walters@ubspectrum.com “I would say life is all about taking that in my opinion,” Alvear said. “The general Twiiter:@JacklynUBSpec. calculated risk,” Burgos said. “You cannot vibe was friendly and definitely seems like be scared. If you have a passion, if this is a place you could make good friends. You

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SPORTS

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From YouTube to Tonawanda Tony Watson and Rod Middleton’s journey to opening Pro Training Basketball facility NATHANIEL MENDELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Tony Watson put up shots at Alumni Arena on Tuesday, but this time not as a student or a member of the men’s basketball team. Watson returned to his alma mater to help train the UB men’s basketball program.

Tony Watson played for UB from 200913 before playing three seasons overseas.

The South Florida native returned to Buffalo and partnered with another UB basketball alum, Rod Middleton, to create the only basketball training facility in Buffalo, Pro Training Basketball in North Tonawanda. Watson took a “leap of faith” opening the facility.

But in a year and a half they’ve already outgrown their current space.

“It all started on YouTube and as I got better at it I felt that I could make a bigger impact, especially in this area in person,” Watson said. “I teamed up with Rod Middleton and we started doing work in churches and at Clark Hall on South Campus. We always had to rely on sombody else for a facility so we found a place we could open up on our own.”

Watson never thought he would become a trainer. At UB, he interned in the UB Athletics marketing department and thought he would go work for an NBA team.

In the middle of his senior year, Watson started to get looks from scouts that would launch his professional career. He fell in love with it while training profesionally.

Watson would train a couple kids during the offseason as a way to make some money on the side but when he went away, they still wanted him to help.

So he made videos on YouTube.

Watson uploaded videos of him doing drills but the viewers and commenters

weren’t just a couple kids, they were from across the globe.

“They’re saying, ‘Hey can you do a video on this,’” Watson said. “I added Will Regan to the channel who was a former UB player and it just grew and grew.”

The channel, Pro Training Basketball, has amassed over 190,000 subscribers.

Watson and Middleton still run the drills seen on the channel inside their facility today. Most drills are tailor-made to the kids at the facility but there are drills they can go back and use over and over again, Watson said.

This week, they’re holding a camp for boys and girls in grades 3-8.

The converted warehouse features a turf area for explosiveness and agility, a weight room for strength and conditioning and a modified basketball court.

Along with hosting group and private workouts, Pro Training Basketball had five travel teams this year with hopes to expand to more, including a girls travel program.

Watson and Middleton have found their niche in Western New York.

High school basketball in WNY has improved in recent years and during this past season, Park and Cardinal O’Hara high schools each made it to the state finals.

Pro Training Basketball has found itself returning to the very gyms it started in to host camps. Their current facility can’t hold the amount of people they are bringing in.

They have used Saint Mathews’ gym, rec centers in Niagara Falls, Sweet Home Middle School and Tapestry Charter School to accomodate everything.

“We’re literally busting at the seams at this facility,” Watson said.

“I would definitely take the leap of faith again, just to see the impact that we’ve had on so many kids, and it’s very rewarding.

But we also see how much more we can be doing. We’re starting to add other coaches who have the same passion as us. And as we grow, and as we look for bigger opportunities, we should be able to grow and expand what we’re doing now.”

Watson and Middleton have prided

NATHANIEL MENDELSON | THE SPECTRUM Tony Watson instructs kids at the Pro Training Basketball facility in North Tonawanda. Watson spent four years as a member of UB’s basketball team and three years playing overseas before returning to Buffalo.

themselves on their hashtag “ProfectYourGame.” They wear shirts with it displayed and have it painted on the walls in their gym.

Both played professionally and the concept of perfecting their game means a lot to them. Kids who are committed to playing basketball will have to act like players 24 hours a day. They need to eat, sleep and drink the right way in order to compete at a high level.

That mindset came from Watson and Middleton’s head coach at UB, Reggie Witherspoon.

“From that experience I have a lot of stories that I can tell my kids,” Watson said. “Like there are days I didn’t want to get up, days when I was sore. There’s days where they can make us eat stuff I didn’t like, but I did it anyways because I had a goal in mind” Watson isn’t ready to give up life training and get more involved with coaching. Watson’s father was his coach through high

school and he feels it’s in his blood. But he has his fears.

Watson can’t live with the instability of the profession and the toughest part would be relying on 18, 19 or 20-year olds to do their jobs and be normal college students.

“It’s tough to say I want to go the full coaching route,” Watson said. “You know, risk what we’ve built here and the relationships that we have and established and leave these kids. We’ve laid a foundation here for something and it’s tough to leave.”

Watson and Middleton originally met when they would train together at 6 a.m. in Alumni Arena Watson’s freshman year.

Their relationship built up over the years and so did Pro Training Basketball.

When the doors opened, it was all for the city of Buffalo and when their threeyear lease is up, they’ll have opened up more doors for Buffalo’s youth to play basketball.

Email:nathaniel.mendelson@ubspectrum.com Twitter @NateMendelson

Felisha legette-jack signs new five-year deal New deal worth $345,000 annually NATHANIEL MENDELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

UB agreed to a new five-year deal with head women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack that will run through 2024, according to a Wednesday announcement.

Legette-Jack will earn a base salary of $270,000 a year and additional compensation of $75,000, according to The Buffalo News. Her previous

NATHANIEL MENDELSON | THE SPECTRUM base salary was $240,000 with an adUB announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to a new five-year deal with ditional compensation of $35,000 head women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack that will run through 2024. annually.

Legette-Jack just completed her here at UB,” said Athletic Director Mark In 2017, the Bulls went to the Sweet 16 seventh season as the head coach of the Alnutt in a press release. “Throughout and finished with a program record of program. The Bulls won their second Mid- her tenure at Buffalo, her passion for 29-6. Buffalo finished the season with its American Conference title and made it to excellence with our women’s basketball first-ever national ranking. the Round of 32 for the second-straight program both on and off the court has Legette-Jack has posted a 143-86 career year in the NCAA tournament. Legette- been second to none. Felisha has been a record at UB and currently ranks second Jack has not only been successful on the tremendous ambassador for UB both in all-time in wins. The Bulls have won at court but off the court as well, with all of the Western New York Region and nation- least 10 MAC games in five of the last six her seniors graduating in the past four sea- ally. I am very excited to continue working seasons and are the only team in the MAC sons. with her as we keep building our women’s to win 19-plus games in each of the last “I’m very fortunate to work with Coach basketball program to historic levels.” five seasons.

Her new base salary puts her near the top of the MAC for head coaches. Central Michigan’s Sue Guevera makes a base of $290,000, while Toledo’s Tricia Cullop makes a base of $300,000.

“Our players are now professional athletes, on the road to becoming doctors, and phenomenal women,” Legette-Jack said in a press release. “I have witnessed the most amazing ladies grow, change, evolve and stand in their greatness and I am fortunate to coach each one of them. Each one sincerely believes that they matter and they are equipped for the road ahead. To grow this program to a Sweet 16 team and reach the postseason four times during our tenure is a testament of our village.

Together we built it and together we will take it to the next level.”

Email: nathaniel.mendelson@ubsectrum.com Twitter: @NateMendelson