The Spectrum Vol.68 No. 49

THE SPECTRUM VOL. 68 NO. 49 | MAY 6, 2019

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

UB INK: A student’s tattoo story

Ramadan 2019: Muslim students prepare to fast during finals week

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> SEE PAGE 5

‘Wild wild mess’

> SEE PAGE 8

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie wins over Spring Fest crowd A Boogie and Lil Baby power through lengthy sets in Alumni Arena BRENTON J. BLANCHET, BRIAN EVANS MANAGING EDITOR, SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

A late lineup change didn’t impact this year’s Spring Fest turnout.

And it didn’t impact the crowd’s energy either.

Opener Rich the Kid pulled out of his slot on Friday, just one day before he was set to open for Lil Baby and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. But his replacement, New York rapper Young M.A, didn’t feel anything like a replacement.

She ran through her 45-minute set, closing with “OOOUUU,” and proved to be the perfect setup to the trap-sprinkled night.

A Boogie and Lil Baby brought some big bling and bigger hits to Alumni Arena on Saturday night. Openers Kiana Ledé and M.A roused the crowd from the start, setting the stage for an energetic evening in Alumni Arena. Lines began forming at 5:30 p.m. and wrapped around Bissell Hall for entry. Fest is funded through the mandatory $104.75 Student Activity Fee. The evening cost roughly $452,000, according to SA Treasurer Tanahiry Escamilla.

Students reserved 5,983 tickets for Spring Fest, according to SA President Gunnar Haberl. Students picked up a total of 5,971 tickets and 4,381 students attended the show –– an increase of over

1,000 students from last year’s A$AP Ferg fest that saw 3,281 attendees.

The crowd was at its peak turnout at 8:30 p.m. when A Boogie hit the stage, appropriately wearing his signature hoodie as he gave the crowd the most energy of the night’s performers.

His dancing had DAVILA TARAKINIKINI AND SHUBH JAIN | THE SPECTRUM him gliding through Headliners A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and Lil Baby brought a barrage of trap to Alumni Arena on Saturday Night. Spring Fest also featured the stage, a move that Young M.A, a last minute replacement, and upcomer Kiana Lede. mirrored that of 2016 for his track “Jungle,” which resulted in a Fall Fest headliner Travis Scott. He didn’t sea of lights. He then thanked the audiinvite audience members to jump off the ence for helping him earn a No. 1 record stage like Scott did but that didn’t stop stu- on the Billboard 200 with “Hoodie Szn,” dents from crowd surfing. as its album cover repeatedly flashed on The rapper, decked out in the camo the stage’s screen. hoodie and ripped jeans, kept the crowd Audience members started sitting down pumped with flashing lights and luring after his countless trap hits, but once visuals, which ranged from dripping wa- they heard the opening instrumental to ter to roaming cityscapes. He opened “Drowning,” there was no stopping the with “Look Back At It,” played through proceeding mosh pits. A Boogie and his “Beasty” and, by the time he reached his hype man had both the blue and red zones fifth song, had the majority of the 300 sec- create massive circles and, before signing tion refusing to take a seat. off for the night, the rapper watched as The crowd’s energy died down a bit by the crowd went ballistic. the time A Boogie played “Just Like Me,” They carried this energy into co-headbut the stage’s vibrant backdrop kept liner Lil Baby’s set, but not entirely.

Alumni ignited in color.

Lil Baby came out abruptly and some Toward the end of his set, the rapper crowd members had to take a second look asked audience members to throw up their to make sure the headliner just hit the hands and turn on their phone flashlights

‘Butts suck:’ Students pick up over 30 pounds of cigarette butts on campus hearing students express concerns about UB’s smoke-free policy, which they said isn’t widely adhered to or enforced. Kratt, along with 13 undergraduate SA clubs, picked up cigarette butts across North Campus, from the Ellicott Complex to Alumni Arena and the Natural Sciences ALEXANDRA MOYEN STAFF WRITER Complex.

“This is just to raise awareness about the Roughly 50 UB students collected 31.5 fact that our campus is covered in cigarette pounds of cigarette butts around UB’s butts,” Kratt said. “It’s not good aesthetiNorth Campus Sunday afternoon. cally; it’s not good for the environmental Sadie Kratt, Student Association envi- health and air quality for both students ronmental affairs director, coordinated the and the natural environment.” cigarette-butt cleanup –– or “Butts Suck” In just 20 minutes, four UB students –– this semester and last semester after found over 50 cigarette butts between Bonner Hall and Fronczak Hall. Gina George, a junior biomedical sciences major and one of the four students, participated in “Butts Suck” to help offset the environmental effects of smoking.

“I wanted to help minimize the impact that UB students have, because there are a lot DAVILA TARAKINIKINI | THE SPECTRUM of smokers on cam(left to right) Aneri Dholakia and Nayna Madhudi pick up cigarette butts.

They are two of 50 students who participated in Student Association pus,” George said.

Environmental Affairs’ second cigarette butt clean-up on Sunday.

Renuka Kannappan, a senior bio-

Student Association Environmental Affairs holds second cigarette butt clean-up

> SEE SPRING

UBSPECTRUM

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medical sciences major, participated in the event and said she finds it “ironic” how students smoke in front of the “no smoking” signs on campus.

“It’s ridiculous UB preaches that [it is] a no smoking campus yet all we see are people smoking cigarette butts everywhere,” Kannappan said. “I think that we should be part of the change and trying to remove them and actually make it a no smoking campus.”

Kratt hopes the event will cause UB to better enforce its smoke-free policy. She also thinks the policy should be updated since it doesn’t apply to e-cigarettes.

“I would like to see a better confrontation or a better way to enforce the policy and I would like to see receptacles put up around campus for people to put their cigarette butts in,” Kratt said. “I think we need to establish either smoking zones or at least receptacle zones where people can bring their butt waste because it just is a huge litter problem.”

Kratt said she understands that smoking is an addiction, since her grandmother battled smoking, and many students will fight the smoke-free policy once it becomes enforced. She said she is in favor of establishing smoking zones.

“I think we need to give students resources, like cigarette receptacles because if we don’t, it’s going to end up on the ground.”

Kratt said the smoke-free policy doesn’t apply to UB faculty or staff. She said the university recently removed cigarette receptacles around campus, leaving only one at Jacobs Management Center. > SEE CIGARETTE | PAGE 4

UB reviewing Kapoor Hall name following John Kapoor’s guilty verdict TANVEEN VOHRA CO-SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

UB leadership is discussing renaming Kapoor Hall after a federal court in Boston found John Kapoor, alum and founder of Insys Therapeutics, guilty of a racketeering conspiracy on Wednesday.

The court found Kapoor and four other top executives guilty of bribing physicians to prescribe fentanyl spray to patients who didn’t need the medication.

John and Editha Kapoor Hall on South Campus is named after the ‘72 alum –– who donated over $10.8 million to UB –– and his deceased wife.

UB released a statement on the verdict, saying leadership is “reviewing and discussing the impact under UB and SUNY policies pertaining to university namings.”

Beth Del Genio, chief of staff for UB President Satish Tripathi said during a DIFCON panel in February that UB was holding off discussions on renaming Kapoor Hall until courts determined Kapoor’s involvement in the opioid crisis.

“The illegal and unethical activities brought to light during the trial are in stark contrast to UB’s core values and our mission to improve lives, strengthen communities and positively change the world,” UB’s press release read.

The policy for renaming UB buildings currently entails a recommendation from Vice President for Student Life A. > SEE KAPOOR | PAGE 4

UB makes step toward Wellness and Recreation Center BENJAMIN BLANCHET, TANVEEN VOHRA EDITORIAL EDITOR, CO-SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

The Office of the State Comptroller approved a contract for Cannon Design to design a “Wellness and Recreation Center” for UB on April 17. The $463,000 contract commissions Cannon Design, an architecture firm which is also in charge of designing One World Café.

UB and SUNY have paid Cannon Design for projects in years past such as a $1.1 million contract for the downtown Educational Opportunity Center in 2008.

UB spokesperson John DellaContrada said that finding a design consultant is an “initial step” in the process of building the Wellness and Recreation Center.

“Funding for the project is not secured yet. A location for the building has not yet been identified,” DellaContrada wrote in an email.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

NEWS IRS scam targets international students again

2 | Monday, May 6, 2019

TANVEEN VOHRA CO-SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Another phone scam is targeting international students at UB. This time, the call comes from the number (603)367-3909, the local IRS office number in Dover, New Hampshire. The scammers have “spoofed” the number to make the call seem legitimate, UPD Deputy Chief Joshua Sticht said.

Sticht said an international student was about to drop off $17,000 in cash via Fe-

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cials have targeted international students and threatened them with deportation.

Assistant Vice Provost for International Student Services Katie Tudini said the recent scam is part of a series of scams targeting international students, who she said have been “inundated” with phone calls and emails this spring.

UPD’s webpage details the characteristics of the scam, such as using UB’s ISS number (716) 645-2258 or other university phone numbers beginning with (716) 645xxxx.

UPD’s webpage reminds students that government agencies wouldn’t ask them for “personally identifiable information” such as their passport number, social security number and details of their visa.

message. We have to constantly stay aware that [humans] do this to each other.”

Danielle Erdos, a freshman English major and Hillel member, said the day’s events illustrated how the Jewish community is “still connected” through all of the past and present tragedies it has faced.

“I think it shows that [no one] can destroy us,” Erdos said. “We’re still here and U.S. 84th Regiment liberated the camp on we’re still standing together. We’re still just April 14, 1945. as strong as we were before.”

Thornton said “we must always remem“My mother was a war bride, she marber” the tragedy of the Holocaust, and ried an American GI after the war and she said the expression “never forget” doesn’t loved America. She was very patriotic. She only apply to the Jewish community. felt safe here,” Thornton said. “She died “For me, of course, it’s very personal. in 2010 and I’m glad she did not see what … But it’s much more universal than that,” happened afterwards. I think she would Thornton said. “I don’t –– and I know my have been frightened. I’m frightened.” mother did not –– think of ‘never forget’ Thornton said Jewish people have hisas ‘never forget just Jews.’ It is a universal torically been “a convenient answer” when problems arise in society. She said everyone has a role to play when hate runs rampant, not just “the Hitlers of the world.”

“I think what is much more frightening is the much larger group of people who look the other way, who don’t COURTESY OF TAMARA THORNTON think it’s their business, (left to right) Charles Byrd and Edith Fischgrund Plakins sit together in who allow it to hapthe Holocaust Museum in Washington. Byrd shot open the gate of the concentration camp Plakins was held in during the Holocaust. pen, who are passive to

evil,” Thornton said. “So [to] ‘never forget,’ I think it’s important that we remember a particular group of people, but also that we don’t forget the potential for going along with evil that is in most of us.”

Alexa Zappia, a Springboard Innovation Specialist at Hillel, said UB community members donated over $500 during Hillel’s food fundraiser on Thursday.

Zappia said the day proved that goodness still exists among the bad.

“In this world filled with hate, or what seems like it’s filled with hate, there’s so many people who want to promote kindness,” Zappia said. “Despite the hate that’s going on, people want to promote good.”

When her mother was alive, Thornton located the GI who shot open the gate of the camp, liberating her mother. Charles Byrd, the American GI from Snellville, Tennessee, became “very close friends” with Plakins.

“I never like to tell the story [as if] the Holocaust had a happy ending, there’s no happy ending,” Thornton said. “There are just little lights here and there. But as human beings, we have to try to have a little light here and there. And these two did that.”

dEx but called UPD last minute. UPD then escorted the student to a bank to redeposit the cash.

“The caller convinces the victim that their social security number has been stolen and they are responsible for charges incurred by another person. As before, the international student is threatened with deportation if they do not pay,” Sticht wrote in an email.

The last reported phone scam happened in December, when people impersonating Department of Homeland Security offi-

‘Never forget:’ UB community remembers those lost in the Holocaust JACKLYN WALTERS CO-SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

The names of those who died in the Holocaust rang through the Student Union Flag Room on Thursday.

Hillel of Buffalo invited UB students, faculty and community members to read victims’ names as part of Yom HaShoah, Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day. Yom HaShoah, May 1-2, is a day of remembrance for the roughly six million people who died during the Holocaust.

Hillel spent Saturday afternoon selling coffee and donuts to help raise money in light of the shooting of the Chabad of Poway in California.

Tamara Thornton, a history professor, read the names of family members who died in the Holocaust. She said there was “essentially nobody” in the flag room listening to the names but she “felt the names needed to be heard.”

Thornton’s mother, Edith Fischgrund Plakins, was held in Auschwitz concentration camp before being moved to a slave labor camp in Salzwedel, Germany. The

Students who think they might be a victim of a scam should contact UPD at (716)645-2222 or ISS at (716) 645-2258.

Email: tanveen.vohra@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @TanveenUBSpec

Email: Jacklyn.Walters@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @JacklynUBSpec.

SUMMER SESSION IN NEW YORK CITY

UB Student Remembrance Ceremony A CEREMONY TO REMEMBER OUR STUDENT FRIENDS WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2018-19

REMEMBERING OUR STUDENTS W I T H G R AT E F U L A P P R E C I AT I O N

Will Czymmek Jennifer Leone Minwei Ye

750+ undergraduate and graduate courses Online, classroom, and hybrid formats.

Visiting students welcome.

www.lehman.edu/summer

Friday, May 10, 2019 11 am Student Union Theater University at Buffalo (North Campus)

Dedication & luncheon immediately following ceremony.

All are welcome.

OPINION

ubspectrum.com

THE SPECTRUM Monday, May 6, 2019 Volume 68 Number 49 Circulation: 4,000

The attention-seeking foul ball My first softball game was a bit of a smash

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 Britnay Gorny, Asst.

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

ANDREW FITZGERALD STAFF WRITER

On Friday afternoon, I drove out to Dobson Field at D’Youville College to cover the Bulls softball game against Ohio.

It was the first game of three that the team played this weekend.

This was the first time I have ever been to a softball game, so I was pretty excited.

The first inning and a half was

A reminder that UB is our campus too

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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.

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pretty average. There were a few hits by each team, but everyone ended up stranded on base.

In the bottom of the second, Buffalo was back up to the plate in hopes of finding some offensive production.

Most of the at-bats were pretty long, as batters kept fouling balls off to stay alive. No one went out without a long battle with the pitcher. Most players hit foul balls high and to the left, toward the road, not the parking lot behind the plate.

I was at the game with Nathaniel Mendelson, who was taking pictures of the action. A few balls in a row were fouled off into the road and he was cringing at each one as they were flying toward his car.

I made a snide remark about how I was lucky to get the parking spot I did.

I parked my car behind the plate and to the left. It was behind the first baseline.

Since this was my first game, I thought it was a good, safe spot

to park. I didn’t really think anything of it.

I was wrong.

About five minutes after I had made that remark, karma hit me.

It came in the form of a highflying foul ball heading straight for my car. It landed directly on the back windshield and caused a mini eruption of glass.

Several people thought it was water at first, but I already knew what had actually happened.

Some of the crowd went over to the car to look at the damage.

Even the D’Youville field manager said he had never seen this happen before.

My car was the first injury at that field and the first of the season for the Bulls.

At first I was worried and upset, but I called Safelite to see if they could get it fixed. Unfortunately, they can’t come until Tuesday to replace the windshield, so until then, I just have to leave my car parked outside my apartment and wait it out.

The initial shock had quickly

faded though. I instead found the humor in the situation and took the accident light heartedly.

I figure why should I be upset about something like this, when in reality the situation was quite humorous.

I do find the placement of the ball pretty lucky though. It had hit almost directly in the middle of the pane of glass, causing a spider shatter through the whole back windshield. If it had hit near the corners, there would certainly been a lot more damage.

After the game was over, I had managed to cover the back windshield and tape it up so it is weatherproof until Tuesday.

It also allowed me to be able to drive the car back to UB. This was not the outcome I was expecting from my first-ever softball game, but it certainly was memorable. This was definitely the most entertaining game I’ve ever been to.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Students should know more about on-campus renovations

MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Shubh Jain, Senior Davila Tarakinikini, Asst.

GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGERS JuYung Hong

Monday, May 6, 2019 | 3

CIAN GONZALEZ STAFF WRITER

UB’s development partner, Brailsford & Dunlavey, came to the Student Union Wednesday to ask passing students what they would like to see in a future SU. This allowed not only Student Association members and faculty to give their input, but gave average students the freedom to share their input on what would make the SU more appealing to them.

We need more of this.

In my experience as an undergraduate, I’ve usually seen renovations happening at random times with no forewarning. The new offices being built in the middle of Silverman Library’s first floor last semester is a prime example; why didn’t I hear about this earlier?

Did the university stop to think that taking up more study space in the library was something they’d want to talk to students about first?

The idea of students getting involved with campus development never hit me until I spoke to one of the B&D representatives. She told me that they travel to student unions across the country to get more ideas for UB. This made me curious, so I decided to go on to websites that ranked how nice other student centers were. One website, EDsmart.org, counted down their top 51 student unions in U.S. colleges, with their No. 1 pick being High Point University’s Slane Center. While other public institutions like Ohio State University made the cut, there were sadly no SUNY schools in sight.

But I can’t say I’m surprised that UB isn’t listed.

While we have a good many dining options, our SU could provide more space for spending time with friends after classes.

A number of student centers on EDsmart’s list have movie theaters, bowling alleys and arcade gaming rooms. Iowa State’s union even has a wine bar.

Our SU had its last update on Nov. 12, 1992, according to the university archives and pales in comparison to most of those on EDsmart.org’s list. The archives don’t mention whether or not students had a say in SU’s design.

It does, however, quote thenPresident William Greiner in an opening-ceremony speech stating that it is up to the students to make the building theirs.

“You will decide the use of the union, it is you who will decide the use of its facilities,” Greiner said. “Above all, I hope you will continue to use it, to enjoy it, to think about the new opportunities it offers for all kinds of people to put their talents and ideas to work.”

But while students may decide

the fate of SU, we should at least have a say in what goes into other on-campus projects.

After all, it’s us who pay tuition and fees to come here. It’s us who make UB the No. 1 public university in New York.

So why should we have to deal with a new construction project that interferes with study space in a library?

What B&D did on Wednesday is a reminder that we are an important part of what makes UB, UB. We should be told, either in person or by email, that plans for renovations on any part of campus are underway. In the event that happens, we should have a say in what goes into these new developments and be able to protest them if it interferes with our academics or extracurriculars.

I’d like to see more development firms like B&D tabling oncampus, asking for our thoughts is an important part of making UB home.

It’s just like what Greiner said to students in 1992, “It’s all yours.”

South Campus after this review process is completed, it will not only tarnish the proud reputation of the UB School of Pharmacy, but it will reflect poorly on the University at Buffalo as a whole.

The investigation into RDC covered several years, from 2012 to 2016. The company has been a significant sponsor of annual school events for many years, and it established the Karl D. Fiebelkorn Award in 2014. How will the school approach their relationship with RDC moving forward? Will it continue unchanged or will it reevaluate its priorities?

These are the questions that arise as a consequence of entangling our professional education with profit-driven entities that lose sight of their mission statements and instead chase profit over patients.

Healthcare students and professionals, whether medicine, nursing, pharmacy or any other, need to maintain integrity in our moral compasses. We treat patients. We treat the victims of the opioid epidemic that RDC and Kapoor profited off of, and we are the ones left defending patients against unethical prescribing practices and predatory pricing schemes. We must never waiver in our commitment to do right by our patients and our professions, and in this instance, doing right by our profession starts with one thing: Kapoor’s name must come down.

Email: opinion@ubspectrum.com

Letter to the editor: I will never forget hearing the words “Profit is not a dirty word” early in my pharmacy education at the University at Buffalo. Now, many years later, it appears quite the opposite. This year has seen two high-profile cases of negative publicity for a school that purported to value ethics and professionalism, the Rochester Drug Cooperative (RDC) settlement for violating federal opioid laws and the criminal charges against benefactor John Kapoor.

The school seems to be silent about its relationship with RDC and is moving too slowly on Kapoor to instill confidence.

Real change requires those of us who came before to speak directly to the next generation.

The University at Buffalo named Kapoor Hall in 2012 and the fentanyl product that led to

the conviction of Kapoor and other executives at Insys Therapeutics had an FDA approval date of early 2012. Given that knowledge, the naming of the building appears to have been done in good faith and with no belief Kapoor would become one of the architects of the worst public health crisis our nation has faced. Yet, Kapoor was arrested and charged in October of 2017.

Here we are, a year and a half later, and the University is simply “reviewing and discussing the impact under UB and SUNY policies pertaining to university namings.” The school has had over a year to review and discuss this potential outcome. It is embarrassing to me as an alum that the school issued such a noncommittal response. If Kapoor’s name remains above the building on

HAVE A QUESTION, RESPONSE OR IDEA? SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR TO HAVE YOUR VOICE HEARD ON CAMPUS. ALL SUBMISSIONS SHOULD INCLUDE THE AUTHOR’S NAME, TITLE, EMAIL AND PHONE NUMBER. THE SPECTRUM RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EDIT THESE LETTERS FOR STYLE AND LENGTH. SEND YOUR LETTER TO EIC@UBSPECTRUM.COM

CHRISTOPHER TANSKI PHARMD, BCCP, BCPS UB SCHOOL OF PHARMACY CLASS OF 2014

4 | Monday, May 6, 2019

FEATURES

Black Student Union concludes year’s events with Small Keels BBQ BBQ in honor of past members brings out over 100 students BENJAMIN BLANCHET EDITORIAL EDITOR

BSU hosted its annual Small Keels BBQ outside the Student Union on Sunday, celebrating the conclusion of the academic year and the lives of two former club members.

At least 100 students celebrated the warm weather through music, food and games. The BBQ brings both past members and current members to campus to celebrate the club’s conclusion for the year, as the annual BBQ’s name honored two late BSU members, Damian Small and Trevor Keel, since the mid-1990s.

“This event is really important to BSU not just as an end of the year event but just to commemorate life in general, not

to be morbid, but it might be your last [BBQ],” said Ayenoumou Barry, BSU’s president. “This event holds a very special place in our hearts, it’s one of my favorite events with great vibes and a lot of people come out.”

The event’s name honors Small, a Guyanese international student at UB, who died on the day of BSU’s BBQ in 1993. Small died in a car crash on Kensington Avenue which also killed two people in a separate vehicle, basketball star Kevin Roberson and his sister Michelle Dixie, according to The Buffalo News. And Keel, who the event also honors, was shot and killed in Buffalo’s east side in 1993, according to the Democrat & Chronicle.

Past BSU members, such as James Minter and Paul Henderson, told The Spectrum they remember commemorating the two in the ‘90s and are happy that the annual BBQ is still going on. BSU releases balloons in their honor and asks members to

remember the lives of those they lost over the past year.

In addition to the memorial, BSU members said the BBQ has been a way to get current and outgoing members together to culminate the year’s achievements.

BENJAMIN BLANCHET | THE SPECTRUM Daniel Edwards, Daniel Edwards, BSU vice president, helps prepare food at the club’s ancurrent BSU vice nual BBQ on Sunday. president, said the Clark Hall. event has a “homey,” communal vibe for

“I love this event and looking everyone in attendance. back, it’s hard for me to believe the years “It’s definitely one of those events we’ve been here, the last Small Keels feels where it’ll allow not only the old e-board like six months ago but I’m glad I get to to go out in a wholesome way but also al- celebrate my last event [as activities coorlows the new e-board to get used to their dinator],” said Furlow, a junior psychology positions,” said Edwards, a junior exercise and sociology major. science major.

Lucas Furlow, activities coordinator, Email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com said the BBQ has brought out dozens of Twitter: @BenjaminUBSpec. former BSU members and has worked well with other clubs’ events, like when the BBQ aligned with African Student Association’s 2017 basketball tournament in

Expanding for a good cause Business Academia holds first keynote event to recruit at UB THOMAS ZAFONTE SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR

Not every great cause started with a large amount of support.

Business Academia, a program started by two undergraduate students at UB these past few weeks had its first keynote speaker event on Sunday in Baldy Hall.

The newly developed program hosts seminars to teach college-level business education to people who don’t attend or can’t afford college. It was able to recruit most students who came, despite a turnout of 15 attendees. Program founders, senior business administration majors Asifur Rahman and Evan Chefalo, said their current priority is to spread awareness for the program and recruit students and Buffalo community members to join.

The program currently offers partnership roles for students to join at a more hands-on level.

“We would have liked a larger turnout but we thought the event went well and made for a good way to market ourselves to more students,” Rahman said.

Peter Simpson, a principal at Xsperient, a marketing research company located in Tonawanda, was the keynote speaker. He touched on issues from his own life to starting as an entrepreneur.

“I think if this program continues it will FROM PAGE 1

SPRING FEST stage. The Atlanta native opened with his smash Drake collaboration “Yes Indeed,” which blasted throughout Alumni Arena and continued the energy that A Boogie garnered several songs earlier.

Lil Baby later jumped into “I Am” but the stage’s smoke and the rapper’s hits only kept the audience on their toes for so long. Once the rapper finished performing his top-ten hit “Drip Too Hard,” audience

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ness.

Simpson gave additional advice such as not specializing talents, nurturing integrity, forgetting about work/life balance and more.

“I came because I thought it was a really interesting idea and you just don’t see a lot of programs meant to teach people who can’t afford education,” said Kevin Bui, a senior mathematics major.

Bui said he plans to continue attending Business Academia events and to help when he has time. Multiple students inquired about joining as a partner after the event, according to Rahman.

Business Academia is planning another keynote speaker event for sometime this summer.

look very different in three years,” Simpson said. “I think it’s important to teach people these things about being an entrepreneur because I don’t think it’s commonly taught. I don’t know why that is, but it is important to know to avoid being a failure.”

The keynote started with Rahman and Chefalo going over the program’s business model and future plans. The program will look to bring seminars to disadvantaged communities by the second week of September, according to Rahman. They plan to continue developing the seminars to make them “easy to understand for everyone.”

Rahman said the program is meant to help give people the skills to improve their current economic situation through learning ways to apply their skills to business.

Chefalo said they hope to have experts from the business field teaching the seminars, similar to Simpson.

“Some of the most successful people didn’t make the dean’s list at college,” Chefalo said. “If you aren’t able to apply your skills or use your intelligence then what’s the point.”

The duo is currently negotiating with The Blackstone Group to help get funding for the project. Rahman said they are also trying to recruit local businesses and UB offices to help spread awareness.

The keynote speech was as an example of the type of seminar and guest speaker Business Academia is hoping to implement.

Simpson thinks teaching people an average level of education is more effective than only teaching the highest level to a few, based on his own experience growing up in the United Kingdom. He said, once he got married, he began his career in economics where he learned a lot on the fly.

“Fake it ‘til you make it, absolutely,” Simpson said during the keynote. “If you say you can do something, then you have to do it. If you’re not sure what you are doing, then learn on the fly. If you don’t deliver, then it is just BS.” Simpson said people aren’t commonly taught to see the world as an entrepreneur or to enjoy what they do in order to be successful at it. He thinks knowing who you Email: thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com are and what you want to do is something people have to figure out to be successful.

The keynote covered the idea of people as either an entrepreneur, corporator or settler.

Simpson said there is nothing wrong with settling, as long as you settle on success. An entrepreneur creates their own job to move up economically, while corporators look to SHUBH JAIN | THE SPECTRUM move up in an Senior business administration majors Evan Chefalo and Asifur Rahman already estab- outside during one of the first spring days at UB. The two students have started their own business seminar program called Business Academia. lished busi-

members quickly filed out of the arena.

But those in the red and blue section pits stayed cozily pressed against the barricades. They cheered through the remainder of the rapper’s set, which included deep tracks like “Exotic” and newer cuts “Put a Date on It.” Lil Baby kept chugging through his massive setlist, in which he played half of every song, in an effort to reenergize the crowd, which just heard the rapper’s premier track.

The resurgence never happened but Lil Baby was seemingly unaffected. He kept playing shorter versions of his tracks before abruptly departing with a brief goodbye, waving and walking off at the conclusion of “Sold Out Dates.”

Opener Ledé proved to be a pleasant R&B break from a night of constant trap smashes, and Beyoncé’s drummer Vanzella Joy worked the crowd in between sets and debuted her single “Flavor.”

“I could not be more grateful for the time and dedication of our Student Association Entertainment Director Sandeep Chakravarthy and the SA team on pulling off such an amazing Spring Fest,” Haberl said. “I am proud to have been a part of this memorable experience.”

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

FROM PAGE 1

KAPOOR Scott Weber, followed by approval from President Tripathi and the UB Council.

SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson then reviews and approves recommendations, after which the SUNY Board of Trustees makes the final decision.

A university building has not been renamed in the last 20 years due to a person’s past, according to UB spokesperson Cory Nealon.

Email: tanveen.vohra@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @TanveenUBSpec

LUCAS SMITH | THE SPECTRUM John and Editha Kapoor Hall currently bears the name of UB alum John Kapoor, who was found guilty of a racketeering conspiracy on Wednesday.

FROM PAGE 1

CIGARETTE Kratt purposefully planned the clean-up around prospective student tour dates because she wants the campus that she loves

to look presentable for future students and hopes to continue this initiative next academic year.

Kratt said she was “pretty satisfied”

with the day’s collections, despite picking up roughly four pounds less than at last semester’s event.

“We picked up 35 pounds of cigarettes

last time so we’re pretty close as this one’s 31 and a half. So I’m pretty happy with how this turned out,” Kratt said.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

NEWS

Monday, May 6, 2019 | 5

Ramadan 2019: Muslim students prepare to fast during finals week TANVEEN VOHRA CO-SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Starting this week, Muslim students at UB, along with Muslim people all over the world, will be fasting from sunlight to sunset to observe Ramadan.

Muslims observe Ramadan each year during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar to commemorate Allah giving the Prophet Muhammad the first verses of the Quran. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, Ramadan will either begin Monday or Tuesday, depending on when the crescent moon appears.

Students observing Ramadan at UB will wake up around 3:30 a.m. to eat a pre-dawn meal –– called suhoor or sehri –– and pray, after which they will abstain from eating, drinking (including water), and haram –– the Muslim equivalent of sin –– during the day. When the sun sets, the students will break their fast around 8:20 p.m. and eat a meal called iftar. Given the estimated time of sunrise and sunset in Buffalo, students can expect to fast for roughly 16 hours per day while balancing finals week.

Muslim students at UB said fasting during Ramadan is a way for people to empathize with the struggles of those who cannot afford to eat or drink. Those who are weak, sick, pregnant or on their period are exempt from fasting.

Since the first few weeks of Ramadan coincide with finals week this year, Muslim students observing Ramadan face a separate set of challenges. Shahnaz Hamade, a senior psychology major, said she has to stay up through the night since it’s the only time she can drink coffee and stay hydrated “for that boost to concentrate” while she studies.

“It’s a bit exhausting especially when you have to wake up for suhoor and you’re try-

ing to get your last meal and you’re sitting there trying to write your paper or studying for your exams,” Hamade said. “It’s not really the easiest thing to do, which is why I really hope teachers would understand and maybe let us take our exams earlier or anything else that would help us succeed.”

Anika Tabassum, a senior environmental engineering major, said she will try to fast, but if she begins to feel dizzy and cannot study, she will consider breaking it.

“In Islam, if you’re feeling weak, you can break your fast. That’s what my mom told me, your health comes first,” Tabassum said. “But if you break your fast, you have to make up for it later.”

At a pre-Ramadan iftar dinner, hosted by the Muslim Women Council of the Muslim Student Association in Harriman Hall, group members played songs of equality and love, prayed together, played games and ate a dinner of chicken curry, rice, dates and other fruit.

Ilhan Noor, a junior mental health major and member of MWC, said although she has regularly observed Ramadan throughout her life, its spiritual meaning came to her just two years ago. “[Ramadan] became for me more than just starving myself. It became a time for me to notice what my other ummah — the people of the world — go through,” Noor said. “Like, the people that are starving in Syria, what are they going through? It’s a day for me to recognize that.”

Tabassum said observing Ramadan makes it easier for families to give zakat –– charitable donations –– as they understand the struggles of impoverished communities.

Hamade said fasting, along with refraining from committing haram, acted as physical, mental and emotional “detox” for the body.

“We don’t only fast from food and drinking during Ramadan. We don’t swear, we don’t talk badly about people, hurting other people breaks your fast,” Hamade said. “A lot of things can break your fast and it’s not just about food and water.”

In addition to not speaking badly of others or causing harm, abstaining from haram also includes not lying, cheating, stealing, getting angry or engaging in intimate relations.

Ayesha Kazi*, a senior business major, and Tabassum said Ramadan in their home countries –– India and Saudi Arabia, respectively –– is both religious and social in nature, entailing nights of feasts, family, friends and praying.

But in Buffalo, rather than waking up to azaan — prayer calls — and eating with their families, Kazi and Tabassum set alarms on their phones and eat sehri and iftar together.

Rather than meeting up Graphic by Cait DiVita with community members nul Haque, the incoming Muslim Student to read the Quran as she did in India, Kazi Association president, said the dinners are reads the Quran translations on her phone. open to everyone, not just Muslim stu“I really wanted to know the meaning of dents observing Ramadan. the Quran,” Kazi said. “I’ve read it before but I never knew the meaning. So that’s *Kazi is on The Spectrum’s advertising staff. what I’m trying to do this year.” tanveen.vohra@ubspectrum.com The Muslim Student Association will be Email: Twitter: @TanveenUBSpec. hosting dinners at 8 p.m. in Student Union 210 all through this week and next. Ahsa-

UB INK: A student’s tattoo story Sarah Bienstock explains the history and emotion behind her ink JORDANA CHAZAN STAFF WRITER

Sarah Bienstock represents her vulnerable side in the artwork on her arms, back, legs and ribs.

Every drawing has a secret meaning that reminds her of the chapters of her life.

Bienstock, a senior psychology major, was 20 years old when she got her first tattoo in 2014. The two-part tattoo spans from her rib cage to her midleg on her right side. The first part consists of an anchor surrounded by a music staff, with the anchor representing her grandfather. The music notes to Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” appear on the staff. Bienstock said it was “the first song that ever made [her] feel beautiful.”

Right beneath the anchor is the second part of the tattoo. Teardrops and delicate lilacs accompany a lotus flower. Lilacs are her grandmother’s favorite flower, with the flower and tears representing the pain and beauty of life.

“In your life there will always be sadness, but in sadness, you can always find peace,” Bienstock said.

Bienstock said she had to find peace in her own struggles throughout life, dealing with unwanted sexual experiences and mental illness.

Her doctors told her she would struggle to live happily due to anxiety, depression, ADHD and OCD. She said she mostly stayed in bed during the summer of 2016.

Bienstock said one day a rush came over her and she thought, ‘What the hell are you doing with your life?’ She got out of

her bed, cleaned her room and decided she was going to “take opportunities and have fun.”

Bienstock drove from New York back home to Maryland where her trusted tattoo artist stamped the word “Unbroken” on her lower wrist.

“This is me saying that I am still here and I’m not leaving, I am unbroken,” Bienstock said.

Bienstock said the experience helped shape her life and made her acknowledge the people in it. She said the importance of living for others instead of herself has become one of her driving principals.

One of her most visible tattoos is located on her wrist. The picture shows a candle with a flame surrounded by columns. The Hebrew word for “remember” is written underneath.

The tattoo was inspired by a trip she took to Israel.

After visiting Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Israel, Bienstock could not hide the fact she is “living for six million lives.” She said she wants people to walk down the street and see that tattoo so she can inspire them.

“Everyone should be living for themselves, but if you live only for yourself, you are not helping other people,” Bienstock said.

She wants people to know her tattoos are about expression, and thinks they’re a link between “curiosity and understanding” to achieve mutual understanding with others.

Bienstock said getting a tattoo is “exactly how life is … painful at first, but then a beautiful piece of expression afterwards.”

“Showing or not showing, each and every one of my tattoos tells its own story.”

Bienstock has eight tattoos and plans on

COURTESY OF SARAH BIENSTOCK Sarah Bienstock, UB psychology major, photographed with two of her tattoos. The columns represent the lives of Jewish children cut short in the Holocaust and underneath is the Hebrew word “Zachor” or “remember.”

getting more.

“Any way that you want to express yourself, do it,” Bienstock said. “But don’t feel like one way is the only way that you have to express yourself. [Tattoos are] just my

way.”

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

6 | Monday, May 6, 2019

ubspectrum.com

May May movie movie guide guide A monthly collection of cinematic selections SAMANTHA VARGAS ASST. ARTS EDITOR

Students and film studios look forward to the summer season year-round, and May brings it another step closer.

The annual blockbuster season just began following the premier of “Avengers: Endgame,” which is expected to become the highest-grossing film in history. In order to compete with such a popular film, other releases have to be high quality. The Spectrum compiled a list of what to look out for this month.

“Pokémon Detective Pikachu” May 10 The highly anticipated Pokémon live-action film “Detective Pikachu” comes to theaters this month.

The story follows Tim Goodman who

must go on a journey to find his missing father. He partners up with an intelligent, talking Pikachu that claims to be a detective. The story relies on nostalgia and the interesting Pokémon CGI. Critics have praised the film for creating a semi-realistic portrayal of the classic video game characters, while still remaining loyal to the original design. It has received mixed reviews from critics, but seems to do a decent job of world-building and story progression.

“The Hustle” May 10 People love girl-power movies. People love heist movies. “Obviously people are going to love a girl-powered heist movie,” said the Hollywood producer.

“The Hustle” follows two scam artists that team up to rob different men that have wronged them. It’s a classic version of the opposite personalities working together trope. Rebel Wilson is back to play the same character she always plays: a

clumsy, trashy person whose role doesn’t quite make sense.

Anne Hathaway is sporting an English accent. It’s kind of a mess, but could definitely be just campy enough to work. The film will need to build decent character motivations and personality arcs, but they may just get away with it. It might just be another movie your mom really likes.

“Aladdin” May 24

carry over to the new release. Disney’s adaptations often replace the animations vivid color palate with a muted, natural overlay. As seen in the live-action “Beauty and The Beast,” the realistic designs drastically change the tone of the film. There has been very little marketing for the film, which might mean Disney is hoping for it to just slide by unnoticed.

“Ma” May 31

Disney has returned with another liveaction reimagining with “Aladdin.” Critics and fans are skeptical for the success of the film after many critics panned the liveaction “Dumbo.” There was also a wave of criticism when Will Smith was cast to play the genie, and the style choices of his character.

The film will undoubtedly rely on CGI like the other remakes. The original animated version included a variety of detailed landscapes, which will hopefully

Octavia Spencer is back and better than ever. Although she has dabbled in the horror genre before, this will be her first starring role in the genre. “Ma” explores the story of a middle-aged woman who befriends a group of teenagers, who proceed to party at her desolate house. Tate Taylor’s film may not see the success of Jordan Peele’s “Us,” but the two-letter title might give it a boost in the horror genre.

Email: samantha.vargas@ubspectrum.com

Listen the stress away UB students develop an app to help peers during finals LEAH HIGGINS STAFF WRITER

Exam season is here and students across campus are pulling all-nighters in Capen, begging for extensions and experiencing the stress of finals.

But Anant Patni, a sophomore computer science major, and Angad Minhas, a junior biostatistics major, want to help the UB community alleviate their panic and stress.

The two roommates worked together and created Pulse: Listen & Relax, an app designed to ease end-of-the-semester pressure. The app uses a catalogue of relaxing background sounds to create a calming environment. The team’s goal was to have the app ready for final exams and the app, inspired by their own personal struggles, is currently available on the iOS App Store for download.

“In the last month, my friends and I have faced problems of intense stress, insomnia, tough studies and financial issues,” Patni said. “That creates a big deal of risk in our lives, so I said, ‘Let’s do something, let’s do some research.’”

Their solution was sounds.

Their research showed that sounds have the ability to “soothe the body,” so they began working on a way to make relaxing soundscapes available for students to lis-

ten to on their phones.

Pulse has seven categories — colored, sleep, study, nature, animals, city and abstract. Each category contains comforting tracks that Patni and Minhas created. In the color category, the team researched the frequencies of different colored noises.

“Most people know white noise, but there’s also pink, blue, green,” Patni said.

“There’s going to be a variation in pitch and frequency for each color. Like brown noise is very dense, you have to increase the volume a lot to hear it, you probably want to listen to it on a headset.”

The app hosts and distributes “relaxing soundscapes” that the duo created using GarageBand or found on free open source distribution. Each track on Pulse is programmed to play five minutes of looped audio, infinitely repeating through your headphones to keep you relaxed in the late hours at Lockwood.

Early on, the team faced logistical problems. Initially, the soundscapes would stop after five minutes. They realized this was a big problem for people who planned on using the app for long meditations or going to sleep. The team decided to simply increase the time of the tracks to play for one hour.

This raised another unanticipated problem.

In making the tracks longer, the app size increased tremendously and people no longer had space for it on their phones.

To solve this, the team decided to loop the tracks so that it gave users more freedom

to use a specific sound for as long as they want, without increasing the app size.

Patni and Minhas wanted their app to be accessible. Pulse has no monthly subscription fee and no guided program, which is different from similar meditative apps like Headspace and Calm. The minimalist interface contains both images and text to help guide users to find what is best for their specific needs.

The team hopes to put together a way for users to make their own playlists of the sounds best suited to their needs, which they believe would be a better option than developing pre-programmed playlists.

“It wasn’t until I found some YouTube tutorials and just started doing it on my own, but when it worked, a spark hit. I was like, ‘I really get this,’” Patni said.

Patni has developed two other apps, also available on iOS. One is Tic-Tac-Toe: The Official Game, which provides an interface for users to play double player, or against a computer with easy, medium, hard and impossible levels.

Patni said Pulse and app development are his “passions” and hopes to continue developing the app.

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

$7 .99

COURTESY OF PULSE UB students designed the Pulse app to help peers relax during finals week.

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8 | Monday, May 6, 2019

SPORTS

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Down I-90 Tyree Jackson’s path to the Buffalo Bills NATHANIEL MENDELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Tyree Jackson knew he wanted to be an NFL quarterback. That’s why he direct messaged quarterback coach Jordan Palmer on Instagram last July to take the next step in his football career.

Jackson went undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft but was quickly signed by the Buffalo Bills in the minutes after the conclusion of the seventh round. Jackson will now be in a quarterback room with current Bills QB Josh Allen, another client of Palmer. A year ago, Palmer was in Laramie, Wyoming training Allen and this past spring he was in Buffalo with Jackson.

“It’s a small world,” Palmer said on One Bills Live during Jackson’s pro day.

Jackson and Palmer met last July at one of Palmer’s QB summits, the same way he met Allen.

Jackson went out last summer and participated with Duke quarterback Daniel Jones, the No. 6 pick in this year’s draft to the New York Giants, and Auburn QB

Jarrett Stidham, a fourth-round selection of the New England Patriots.

Jackson also trained with New York Jets starting quarterback Sam Darnold.

“When I got to know who Tyree is, that was the first time he had ever been on the field with a private coach,” Palmer said.

Jackson grew up in Norton Shores, Michigan and went to a mostly unknown high school, Mona Shores, leading its football team to the state championship game.

He finished his career as top-five in career passing yards, completions and touchdown passes in the state of Michigan.

He lost the state championship at Ford Field in Detroit and three years later he led the Bulls to the Mid-American Conference game in the same stadium.

Jackson completed 18 of 35 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns but Buffalo lost 30-29.

A month later, Jackson played in the Dollar General Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

It was the same location of the Reese’s Senior Bowl where he threw for 165 yards and two touchdowns against some of the nation’s best.

This all coming from a kid whose only training as a child came from watching

videos of Tom Brady as he tried to learn how to throw.

“The physical side with Tyree was important because he was very raw mechanically,” Palmer said. “He got good coaching at UB for a couple of years, but before that it was YouTube, so we were more or less starting from scratch. So the approach was let’s not worry about the bad habits that you have. Let’s just create new good habits.”

Palmer says he tailored Jackson’s pro day to the way he set up Allen’s last year. Everyone knows they are big-armed quarterbacks so he put emphasis on footwork and short-to-intermediate range passes.

But it would still leave Jackson undrafted.

At the 2019 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, future hall-of-fame wide receiver Steve Smith chastised Jackson for throwing too hard. Analysts like Lance Zierlein wrote that Jackson’s arm accuracy is more “shotgun than rifle” and an “average backup” could be his ceiling.

On ESPN’s NFL Draft Academy, Jackson’s path through the draft was chronicled. And at the end of round seven, Jackson doubted himself.

Jackson questioned if teams wanted him.

This came from a player who’s always known for having a smile on his face.

“He’s loving this. He keeps saying, ‘I never thought I’d be here.’ So he’s very, very appreciative,” Palmer said. “He reminds me of Deshaun Watson who outsmiled everybody in Indy last year. He was legitimately blessed and pleased to be there. Tyree had that same sentiment, which is important for teams to see.”

Teams saw Jackson’s smile and he stole the show at the combine.

It’s impossible to miss him with his 6-foot-7-inch, 249-pound frame. He ran a 4.59 40-yard dash and finished at or near the top of every physical measurement and drill during the Combine.

“For a small-town guy from a smaller school just exposing him to this lifestyle,” Palmer said. “It was important to send him to the Super Bowl and have cameras in his face and have marketing things running around. That’s going to happen, so let’s do it now and get used to it.”

in knee-deep mud pits. The event went on for close to seven hours.

Although widely talked about and anticipated by students, the annual tradition is well known outside of the University at Buffalo.

Jasmine Greggs, a freshman psychology and biomedical sciences major, was volunteering at the event and heard about it before she attended UB. “I read about the event online and I thought it was a joke, but it’s real,” Greggs said.

Showering stations, heated tents, free pizza, water stations and people asking about final projects with mud-caked faces surrounded the twelve courts, located behind the South Lake Village Apartments.

Participants were also eligible to com-

pete in a costume contest, which granted them free entry for next year’s Oozefest.

This year’s participants went all out. Some memorable teams with costumes included SETish Tripathi, the American rock band DEVO, A Box of Crayons, two Pokémon themed teams and a team dressed as different blood types.

The winner of this year’s oozefest costume competition was The Boston Tea Party. Their team consisted of six members wearing long blue coats and powdered wigs. They were carrying wooden boxes to symbolize tea, a drum to march to and an early U.S. flag, featuring the thirteen colonies, that they hoisted up to signify their victory.

When asked if they were surprised about winning the competition they responded,

“Haven’t you read the history books? Of course we won!”

Jake Loecher, senior international trade major and team captain, noted that the team’s choice of dressing up as the founding fathers was motivated by their desire to win the costume contest for the second year in a row.

Last year, their team was called The Extra Crispy Boys. Six members dressed up in Colonel Sanders costumes and one member wore a fried-chicken costume.

Morgan Henry, a senior electrical engineering major, said he will “definitely come back for oozefest next year,” citing his annual participation as some of his best memories at UB.

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

Wild wild mess UB students dress up to participate in annual mud volleyball tournament LEAH HIGGINS STAFF WRITER

Spring is back in Buffalo and the UB community celebrated the change of season with the time-honored tradition of Oozefest.

It was an overcast and slightly chilly Saturday morning for the 35th-annual event.

Hundreds of students, alum and community members showed up to play volleyball on swampy courts. The tournament had two different divisions: a competitive division and one just for fun. Each division had its own trophies for playing volleyball

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

NATHANIEL MENDELSON | THE SPECTRUM UB students get down and dirty at Oozefest 2019. The annual mud volleyball tournament brings in students, alumni and faculty to compete.

Softball celebrates its seniors NATHANIEL MENDELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Saturday marked the end of softball’s season and the end of the careers of five seniors: Ally Power, Alissa Karjel, Catrell Robertson, Lace Smith and Alyssa Cuevas.

Buffalo finished its first season with Mike Ruechel as head coach with a record of 10-32-1 overall and 6-10-1 in MidAmerican Conference play. The Bulls saw a regression in wins from last season as they continued to try and make the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2014.

“These ladies showed a lot of fight this entire season,” Ruechel said. “They could have easily thrown in the towel a while ago when things got rough but they didn’t.

They competed all season long and I am very proud of them. Unfortunately the journey has to end at some point and for us it was sooner than we wanted. Thank you very much to our senior class for leading the way this year. The future is bright and next year will be a lot of fun.”

Up until this past weekend, Ruechel spent the season with an interim tag next to his name. Athletic Director Mark Alnutt announced on Thursday that Ruechel and assistant coaches Jody Hennigar and Cortney Radke will stay on as well.

Under Ruechel, the Bulls have increased their totals in home runs, doubles, walks and slugging percentage in the two seasons he has been here.

But UB lost its final three games of the

season to Ohio this past weekend. The Bulls finished with the ninth-best record in the MAC and three games back of the final playoff position.

Power started in games one and three of the series. She pitched two complete games, allowing just four earned runs and striking out seven to cap off her stellar career at Buffalo.

Power finishes top-five in games pitched, wins, complete games, innings pitched, strikeouts and earned-run average from the circle.

Smith pitched in game two and finished her last start with a complete game, giving up just three runs on four hits. It was her career-high sixth complete game this season.

Three more Bulls ended their careers in the field.

Karjel has been at UB for the past two seasons and played in 89 games at shortstop. She produced 42 hits, five home runs and 24 runs batted in.

Cuevas appeared in 92 games for UB and finishes with one of the best gloves at first base. She had a .968 fielding percentage committing just 11 errors in 349 total chances.

Robertson played in 168 games over her four years, alternating at catcher and first base. In 419 at bats, she has 16 home runs, which is tied for third all-time, 71 RBI and a .243 batting average.

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