THE SPECTRUM VOL. 69 NO. 05 | SEPTEMBER 12, 2019
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950
Anime class teaches visual appreciation
UBSPECTRUM
Dominic Johnson
Q&A with Gibert Gottfried
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UB ENFORCES NEW ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY,OPENS NEW OFFICE Office of Academic Integrity to directly handle cases of academic dishonesty instead of individual departments BRITTANY GORNY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Undergraduate students can now remediate accusations of academic dishonesty before UB places them on their record with UB’s new academic integrity policy. The new policy and the two-person Office of Academic Integrity came out of
a campus-wide survey and four-year discussion between a 28-member committee of faculty, staff and students, co-chaired by now-retired Senior Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education Elaine Cusker and environmental engineering professor James Jensen. Roughly 4,000 students and 400 faculty members took part in the campus-wide survey and results indicated they wished there was a centralized space to help support and advocate for academic integrity, according to Kelly Ahuna, director of the Office of Academic Integrity. Prior to this year, there were no centralized records on the number of students caught cheating, since they were handled separately through each department.
“[Under the old policy], students and faculty were educated inconsistently and sporadically,” Jensen wrote in an email. “The UB culture at the time espoused the values of academic integrity, but with uneven understanding, enforcement and limited commitment.” Jensen also wrote “record-keeping was spotty,” as UB’s numbers on infractions only applied to the “most egregious cases” –– such as selling assignments or stealing an exam from an instructor’s office –– at the highest UB level. The new policy allows undergraduates who are first-time offenders and who don’t commit an “egregious offense,” to expunge their record of the offense through a remediation process with the Office of Academic Integrity. “This provides an opportunity for students who have made a mistake to learn more about why integrity is important at UB,” Ahuna said. “They then have a chance to see how it works and how they can make sure they’re staying honest and get that off their record.” The remediation process is a four-module online course in UBLearns that covers why academic integrity is an important university value, how to Kelly AHunA, director of tHe office of AcAavoid acts of academic demic integrity, discusses tHe cHAnges to tHe dishonesty and proAcAdemic integrity Policy for tHe 2019-20 scHool yeAr.
PHoto By cHris yAng | tHe sPectrum
Student Life holds suicide prevention activities in Student Union ALEXANDRA MOYEN ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Student Life is hosting events this week to commemorate National Suicide Prevention Week. The office is hosting four events from Sept. 7-14, which began with an Out of the Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention at Canalside on Saturday. Following Tuesday’s Wellness Activity Day, which featured coloring and educational activities, UB held a Yoga to Manage Moods Workshop Wednesday, and will hold a Suicide Prevention Training Thursday. Clarissa Uschold-Klepfer, Suicide Prevention coordinator, said she wants students to know the UB community is working to help spread awareness. “The intention is to provide support and hope for the community from a social justice perspective, as suicide is cur-
rently a public health problem,” UscholdKlepfer said. “We’re really hoping to bring awareness, hope and support to students on campus.” Claire Breslin, a junior linguistics major, said she believes the events are important because they give students a “good creative outlet.” She was excited to take a moment to de-stress at the coloring activity table on Tuesday. “They’ve got all the teas over there you can try and all these different arts and crafts that people wouldn’t normally be able to do on their own,” Breslin said. “UB kind of gives you the opportunity to try something fun.” Student Life set
Vice President for Student Life will serve as interim provost starting Oct. 1 BRITTANY GORNY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
vice President for student life A. scott weBer to serve As uB’s interim Provost uPon cHArles ZuKosKi’s dePArture on oct. 1. PHoto By troy wAcHAlA | tHe sPectrum
Vice President for Student Life A. Scott Weber will serve as UB’s interim provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, President Satish Tripathi announced at the UB Council meeting on Monday. Weber, who has served as vice president for Student Life since Jan. 3, 2017, was appointed interim provost while the international search begins for a new provost. Charles Zukoski, the outgoing provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, announced he is leaving UB on
> SEE ACADEMIC INTEGRITY | PAGE 2
up multiple stations on Tuesday, including a stress-relief activity station, counseling health and wellness station and “how to become a wellness provider” station. It also had a table for students to sit down and color, to learn how to eat well and to pick up free condoms and dental dams.
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Jacob Opalinski, a junior biomedical engineering major, said college is a stressful time for students and this event shows some of the ways UB is trying to help. “It was nice to take a break from classes > SEE SUICIDE PREVENTION | PAGE 2
student cHecK-in during uB’s tuesdAy
event
for
nAtionAl suicide Prevention weeK. PHoto By cHristine HAnrAtty | tHe sPectrum
NEWS
2 | Thursday, September 12, 2019
ubspectrum.com
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vides students with strategies on how to achieve success with honesty. However, any students with infractions prior to the new policy must still follow the old policy. Graduate students are also not able to expunge their records for academic dishonesty, since “they are held to a higher standard upon entry,” according to Ahuna. The past policy was “multi-stepped:” if someone accused a student of cheating, the student would meet with their professor, who would decide the sanction. But if the student didn’t like the sanction, they could appeal and go to the department’s chair, then dean, then vice provost. Now, students will meet with their instructor and if a student appeals the instructor’s sanction, they get sent directly to the Office of Academic Integrity.
Aug. 28, after serving at the university for seven years. Weber has served as UB’s senior vice provost for Academic Affairs and chair for the department of civil, structural and environmental engineering for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Weber said he is committed to ensuring a “smooth transition” in the position and is looking forward to working closely with the deans as he did in the past. “As vice president for Student Life, I am a member of the president’s cabinet, which provides me with a very broad understanding of the university’s academic and administrative operations,” Weber wrote in an email. Zukoski’s departure came immediately following UB’s announcement to increase the stipend floor for Ph.D. students to $20,000 for the 2019-20 academic year.
SCOTT WEBER
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Email:brittany.gorny@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @BrittanyUBSpec
tHe office of AcAdemic integrity PHoto illustrAtion By Brenton BlAncHet | tHe sPectrum
Ahuna said she isn’t sure how many cheating cases UB has had in the past, since each department kept their own records unless a case went all the way to the vice provost. “Starting now, records will be kept through my office so we can hold students
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accountable more across the university in SUICIDE PREVENTION a better way,” Ahuna said. “This time next and homework and just color for a little year, I’ll have a good answer for how much bit,” Opalinski said. “Stress, anxiety and cheating there is.” mental illness are very high on college campuses across the country and [UB is] Email: brittany.gorny@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @BrittanyUBSpec trying to help us out.” Uschold-Klepfer hopes events like this will show students that strength and support can help combat mental illness, and uB students creAte messAges of HeAltH And she encourages all students to participate. resilience during suicide Prevention weeK in tHe student union “I think, in general, a lot of students PHoto By Andrew PAlmer | tHe sPectrum will say they’re coming for support or for a sense of community,” Uschold-Klepfer said. “If students are presenting on campus [that they’re] not finding connection, we invite them to an event like this, especially toward the beginning of the academic year so they know that there is support and there are ways to meet people.” Email: alexandra.moyen@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @AlexandraMoyen
If you or someone you know is dealing with a mental health emergency or afterhours concern, call University Police immediately at 716-645-2222. If you are stressed or in need of someone to talk to, contact UB’s Counseling Services at 716-645-2720 on North Campus or 716-829-5800 on South Campus. If you are in a crisis situation, contact Crisis Services of Western New York’s 24/7 hotline at 716-834-3131. Students can also text the Crisis Text Line by sending “GOT5” to 741-741.
PATRON SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE (Part -time) The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is hiring a part-time Patron Services Representative for its Box Office team. Candidates are responsible for completing ticket and subscription sales, contacting patrons regarding their accounts, processing payments, and acting as official representatives for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Applicants should have at least two years of customer service experience, have a team-oriented attitude, be well versed in Microsoft applications, and possess an interest in the local arts community. Job is approximately 20 hours a week, depending on concert schedule. Flexible availability, including weekends and evenings, is required. Part-time, $11.10 per hour. Resumes, a cover letter, and two references should be emailed to Adam Cady, Senior Manager of Patron Services, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, acady@bpo.org. Please, no phone calls. 193751
AAron mArAcle, And uB HeAltH Promotion violence Prevention sPeciAlist, informs A student ABout How to intervene in violent situAtions As A BystAnder.
PHoto By Andrew PAlmer | tHe sPectrum
You are not alone.
UB OFFERS GROUP COUNSELING. buffalo.edu/studentlife/counseling
OPINION
ubspectrum.com
TONY OLIVETT CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Last semester, other students and I volunteered to pick up litter from North Campus’ Bizer Creek. The service, organized by UB Sustainability, saw a dozen or so students picking up garbage, with some pieces as big as castaway tires. I started picking up garbage toward the back of the building just before a UB staff member asked me to come with her to the
next footbridge. Low and behold, I found a footbridge almost exclusively used by staff who work in the buildings in the southwest corner of North Campus. We encountered a larger mess of bottles, cans, wrappers and those little white napkins and cups that have the bold blue letters on them. But that wasn’t the worst of it, as we found a waste-disposal area outside the Statler Commissary, the location of UB Sustainability’s office, where a dumpster bred a scattering of garbage fragments up the creek. The Spectrum reported that the office’s cleanup was a success, with an estimated 500 pounds of garbage collected. Still, I beg to differ. Free-association between UB Sustainability’s waste and the local water life hasn’t been reported on until now. And this irony is only one of many anecdotes that characterizes an organization that seems more intent on spreading a positive narrative about itself and the university than achieving sustainability. In this sense, UB Sustainability seems
to serve some purpose other than sustainability –– a public-relations branch of the university, or what some would call a propaganda machine. The efforts thereby resemble something of the fossil fuel and plastics industries; organizations clearly uninterested in sustainability, however willing to use the environmentalist’s lexicon to help push their interests past people who care. This is called greenwashing. In this op-ed, and the ones I plan to have published in future weeks, I will look at UB Sustainability from the perspective you’d get out there behind the Statler building, a place of scattered litter, to figure out what it is that you’re doing in this goofy sport of environmentalism. The next three columns will be the supporting arguments informed by research in the respective areas of carbon neutrality, propaganda and sustainability education. The culminating piece will bring together these polemic ideas for a final recommendation. Some see the purpose of public education as creating good citizens out of students, preparing them for a professional as well as civic life. You’ll see that UB Sustainability largely practices and teaches “corporate,” as op-
Thursday, September 12, 2019 | 3 posed to “institutionalized” sustainability. Further, they seem to antagonize ideas against the grain of big business and the entrepreneurial model. Therefore, the purpose of sustainability education at UB seems to be training employable people –– not leaders of the sustainable revolution, but enablers of their employer’s earth-corroding businesses. Students who might have entered the university with the purpose of making a sustainable impact are instead learning the misleading corporate language surrounding sustainability. Next time we will learn about the broken promise of LEED certified buildings, and the unlikely promise of a carbon-neutral campus by 2030. What do you think of sustainability on campus? Tweet us @UBSpectrum Email: opinion@ubspectrum.com
Tyree’s mistake Going into the draft was not the right choice
ZACH MCADOO STAFF WRITER
What if you were the starting quarterback on a Division-I football team? What if your success garnered attention from NFL scouts? Would you made the jump from the NCAA to the NFL, knowing you could never turn back? That was a decision former UB football star Tyree Jackson made before he missed the cut on the Buffalo Bills’ final roster. Tyree spent the past three years as starting quarterback for the Bulls where he was able to put up 6,999 passing yards, 49 touchdowns and had a 55.8% pass completion rate. He also added 757 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns to his credit. This all culminated with last years season, winning a UB record 10 games before heading to the MAC championship and the Dollar General Bowl. After the season, Tyree entered the transfer portal –– which allows players to transfer to a different college to play –– but he ultimately decided he was better off skipping his senior season to enter the NFL Draft.
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I knew then and there that this was a mistake on Tyree’s part. UB is not known for developing quarterbacks. Historically, Bulls quarterbacks have been on NFL regular season rosters for a grand total of three days (Drew Willy with the Indianapolis Colts in 2009). Lower-year quarterbacks who enter the draft don’t do as well as quarterbacks who stay for their senior season. Tyree was one of three quarterbacks who declared for the draft early this year, alongside Daniel Jones and Dwayne Haskins. Jameis Winston and Johnny Man- PHoto By mAdison myer | tHe sPectrum ArcHives ziel both entered the draft to the Bills this season. He did work out after their sophomore seasons. Manziel is for the Detroit Lions last week, but the Lino longer in the NFL after his two sea- ons ultimately decided against signing him sons in the league and Winston is current- to a contract. ly fighting to keep his job –– with rumors If we are going off his last season circulating that he needs to do well this spent at UB, Tyree essentially didn’t perseason or he will be replaced. form at all. In this decade alone, six quarterbacks Looking back, this isn’t all on him, but who left before their senior seasons and going 10 for 24 in the Army game with the were drafted in the first two rounds didn’t potential to rank you for the first time in live up to the hype. Blaine Gabbert, Jimmy school history, is not promising. Clausen, Robert Griffin III, Brock OsweiThen against Ohio, where a victory ler, Blake Bortles and Paxton Lynch have would clinch the MAC East and a spot all been flashes in the pan. in the championship game, when you go There are some exceptions to this, 9 for 21 with two interceptions and get though –– Teddy Bridgewater, Mitchell benched, things are going downhill. Trubisky and Deshaun Watson all have In the MAC championship, Tyree played been pretty good for their teams. The jury great for three quarters but eventually alis still out on Sam Darnold since he has lowed Northern Illinois to come back and only played one season. win. No one can know for sure what hapUB QBs don’t have a lot going for them pened, but spectators were left watching after college. They can be signed for pre- someone who did not resemble a Division season rosters, but after teams need to I star. make cuts it usually means they’ve lost The Dollar General Bowl was not bad, their spot on the team. aside from an interception and two fumUnfortunately Tyree won’t be returnung
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bles. But that should have showed Tyree that he wasn’t ready to leave Buffalo yet. These are all things staying in the NCAA another year could’ve fixed. Tyree’s best chance to make it in the NFL would have been transferring to another school. He could have followed K.J. Osborn and went to Miami. He could have replaced Will Grier at West Virginia. There are a lot of places that could have helped him, and in return, Tyree could have helped whatever team he chose to win games. But instead, he took himself to the NFL and still hasn’t secured the bag. Unless the drastic circumstances necessary to open a a roster spot happen, things are not looking good for Tyree Jackson. Email: opinion@ubspectrum.com
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FEATURES
UwUB: Anime class teaches visual appreciation The Fantastical World of Japanese Anime, AS347, highlights the artform
cause it qualifies as a UB pathway. “I’ve seen the typical, mainstream shows like ‘Naruto’ and ‘Bleach.’ When I saw that it was being offered as a pathway, I was very interested in learning about the artSAMANTHA VARGAS form,” Connard said. “I definitely never SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR expected a course like this to be offered at UB, let alone have this many students Students filed into Fillmore 170 Wednesenrolled.” day afternoon in the Anthropology DeProfessor Amanda Kennell has been partment’s lecture hall. teaching the course for three semesters. But the students aren’t being quizzed on She originally came to UB because of dinosaur bones or ancient civilizations. her expertise in Japanese anime in order They’re discussing the color theory and to continue offering the course each secharacter designs in Studio Ghibli’s “Spirmester. Since the course combines visual ited Away.” studies and Asian studies, very few faculty The Fantastical World of Japanese Anmembers are qualified to teach the course. ime, a three-credit Asian Studies course, The class has a 120-person capacity, and explores the cultural significance of Japacurrently has 119 students enrolled. nese animation. The class meets once a Kennell, who received her Ph.D in East week for roughly three hours to stream Asian Language and Culture, discovered the medium and discuss the artistry and her love for the medium through borrowsubculture in relation to Japanese history. ing VCRs from a friend in high school. The course, which studies work by Studio “[Japanese anime] was interesting in a Ghibli, Shinkai Makoto and Sayo Yamageneral way, but compared to the Amerimoto, among others, has remained one of can TV shows I had been watching at the the more popular for undergraduates for time –– whose goal was to be renewed seaover five years, yielding a waitlist every seson after season, forever –– I found that mester. these Japanese TV shows’ narratives were Douglas Connard, a junior graphic deorganized in a more literary way,” Kensign major, was able to take the course benell said. “There was a starting point and a stopping Photo By Jahanvi Chopra | The Spectrum point with a classic climatic graph in the middle. That was very attractive to me because I was a big reader.” Japanese anime has been gaining international acclaim within the last 40 years,
ubspectrum.com Professor Amanda Kennell discusses “Spirited Away” and “Howl’s Moving Castle” to her class of 119 undergraduates Photo By Chris Yang | The Spectrum
surpassing the technology industry to become Japan’s largest export. Japan’s anime revenue recorded its highest sales record in 2017 at $19 billion with almost half of the revenue coming from overseas exportation, according to The Association of Japanese Animation. The highest-profiting shows within the market, like “Dragon Ball Z” and “Pokémon,” have embedded themselves in popular Western culture. Merchandise is available across the retail markets on licensed t-shirts and collectables, and has moved out of typical pop-culture focused shops like Hot Topic and into traditional department store settings. The course, which introduces students to the rising subculture and trains students to critically analyze anime, is similar to media-focused courses within the department of Media Studies. Kennell hopes to coordinate with DMS in order to qualify the class as an elective and broaden the accessibility to interested students. “A lot of times for students enrolled in this class, this is the only class they take where they’re analyzing anything visually and I feel like that’s a particularly important skill these days,” said Kennell. “I am interested in reaching the students who haven’t had the opportunity to address the study of visuals in a visual world.” Samual Coniglio, a junior Asian studies major, concentrated his major to focus on Japan. He remembers his excitement when he enrolled in the course. “This class was something I was incredibly interested in, and needed for my major, so I immediately signed up,” Coniglio said. “I knew [Kennell’s] expertise was in Japan and its culture, so I knew it would be wise
to learn from someone who is passionate and knowledgeable about what I wanted to learn.” Kennell said she plans to focus on the industrial background of anime, which includes art style and cultural impact. From comparing production quality, discussing the significance of this year’s Kyoto Animation Studio fire and the cultural implications of Western live-action adaptations, students will have to keep up with the fastpaced lesson plan. “Toward the end of the semester I try to open out [my lesson plans] because I don’t want students to think of anime as being a separete form of art that has no relation to any other artform. It’s very much tied to all these other media in Japan, like manga, and it’s also a world-wide industry,” Kennell said. “[Historically,] I’ve been really pleased with how students show-up and really take these works of art seriously because they’re seeing some of the best animation in the world.” Email: Samantha.Vargas@UBSpectrum.com Twitter: @SamMarieVargas
Songwriting and solidarity: Introducing BadMoodRude Up-and-coming musician reflects on career, family SAMANTHA VARGAS SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
BadMoodRude would have never considered a career as a musician two years ago. The local personality was known around Upstate New York as a music promoter and online mental health advocate, but she began producing her own music at the request of her late grandmother. Now she’s negotiating contracts for her music to appear on a television show. After earning a large online following due to her openness about physical and mental health, Rude began pursuing music in the fall of 2018. Now the up-and-coming musician has fans sharing her messages of positivity all around the country. The Rochester native gained notoriety in the local music scene with her eclectic style. Her signature technique is created by combining different genres of music, like blending hip-hop vocals with electro-pop beats or experimenting with ambiantic trance. These vary between each track. But Rude knows her diverse discography is what sets her apart from other artists and is proud her work can’t be confined to a single genre. “My music is emotionally influenced,” Rude said. “I am very much into making music for whatever mood I’m in, so it’s hard for me to fit into a genre right now. I wish I was able to make music like some of my favorite artists, but I just can’t [copy them]. Whatever lyrics I write or beats I connect with just happen, and that’s why I don’t really put myself into a certain genre.” And although her 50,000 monthly listeners on Spotify are a welcome surprise,
Rude is no stranger to internet fame. The musician found acclaim with everything from selfies and photos of her dog to self-help posts and positive affirmations. And with over 14,000 Instagram followers and viral tweets gaining over 600,000 likes, she’s used to being in the spotlight. But she hasn’t always been the mental health advocate she portrays online. Rude was able to develop a large following of devoted fans after her public battle with emotional and physical health. Following the unexpected death of her mother in 2009, Rude’s online demeanor began to shift. She began her journey with physical health, eventually losing over 100 pounds. She re-established her social media as a safe space to explore hard topics, attracting fans and followers who found solace in her openness. “I think having a platform has made me become a kinder and more empathetic person,” said Rude. “I try to be very positive when interacting with everyone. I didn’t want to project negativity onto anyone, especially those that look up to me.” The support of her following along with her close-knit family led her to success in less than a year. Although Rude has experience in the music industry –– working for local performance promoter, The Entertainment Collective –– her grandma inspired her to start creating her own music in 2018. “Making music my grandma got to hear has been my biggest accomplishment. I wouldn’t have done anything without her encouragement,” Rude said. “I’m always excited every time I record a new track, but my song ‘Sweet Dessert’ will always mean the most to me because it’s my only song my grandma heard before she died.” Casey Weaver, Rude’s younger sister, admires the passion and dedication she puts into her music. “When she’s passionate there is truly nothing that can stop her. My sister has
always gone to the beat of her own drum,” Weaver said. “She did not begin to make music with the intention of becoming popular or famous. It has been so beautiful to watch my sister grow in her musical talents, and see her dedicate so much of herself into it.” This notorious determination has transcended through Rude’s career and songwriting process. Local musician BadMoodRude is no stranger to the music Her unabashedly industry, but never expected to be negotiating contracts for her music to appear on television shows. | diverse sound Courtesy of Macallister Boldt demonstrates a confident-fluidity someone to talk to.” to her music. Fans tell Rude that she and her social “I can’t just make a song whenever I media presence inspire them through her want to. I have a binder full of lyrics and music and her story. one-liners. I think of [them] and have to “I’ve been through a lot, just like other immediately write them down, then I also people. My biggest goal is to just help othhave a folder on my computer full of er people with my music,” Rude said. “I’ve beats,” Rude said. “I don’t know how to had people tell me that my music got them describe the feeling, but I need to wait for get through some of the hardest things in that feeling to write a song.” their life and that’s crazy to me but also suRude’s fanbase attributes its attraction per flattering. I’m lucky to be able to help to her to a rawness in her songwriting and people like that.” her friendly demeanor. Sage Keber, Rude’s husband and man- Email: Samantha.Vargas@ubspectrum.com ager, feels that her ability to connect with Twitter: @SamMarieVarga her fanbase on an intimate level greatly contributed to her success. “Something that I’ve noticed that is special about Rude is that it doesn’t take much for someone to fall in love with her as a person just as much as people may love her music,” said Keber. “Rude is all about showing support back, and always posts that she’s here for anyone who might need
ubspectrum.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday, September 12, 2019 | 5
Gilbert Gottfried talks residuals, ‘Ren and Stimpy’ and forgetting his roles Legendary comedian discusses upcoming Buffalo shows in exclusive interview BRENTON J. BLANCHET EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Gilbert Gottfried could have played an important role in your childhood. But he probably won’t remember if you ask him. Throughout his 30-plus-year career, the comedian lent his voice to films like “Aladdin,” cartoons like “The Fairly Odd Parents,” video games like “Kingdom Hearts” and over 160 other projects. While he doesn’t always recall each of his gigs, he still rakes in the residual checks for them –– even the ones worth $.01. The stand-up legend’s voice is so recognizable that a phone call with him feels almost like talking to an impersonator. Still, his charisma makes him just as personable on the phone as he is during raunchy stand-up sets –– like during his November run at Helium Comedy Club downtown. We caught up with everyone’s favorite cartoon bird(s) before his Buffalo appearance from Nov. 14-16, as he shared his favorite career memories, most memorable video shoutout requests and, of course, his brief stint on Nickelodeon’s “Ren and Stimpy” (a question we couldn’t avoid asking). Our interview with Gottfried, lightly edited for style and length, follows below: The Spectrum: You’ve supplied generations with incredible voice acting and I feel like those of us who are collegeaged now got to experience some of your best work –– mainly “Aladdin,” “Cyberchase” and “The Fairly OddParents.” What’s your biggest takeaway from voice acting in cartoons? Gottfried: I always like to do the car-
toons. It’s certainly easy. You don’t have to memorize the script. And it brings a whole other generation of people to you. I’ve always said my career walks the tight rope in between early morning children’s programming and hardcore porn. Especially something like “Aladdin” that will live on. And “Cyberchase” is a cartoon, people come up to me and say, ‘Oh, my kids learn so much [from you].’ Wow, you’re the worst student in the world to learn from me. TS: Some of your early cartoon work like “Ren and Stimpy” came at a really important time for the artform, with Nickelodeon branching out as it did. Did you see voice acting for Nick at the time as being a part of something special? G: I didn’t really think about it. It was just a job. I remember I was Jerry the Belly Button Elf. And it was certainly a fun part to do. They let you just go crazy and encourage you to be as insane as possible. That was a fun one. People bring it up all the time. TS: IMDB says you have 166 different roles listed. Have you ever heard your voice somewhere and realized you were in the film or show? G: Where I forget is, sometimes I’ll get a residual check. And it’s funny because people say to me, ‘Oh the residuals you’re getting, that must be amazing.’ And sometimes my mailbox will be stuffed with residual checks and I’ll add them all up and it comes to $1.27 all together. I see stuff where I go, ‘I have no idea what that was.’ I have a check hanging in my bathroom –– I framed it –– for a penny. And I printed a little fortune from a Chinese restaurant that says ‘your talent will be recognized and suitably rewarded.’ TS: A lot of the stuff you’ve been a
Portraits of comedian Gilbert Gottfried. Gottfried will take the stage at the Helium Comedy Club in November. Courtesy of Arlene Gottfried
part of has gone on to be monumental. Did you realize that signing up for “Aladdin” would lead to your involvement in one of the most successful video games in “Kingdom Hearts,” or were you just going through the motions of Iago? G: When you’re doing it, you think, ‘Oh, it’s a job and it’s fun to do.’ You’re not really thinking of it as something that so many people can see. I remember at the time I was recording ‘Aladdin’ somebody came up to me and we were talking. They said, ‘So what are you working on now,’ and I said, ‘I don’t know, some stupid cartoon.’ That shows I didn’t know. TS: As a comedian that got his start at age 15 in the New York scene, was making the cut for a box office smash with a legend like Robin Williams anything you would’ve expected? G: I always felt like, going into the business, I had stupidity on my side. I was stupid to think I could have a career in show business. What are the odds when you think of it realistically? And then I’d have a bunch of failures along the way. Now when people say to me, ‘I’m an aspiring comic or actor,’ I’m like, ‘What are you out of your mind?’ Nothing is going to come out of this. TS: You mentioned people coming up to you and recognizing you regularly for your voice. What’s the deepest cut out of your resume that a fan has recognized your voice as? G: Every now and then, people will come up and remember stuff that I don’t remember. The funny thing is, when we were making “Problem Child,” nobody thought that was going to be anything. The studio itself was saying –– one guy, an executive at Universal –– ‘We need to treat this movie like a wounded soldier on the
battlefield. We’ve got to run and save our own asses.’ And then when it came out, to the shock of everybody, it was a major hit. That’s the one that always surprises me. Another thing is, there are these things that I’ll do where I’ll have no idea what it’s for. I’ll go on a computer game and I’ll find out millions of people saw it. TS: Now, outside of these roles and stand up, you’ve got a bit of a side hustle on Cameo. You charge a pretty penny for video shoutouts. What’s the strangest one you’ve gotten so far? G: One was congratulating someone on their sex change operation. And I’m thinking, ‘That’s something that nobody at Hallmark ever had.’ TS: There’s some buzz building on your upcoming Helium stand-up shows here in Buffalo. You’ve been here before. Is it easy to work a Buffalo crowd? G: I never really thought of where I’m going as making a difference. Sometimes I’ll have people make remarks, ‘I’m going to such and such a place.’ And I go, ‘Oh, God, do I know anything out there?’ That was the old days where you’d go to a certain town and people were naive and backwards or something, but nowadays everybody has the internet and everybody knows what everyone else knows. Reilly Mullen contributed reporting to this story.
Shinedown’s lead vocalist discusses latest album and potential dragons at upcoming Buffalo show JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
Shinedown will bring “the biggest show of 2019” to Buffalo on Sept. 27. The performance, taking place at KeyBank Center, is part of Shinedown’s “Attention Attention World Tour” featuring a setlist of the band’s sixth studio album. At its peak, the album hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Alternative, Top Rock and Hard Rock Album Charts. All three of the album’s singles have reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs Chart. Shinedown’s 18-year history is packed with statistical success. They have accumulated 13 platinum and gold singles, plus five platinum and gold albums. We caught up with Shinedown’s frontman and lead vocalist Brent Smith to talk about the band’s new album, their expectations for the upcoming Buffalo performance and the band’s future projects. Our full interview, lightly edited for style and length, follows below. The Spectrum: Can you talk a little about your latest album “Attention Attention?” Smith: It’s a concept record but not in the traditional sense. When I think of a concept record, I think of Pink Floyd’s “Off the Wall” or even “Operation Minecraft” by Queensrÿche or even The Who when they did “Tommy.” “Attention Attention” is a story album, but it’s a story about all of us. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman, or whether you’re younger or whether you’re older, the color of your
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skin, that’s irrelevant, your religion, that’s totally up to you. But it’s about humanity. And it’s about the fact that we don’t want people to lose empathy for each other, or their communication with each other. But it’s really a record trying to convey the message that you shouldn’t be afraid to fail. You’re going to need to fail sometimes. You’re going to need to fail in life to know what to do next time, but you’re not going to be defined by your failures. You’re going to be defined by the fact that you refuse to give up. And that’s really what the album encompasses.
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sHinedown Brings tHeir “Attention Attention world tour” to KeyBAnK center on sePt. 27. courtesy of sAnJAy PAriKH
TS: Can you talk a little bit about the “Attention Attention World Tour” and how it will be different from any performances your fans may have witnessed in the past? S: The show that you’re going to see in Buffalo is by far the largest production that we’ve ever put together. It’s a big, giant show and there’s a rhyme and a reason for everything. We want to ensure that everybody leaves the venue floating on just pure joy because of what they’ve just experienced. We feel like it’s going to be the biggest show of 2019. And that’s what we built. It’s going to be everything that you want a big, bad, giant rock show to be. Oh, and we’ll probably have dragons. That’ll be like a little cherry on top. Since “Game of Thrones” is over they’ve lent us the extra dragons. TS: Papa Roach, one of the openers for your tour, currently has a song ranked No. 14 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs.
What’s it like to have another powerhouse band on your tour? S: There’s this unspoken, healthy competition where we high five and hang out with each other until it’s time for our sets. Then both of us are always looking at each other like, ‘I’m coming for you, dude.’ There’s no malice involved in that, just this very healthy competition and just respect for one another and just making sure both of us bring our A-game. TS: How long should fans expect to wait until you release your next album? S: You will probably see some new material start to surface around the fourth quarter of 2020. We’re just getting ready to release our fourth single off the album “Attention Attention” on Sept. 18, which will be the title track. We shut down two city blocks of Los Angeles for the video. We just finished wrapping up a film that is going to be coming out next year that is based on the entire album “Attention Attention.” This isn’t like sitting down and watching 14 music videos. This is a feature
film about “Attention Attention” with all the songs incorporated into it. There’s also going to be another project that I am working on with [our guitarist] Zach Myers called “Smith and Myers” so we’ll be putting out a double-album next year. TS: Can you give a quick preview about the theme for the next album coming in 2020? t I’ll give you a starting place theme: it has to do with the color wheel. The people are going, ‘What the hell is he talking about?’ I mean exactly what I just said, the color wheel. If people don’t know what that is all they need to do is look it up. Email: julian.grmela@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @GrmelaJulian
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No offseason: Dominic Johnson spends spring on hardwood, fall on turf UB athlete balances playing for two of UB’s Division-I squads BRENTON J. BLANCHET EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dominic Johnson wears two numbers for UB. In the fall, he throws bullets to his teammates at UB Stadium as No. 9. And in the spring, he’s a secret weapon in Alumni Arena, sporting No. 21 and using his 6-foot-5-inch, 210-pound stature to put up some jumpers. Johnson isn’t indecisive. He doesn’t seem exhausted, either. But since 2017, he’s managed to balance his time between two of UB’s most successful squads: football and basketball. “[High school coaches] told me I eventually had to pick one going into college,” Johnson said. “I did pick one, I picked football. But now they’re dual things. I try to keep all doors open.” Very few college players have been able to appear on both their school’s football and basketball rosters, some being Donovan McNabb at Syracuse University, Terrell Owens at UT Chattanooga and Julius Peppers at North Carolina University. But the Ontario native wasn’t aware of the big names that accomplished the same feat, he’s just focused on his role on each indi-
vidual team and his focus shifts when each season rolls around. This season, although he didn’t make the cut to start in UB’s recent games as a quarterback, he plans on being a key player off the bench, and even as a receiver, for the football team. Johnson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba with football in his blood. His father, NFL player Nathaniel Johnson, was part of the reason he grew up with football as a first priority and Johnson remembers watching games in his basement. At age six, he moved to Ontario, and around the fifth or sixth grade he discovered his love for basketball. His “ball-islife” mentality provided him with a future career goal: making the NBA. From that point on, his childhood bedroom had posters of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan and the rest of the greats plastered on the walls. His love for football wasn’t completely diminished, however, and Canadian Football League posters could still be seen by his bedside. Other sports also caught his attention, and as he got older, off seasons stopped existing. He’d constantly cycle through track season, football season, basketball season. “I was used to always running around, always doing something. Even if it was cold outside, I’d get outside and try to do something.”
Johnson throws a ball during a summer practice. Photo By Benjamin Blanchet | The Spectrum
UB football player Dominic Johnson stands on UB Stadium. Photo By Brenton Blanchet | The Spectrum
When he enrolled in high school at Catholic Central in Windsor, he joined with the intention of playing basketball after hearing of the program’s success. He later noticed the community involvement of the school’s football program and knew he had to get involved. “Every year after, it was both,” Johnson said. “At the end of football season, that’s when basketball season started.” Former men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats recruited Johnson when he was still in high school, as he was a close friend of Johnson’s high school basketball coach. Johnson remembers attending a UB game and hearing promises from basketball coaches who wanted to recruit him, but an offer never came out of it. He didn’t see coming to UB for basketball as a possibility. He later chose to attend UB as a football commit. When basketball players like Brock Bertram were hurt after Johnson’s redshirt freshman season in 2017, Oats opened his offer back up. “He was kind of like, ‘We need some help. I remember you. Want to come play for the team?’” Johnson, who occasionally throws a football around during basketball practice, says his teammates on both teams joke around, but are overall very supportive about his commitment to each sport. He says shooting a basketball keeps the “touch” on his arm and that same touch is often necessary to throw a football. Before UB’s addition of the Murchie Family Fieldhouse, Johnson found it hard to throw a football in the winter, and his commitment to the basketball team helped
Get to know an opponent: Liberty The Bulls look to bounce back against the Flames JUSTIN WEISS STAFF WRITER
Following a tough 45-13 loss to Penn State, the Bulls will travel to Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, VA, to take on Liberty University on Saturday. Last Saturday, the Bulls entered the half with a 10-7 lead over the Nittany Lions. Quarterback Matt Myers looked calm and collected, while the defensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. The Bulls gave the Nittany Lions all they could handle for 30 minutes — until the wheels fell off and Penn State ran away with the victory. The Flames are much more of an even matchup for Buffalo. Unlike the No. 15 Nittany Lions, the Flames are one of the Bulls’ most evenly matched opponents this year, dropping their first two games of the season in resounding fashion. The Flames made headlines this summer when they hired former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze. The Bulls will be without punter Evan Finegan, who underwent surgery for a broken fibula and tibia on Sunday. Instead, they will turn to Jackson Baltar, a freshman from Orlando, Fl. COACH: Hugh Freeze, 49-30, first season at Liberty LOOKING BACK In the final season of the Turner Gill era, the Flames’ up-tempo offense averaged 79 plays per game, with most touches going to either running back Frankie Hickson or wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden. Quarterback Stephen “Buckshot” Cal-
vert followed up on a record-setting campaign last season, throwing for 3,068 yards and 21 touchdowns — but also adding 18 interceptions. The Flames averaged 33.2 points per game in 2018, ranking in the top 35 nationally in total offense.
Liberty player Peytton Pickett during a play Courtesy of Mark Rio | Liberty Newspaper
Gandy-Golden enjoyed a breakout campaign, connecting with Calvert on 10 touchdown passes. The senior wideout is projected to be a sixth-round pick in the upcoming draft, according to the Draft Network. He joined B.J. Farrow (40 receptions for 546 receiving yards) and D.J. Stubbs (50 receptions for 631 receiving yards) in rounding out the receiving corps. Hickson was named the breakout athlete of the year at Liberty, after rushing for 1,032 yards and 11 scores on 229 carries. The Lynchburg, VA native anchored a rushing attack that ranked No. 75 in the nation, and also featured 400-plus-yard performances from Peytton Pickett and Kentory Matthews. The Flames had two offensive linemen named to Phil Steele’s 2018 All-Independent Team, Julio Lozano and Dontae Duff.
On defense, it was an entirely different story. Once the Flames started dealing with injuries on the front-seven, the unit started to falter. In 2018, Liberty ranked No. 118 nationally in total defense, faring only slightly better against the pass. Defensive end Jessie Lemonier was the best player in that unit. He had 55 tackles, including 13.5 tackles-for-loss, to compliment a team-leading 10 sacks. He was joined at the line of scrimmage by Juwan Wells, an NFL Draft prospect who recorded eight tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks. With injuries piling up, the Flames were forced to play defenders out of position, which was particularly tough on the linebackers. Overall, the defense was among the worst in college football last season, which was expected after the Flames made the leap from the lower-level FCS to the higher-level FBS. LOOKING FORWARD With Hugh Freeze looking on from off the field, the Flames dropped the first two games of the 2019 season. Freeze is recovering from a staph infection, which has forced him to watch his team from the press box. The Flames lost 24-0 to Syracuse in week one, and 35-14 to LALafayette in week two, looking flat in both
keep him hot during the cold months. “It’s super tough. There’s a lot of stuff that you have to sacrifice. A normal athlete might have a little hobby. There’s been a lot of late-night library nights because I couldn’t get the work done during the day or a lot of times where everybody wanted to go out and I was like, ‘I can’t because I need to sleep.’ But if you want that, that’s what you have to do.” Head football coach Lance Leipold commended Johnson on his work ethic and drive after an early practice this season. “I find ways to get Dominic Johnson on the field,” Leipold said. “I can’t say enough great things about Dominic and his leadership, his competitiveness, he’s a team player. And his thing was, ‘Coach, I’ve been in this program for years and I want to find a way to get on the field and help.’” Two games into the season, Leipold found ways. Johnson appeared on the field at Beaver Stadium during Saturday’s Penn State game, as the QB-turned-receiver caught three passes and racked in 27 receiving yards, with his longest catch being for 12. Johnson says, while he hopes to do everything in his ability to earn UB wins, he really wants to repeat a Mid-American Conference Championship appearance. “Our biggest goal is to just win games, be consistent. Get back to the MAC Championship with our team. I want to just do everything I can in my power to help the team get to that point again.” Email: Brenton.Blanchet@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @BrentonBlanchet.
contests. Calvert has thrown three interceptions to just one touchdown, while everyone outside of Gandy-Golden and Hickson has been relatively quiet. Still, the Flames are putting up a decent amount of yards on offense — the hope for Freeze is that it soon translates into points. On defense, the Flames brought in multiple junior college transfers to help Juwan Wells and linebacker Solomon Ajayi, the younger brother of NFL running back Jay Ajayi. However, over the first two games, it was still the Jessie Lemonier show — the redshirt senior has 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The opening game against then-No. 22 Syracuse saw an attendance of 21,671, which is the third-highest total in Williams Stadium’s history. The Bulls could be playing in front of a near-capacity crowd at the stadium on Saturday. BOTTOM LINE The Flames are in danger of finishing a season below the .500 mark for the first time since 2005, but they are still a worthy opponent for the Bulls, considering how much talent they have on both sides of the ball. However, compared to the No. 13 Nittany Lions, the Flames are much more evenly matched opponents. The Bulls should win this game, but the margin of victory will be a good indicator as to where they are at the rest of the season. Email: sports@ubspectrum.com