The Spectrum Vol.69 No.16

THE SPECTRUM VOL. 69 NO. 16 | OCTOBER 21, 2019

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

Muslim Student Association hosts domestic violence workshop

UBSPECTRUM

RuPaul’s drag queens ‘save the galaxy’

Guest speakers Sheikh Isma’il and April Arman discuss domestic violence with UB community

> SEE PAGE 4

Letting her guard down

‘Werq the World Tour’ brings magic to Center for the Arts Wednesday

How UB women’s basketball player Jessica Schiffer ‘recruited’ her coach and herself

> SEE PAGE 5

> SEE PAGE 8

Student Association releases Fall Fest tickets early, apologizes for mistake

Students upset over rollout, SA removes guest tickets in response BRENTON J. BLANCHET EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Roughly 600 students reserved tickets to Fall Fest Wednesday during a two-hour unexpected ticket release, which left students confused and upset.

SA planned on releasing tickets Sunday for the Nov. 8 show, which will feature rappers DaBaby and Gunna in the 1,748-capacity Center for the Arts, according to SA President Yousouf Amolegbe. He said the tickets for the student-funded show –– which cost SA roughly $190,000 and is

10 a.m

Fall Fest tickets release unexpectedly.

Roughly 600 students reserve tickets in two hours.

3:30 p.m

paid for by 21,000 undergraduates’ $109 mandatory student activity fee –– released early because SA Entertainment didn’t confirm the updated release date with the UB Ticket Office.

The office thought tickets were still set for release on Wednesday, Amolegbe said, causing them to release unexpectedly at 10 a.m.

SA then paused the release at roughly 12:30 p.m. and let students who reserved tickets keep them. It announced on social media at 3:30 p.m. that remaining tickets would release at 5 p.m.

Tickets sold out in roughly five minutes during the release, according to Amolegbe.

On Saturday, SA then released the show’s 500 guest tickets as student tickets,

5 p.m

SA announces Students tickets will be reserve the officially remaining available at 5 tickets in five p.m. minutes.

meaning there are no guest tickets for the show, an idea SA said came from an upset student. The Saturday release, scheduled for 1 p.m., didn’t begin until 1:28 p.m. because of complications at the ticket office, according to SA. Tickets sold out at 1:47 p.m.

While the ticket release also came with “long” wait times, according to students who were on the University Tickets site, most students were upset with SA’s announcement rollout. Students complained on Twitter about the accidental release, the hour-and-a-half notice before the firstannounced release and the announcement soley being social media platforms. Amolegbe and Chief of Staff Eric Rooney said they considered some of the student feed-

1:28 p.m

3 p.m

Tickets become SA announces 500 guest available tickets will be released as ticket officeafter delay. student tickets on Saturday Students reserve at 1p.m. remainder in 19 There will be no guest minutes. tickets to the show.

back bullying and hate speech and claimed some Instagram comments were homphobic and derogatory. SA then disabled comments on its Instagram posts in response.

“We are very sorry,” Amolegbe said.

“This is the first time [tickets have released unexpectedly] and we can promise this is going to be the last time this will happen.

We also want to show that we care about concerns.”

Amolegbe said SA announced the Wednesday ticket release an hour and a half in advance because the ticket office didn’t want to push off the reservations any longer. He said SA’s graphic artists needed time to create an announcement graphic, resulting in the hour-and-a-half > SEE TICKETS | PAGE 2

10 a.m

Tickets ready to be picked up at the ticket office.

6 p.m

All tickets must be picked up or will be redistributed Nov. 5.

Funded Ph.D. students keeping benefits, interim provost announces more funding BRITTANY GORNY, ALEXANDRA MOYEN NEWS DESK

Interim Provost A. Scott Weber confirmed Saturday that funded Ph.D. students will remain in assistantships, meaning they will continue to have benefits such as health insurance, dental insurance and retirement plans.

Some students worried their roles would change to fellowships –– which don’t include these benefits –– when the August Ph.D. Excellence Initiative announcement stated first-year Ph.D. students will not teach classes.

The provost’s office will provide $9.6 million of funding from 2019-22 to “bridge the gap” for all full-time funded Ph.D. student stipends, which increased to a base of $20,000.

Interim Provost A. Scott Weber confirmed Saturday that funded Ph.D. students will remain in assistantships, meaning they will continue to have benefits such as health insurance, dental insurance and retirement plans.

Vice Provost Graham Hammill said the funding will come from increased enrollment, academic excellence and success fees and “deans reprioritizing their respective budgets.” Department budgets will cover all fees for the 2020-21 academic year.

UB Council Student Representative Michael Montoro said this is problematic, as all students –– including Ph.D. students for this year –– pay the academic excellence and success fee.

“So this is somehow [implying] that graduate students are paying for their own raises which is bizarre,” Montoro said.

“We pay this fee and then we get [our]

The SpecTrum archieveS inTerim vice prOvOST ScOTT weBer cOnfirmed The ph.d.

Tain Their BenefiTS.

money back.”

The deans now also have the option to request additional funding from the uni-

STudenTS will remain in aSSiSTanTShipS and main-

versity’s “operating budget,” a $753 million budget composed primarily of tuition revenue, student fees and state support,

according to UB spokesperson John DellaContrada. Weber said this investment funding gives deans “flexibility” in order to reprioritize their budgets according to > SEE PH.D. | PAGE 2

NEWS

2 | Monday, October 21, 2019

ubspectrum.com

FROM PAGE 1

TICKETS

notice before the release.

Mitchell Cappiello, a senior psychology major, said Thursday that he has been to six fests during his time at UB and has “always” secured tickets. He said SA “should’ve known better” when it announced the release at 3:30 p.m.

“I’d say whoever is in charge of doing this for SA should be ashamed of not following a tradition [of announcing earlier] that, even though it had its own issues to begin with, was at least more practical in giving everybody a chance to get a ticket,” Cappiello said.

He says he’s seen same-day ticket drops with local shows before but those are warranted.

“It seems more honorable on their part to at least give a wider array of the undergraduate student body that pays those fees a bit more of a fair shot to gain access to those tickets,” Cappiello said. “All love to the people who are going to get a chance to catch Gunna and DaBaby at the show, but as a person who would’ve loved to see these artists’ energy in person, I’m deeply disappointed in SA today.”

Jared Moser, a sophomore public health major, was at work when tickets officially dropped on Wednesday at 5 p.m.

“I thought SA did a terrible job with communication,” Moser said. “…

By the time I saw the announcement for when they would be released, they were already sold out.”

Moser said if he had known the release time earlier, preferably 24 hours in advance, he would’ve planned his break at work around the release.

Local concert promoters say an hour and a half is not enough time to prepare audiences for a show that may sell out.

Donny Kutzbach, a co-owner/operator of Town Ballroom and Funtime Presents and UB alum, wrote that anywhere from “a week to a minimum of two days” is standard for an on-sale announcement.

He said Town Ballroom occasionally has

same-day sales, but those are for shows he doesn’t expect to sell out. Chris Ring of After Dark Entertainment agrees, saying he gives “at least 24 hours” notice before tickets go on sale.

“It seems like SA failed its constituents in this case,” Kutzback wrote in an email.

Abby Kolstee, a freshman biomedical sciences major, said she found out about the Wednesday drop “last minute” when her friend texted her.

While she follows SA on Instagram and Twitter, she didn’t see the update and didn’t think the 3:30 p.m. announcement gave her enough time to prepare.

Only one of her friends was able to secure a ticket.

“My friends and I wanted to have a fun experience together and now my friend has to sell his ticket or find other people that were lucky enough to get tickets,” Kolstee said.

Last year, SA’s student-wide emails, which the SA president sends out

once a month, included ticket reservation information for the two most popular of the three Fall Fest Concert Series shows.

Amolegbe said his student-wide email didn’t match up with the time SA anticipated tickets to go on sale for the show, making social media promotion SA’s priority.

“I would love to know what the best way students feel we can get through to them is,” Amolegbe said.

The show is a part of SA’s 2019 Fall Fest Concert Series, which consists of three genre-specific concerts instead of the standard single show, a format SA first implemented in 2018.

Kutzback wrote that the “bigger failure” is hosting the show in the Center for the Arts and offering it to 1,748 students when 21,000 students pay the mandatory activity fee. Since the ticket releases, Change.org user Ali Khalil started a petition for the Student Association to move the show to

FROM PAGE 1

PH.D.

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the “needs of their units.”

Each request for investment funding will be approved by Weber, President Satish Tripathi and Vice President for Finance and Administration Laura Hubbard.

Since first-year Ph.D. students will no longer teach classes, some students and faculty are concerned with who will instruct these courses and whether class sizes will increase.

“The number of courses cannot just be dramatically lowered, and vastly expanding class size is also a poor solution,” French professor Maureen Jameson said.

On Oct. 15, faculty members asked how much the Ph.D. Excellence Initiative would cost if enrollment remained the same, but Hammill and Weber weren’t able to give a definitive answer, according to Jameson.

“It just seems very strange to embark on such a profound change without knowing the dollar cost, let alone the impacts on undergraduate education, collective bargaining, graduate recruitment and faculty hiring,” Jameson said.

DellaContrada said the Ph.D. Excellence Initiative will have a positive impact on Ph.D. student recruitment, education and outcomes. The university does not expect it to negatively impact undergraduate education or faculty hiring.

Lewis Powell, director of graduate studies in the philosophy department, said he doesn’t think the funding timeline is long enough for the “massive realignment” of departments that he says UB is hoping for.

“There needs to be more than a year and a half to do it,” Powell said. “I don’t know how anyone could look [at] me [with] a straight face and tell me that’s the timeline they think is reasonable for what is agreed to be a massive shift in how [the College of Arts and Sciences] is conceiving a graduate education.”

Montoro said he thinks there should be 100% bridge-funding for five years to re-

Vindhya Burugupalli / The Spectrum UB Ticket Office at the Student Union.

Alumni Arena, which has a larger capacity.

Ali’s petition currently has 296 signatures.

But Amolegbe says the threeshow format gives students greater genre diversity than before, and that fans of rock music or Afro-Caribbean music can finally see the genres represented in the shows.

He insists that there isn’t a venue to fit every student on campus, and that it’s important to give students more options, as the CFA allows more shows because of its lower production cost.

Both Amolegbe and Rooney said they appreciate student input on the ticket release.

“The main thing to take away from this is that although we did mess up, we are learning from this experience,” Rooney said.

Email: brenton.blanchet@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @BrentonBlanchett

flect the average length Ph.D. student appointments.

“Three years is quite a timeline, it’s more like we’re scrambling to get things done rather than [making] a constructive decision,” Montoro said.

However, deans feel the bridge-funding timeline is “appropriate,” according to Weber.

Many faculty and students still want to see the formation of the Living Stipend Solutions Committee, which the Faculty Senate passed in Spring 2019. This committee would be comprised of faculty, students and administrators to ensure stipend levels remain “competitive.” Weber said LSSC will not be formed because Ph.D. stipends have “already been addressed.”

Instead, the Graduate School Executive Committee will review and recommend policies and best practices for Ph.D. completion, maintaining competitive stipend levels and teacher training for TAs. Email: news@ubspectrum.com

OPINION

ubspectrum.com

Letter to the editor: My name is Julia Delorimiere and I am an undergraduate at UB. I am a member of the St. Regis Mohawk tribe of the Six Nations and I am a proud Indigenous student.

After reading the highly offensive piece in regards to Columbus Day, I couldn’t help but to feel a great deal of sadness and anger. This article is seething with inaccuracies, misinterpretations and “facts” that are very far from the truth. Columbus and his army directly contributed to the murder, rapes, and traumatization of indigenous people. These committed atrocities against Indigenous people decimated their populations and terrorized future genera-

tions. To celebrate Columbus, is to celebrate a genocidal individual with malicious intent and self-righteous intentions.

These are some of the truths the author overlooked on Columbus: He enslaved Indigenous people for means of getting gold. He sold young Indigenous girls into sex slavery, some as young as 9-10 years old. He raided Indigenous villages for sex and sport. He practiced a sport where Indigenous people were hunted by war dogs, and sometimes feeding live babies to the dogs in front of parents.

This is just a brief, and non-exhaustive insight into the kind of “hero” that Co-

Letter to the editor: The date of 1492, via educational propaganda, has been etched into the American consciousness as being the year Christopher Columbus and the western world “discovered” America. Christopher Columbus’ mission was to find a direct route from Europe to Asia but landed in what is now known as the Bahamas. Despite never setting foot in America his white-washed legacy has been fortified and granted a national holiday.

For Indigenous populations the celebration of Columbus has been devastating.

Christopher Columbus’ “discovery” lead to the colonization of native land, fatal illnesses that depleted Indigenous populations and the early implementation of chattel slavery. For the general public to revere a man that looked at their ancestors as inferior to justify their exploitation while their populations still face the ramifications of continued ostracization is a slap in the face.

Indigenous People’s day was first recognized by South Dakota in 1989 to honor and celebrate the Indigenous populations heritage and culture. A move that has been made official in now at least 10 states, according to NPR. In Donavan Newkirk’s article this acknowledgement is misguided and frivolous because, in reference to Columbus, “he was innovative, courageous and dedicated to bettering the world.” This statement is egregious as it suggests a complicity to Columbus’ view that anyone granted the status of “othered” was not deserving of such betterment.

This view is furthered by his disapproval of analytical frameworks such as identity politics, intersectionality, feminism and recurring talks of reparations for those of African descent. By stating that these tools “inspire people to seek sympathy from society by pretending to be victims” Newkirk highlights the importance of understanding these tools intimately. All these analytical tools provide an examination of society in order to provide equitable social justice for previously disenfranchised communities. Feminist political theorist Iris Young states that “social justice means the elimination of institutionalized domination and oppression”.

This perspective would force Newkirk to challenge his assumptions of the altruistic nature of the American legal system.

By aligning with the alleged sexual assaulters Brett Kavanaugh and Donald Trump, Newkirk displays a thinly veiled misogynistic allegiance to white male domination and demonstrates a devoid understanding of intersectionality, a framework which highlights the institutionalized advantages privileged white males are afforded in society.

Drawing back to Columbus, Newkirk states a historically illiterate claim in “Slavery was not introduced to the New World by Columbus.” This is true, slavery was practiced by Indigenous populations amongst rivals but to equate Indigenous slavery with the chattel slavery of the Europeans is intellectually dishonest.

Slavery amongst indigenous populations was reserved for war captives, gam-

Letter to the editor:

When I first read Mr. Newkirk’s piece, I thought it was a troll. It drips with the unwarranted smugness of conservative pundits like Ben Shapiro. It loudly proclaims its ignorance of the subject, while at the same time denouncing its critics as “historically illiterate,” and parades opinions as fact. The author spends quite a bit of time rambling about…identity politics?

I’m not sure what he was trying to do in the introduction, aside from hit all the right right-wing keywords to maximize his appearance in search results. Perhaps it’s an attempt to “trigger” the audience? I am embarrassed that the Spectrum would run

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such clickbaity garbage, even under the guise of an opinion piece. Initially when I saw the tweet asking for responses to the piece, I felt it was best ignored, as Mr. Newkirk is clearly looking for attention, but the historian in me will not let gross inaccuracies parade itself as historical fact.

History is much messier than anyone would like to admit, and attitudes toward what is and isn’t acceptable change with the times. Things that we don’t think twice about will be considered despicable by our descendants. However, even by the standards of the 15th century, Columbus was considered monstrous. He was motivated

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Monday, October 21, 2019 | 3

lumbus was said to be in that article.

A selfish hero that sought to destroy the lives of Indigenous men, women, and children and erase their culture completely.

The reference to Columbus as a hero is such a sorrowful idea to consider.

Another egregious claim made in the aforementioned article: Indigenous people were not victims.

This claim is dehumanizing. By undermining the continuous struggles that Indigenous people have faced in the past, and still face to this day, is atrocious. The author in the article also claimed that Columbus was only human and “made mistakes.” However, these horrific incidents were clearly not a “mistake” and were a result of utterly malicious motives and racial prejudice.

I am deeply disappointed that this ar-

ticle was published as it encourages the continuous marginalization of my people.

The publishing of this article is completely ignorant of Native American students attending UB. The lack of consideration and decency and research efforts in this article is horrific. Not only is it appalling to Indigenous students and communities, but it is an embarrassment of the author themselves.

I appreciate your time and hope you can consider the Indigenous students on campus more thoughtfully. Feel free to publish anything from this email or my tweets.

Again, thank you for your time.

blers when they become destitute amongst other forms. It was small-scale labor and some tribes practiced slavery that resembled more of indentured servitude, allowing captives freedom and incorporation into their tribe.

European colonist slavery transformed the idea of human bondage. The brutality inflicted, the racist justifications for the expansion was unprecedented.

Newkirk tries to justify his position by asking the reader to contend with George Washington’s legacy as founder of America who purchased and owned slaves stating, “Does that make him a tyrant or a racist?”

Yes. Pretty sure that’s the definition.

Looking at figures in a time capsule that’s favorable to their hegemonic beliefs does nothing but justify said beliefs to continue into perpetuity.

Once again Newkirk tries to make a false equivalence with implementing an array of womanizers whose legacies have been immortalized (Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt) with Columbus. Womanizing, while an inexcusable act of moral bankruptcy, shouldn’t be conflated to the physical and psychological genocide brought upon by Columbus, especially when reflecting on the idea of “all humans make mistakes.”

Newkirk states that the “left” audience that is up in arms with his assertions should take the time to realize that “As you sit in the single greatest and most prosperous country in the world, I urge you to celebrate the courageous man who unequivocally made it all possible.”

This paradigm makes the erroneous suggestion that all people in the U.S have access to the resources that are unequally

distributed from American imperialism that ensued from Columbus.

The framework of “othering” that Columbus and other Europeans used to label Indigenous, Africans etc. as inferior humans thus justifying their bondage is used today in the states to exploit tens of millions for the benefit of the prosperity that Newkirk is detailing.

By assuming that we all have the access needed to advance in society the blame is placed on the materially stagnant or poor individual, instead of examining the societal conditions that may have contributed to this person’s lot.

Indigenous day is a rightful counter celebration to the pristine image that continues to be indoctrinated upon the American public of Christopher Columbus. Simply recognizing Indigenous day should also be looked at as a starting point not as an end.

Recognizing Indigenous day with no political commitment for the betterment of Indigenous populations is tokenism.

For true equity to be granted to Indigenous communities social, political and economic commitments that benefit them need to be set forth and executed upon.

But for the interim recognize the importance of Indigenous day, let the marginalized voices take control of the narrative as to allow them to set their own terms for liberation.

by greed, not any sense of love or even paternalism for the inhabitants of the Caribbean. This isn’t a moral gray area on par with FDR or MLK cheating on their wives, this is a man who came to the new world looking for a quick passage to Asia, was greeted by a people with weapons no more sophisticated than spears, and exploited them for he could once he discovered gold. When the Spanish monarchy were informed of what was going on in their new colonies, he would be brought back in chains, then forgotten for the next 300 years.

Yes, 300 years. Columbus Day is a recent holiday, becoming official in 1971, thanks to the relentless lobbying of The Knights of Columbus. (NIAF). In the late 19th century, European immigrants

poured into the United States, many of them Catholic. Viewed as an invading hoard, Catholics faced exclusion in this era because it was believed they were loyal to the Pope, not their country, and were part of a plan to destroy the Protestant American way of life (sound familiar?).

Italians were stereotyped as dimwitted, lazy, and criminal, and faced intense discrimination. Looking to prove that both Catholics and especially Italians deserved to be here, they searched for a figure to prove their worth, and found it in Columbus. He was born in what is now Italy, the son of a wool weaver. In 1492, this son of a common man, would sail the ocean blue, discovering the new world, bringing both

Sincerely, Julia B. Delorimiere

Gyasi Lake Sophomore, English and sociology major

> SEE LETTER| PAGE 6

4 | Monday, October 21, 2019

FEATURES

ubspectrum.com

Muslim Student Association hosts domestic violence workshop Guest speakers Sheikh Isma’il and April Arman discuss domestic violence with UB community AMAL ELHELW STAFF WRITER

The Muslim Student Association held “Love Shouldn’t Hurt,” a domestic violence workshop, Friday, which featured guest speakers Sheikh Isma’il and April Arman.

Muslim Women’s Council, a sub-group of MSA, organized the event as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

This year, roughly 60 students attended, as this was the first time MWC opened the workshop to the entire UB community. Isma’il, an imam –– person who leads prayers in a mosque –– from Masjid Al-Eiman, spoke at the event about the importance of community in domestic violence discussions. Arman is the board president of Resources and Help Against Marital Abuse, and discussed the group’s role working with Muslims, immigrants and refugees who are victims of domestic abuse.

MSA member and event coordinator Ilhan Noor said domestic violence needs to

be discussed more than one month out of the year.

“This discussion is very important because within our community, when we think of things like domestic violence and marital abuse, we either don’t talk about it or we make it solely the responsibility of a woman to deal with those types of barriers on her own,” Noor said.

Noor, a senior health and human services major, said it’s important for men to be involved in domestic violence discussions. One in four women and one in seven men have been victims of severe domestic abuse, according to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

“Having more men involved in this issue is not to tell them that they are an issue themselves, but it’s to show them that this

is a human rights issue and we all need to come together to fight it,” Noor said.

During the event, Isma’il discussed the stigmas of imams speaking out.

“We expect imams to only speak about how to pray, how to do your zakat (charity), how to fast,” Isma’il said. “… [But] we should care and take care of the community, fix the problems in it and unfortunately, domestic violence is a part of that.”

MWC President Rifah Tasnim, a senior health and human services major, wanted the event to be open to everyone because domestic violence is not “one-sided.”

“We wanted to include the guys and make sure guys feel comfortable here,” Tasnim said.

“We’re not there to attack them, we’re not there to call them out, we’re not there to lecture

Alexis Heng / The Spectrum Guest speaker April Arman talks about domestic violence and RAHAMA, an organization that helps victims the Muslim Student Association’s domestic violence workshop.

of domestic violence, at

Alexis Heng / The Spectrum Muslim Student Association member Ilhan Noor introduces guest speaker April Arman.

them. [Domestic violence comes] from both sides.”

Arman discussed RAHAMA’s services, such as housing, support groups and planning for victims. She said RAHAMA is different than other domestic violence prevention groups because it can assist non-native English speakers and incorporates an understanding of religious and cultural aspects.

Arman said domestic violence is not an Islamic issue, it’s a global issue, and specifically discussed the importance of talking about domestic violence and its connection to Islam.

When domestic violence occurs in a family, it doesn’t just affect the abuser and its victim but every member of the family, Arman said. In New York, if a child witnesses domestic abuse, it is considered child abuse due to the psychological harm it causes. Arman emphasized the discussion’s importance because of this, as spouses –– and parents –– should be a source of positivity, not violence.

“In Quran, it says that a marriage is about spouses being a garment to one another. A garment is the closest thing to us, it protects, it keeps us warm,” Arman said.

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion hosts the ‘Witness of Injustice’ program Native American advocates spread awareness about colonization, genocide Friday SAMANTHA VARGAS SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR

Native American advocates taught UB community members about the lasting effects of genocide during a “Native American Conversation” event Friday.

Thirty-two students and faculty members attended the four-hour “Witness of Injustice” seminar, hosted by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the Native American Community Services, at Goodyear Hall, where indigenous scholars and volunteers discussed the mass murder and removal of Native Americans during colonization. The seminar featured indigenous activists who discussed the lasting effects of displacement and genocide throughout history, and the importance of creating relationships of “peace and friendship” with Native Americans for the future.

The event also included representatives

from the Nekanęhsakt: Friend’s of Ekwehewe Coalition, an organization of nonindegionous allies, and the Indigenous Women’s Initiative, an organization for empowering indigenous women.

Pete Hill, a member of the Cayuga Nation and the NACS “All Our Relations” Project Director, helped lead the event.

“So many of the things we talk about here might not be widely recognized,” Hill said. “[Mother Earth] holds up our feet at the same level, so nobody walks [higher or lower]. It teaches us that nobody is any better or worse than anybody else.”

At the interactive event, guests were assigned to represent the various Native American tribes during colonization.

As the hosts read through the history of Native American mistreatment, beginning with colonization, audience members sat down when their respective tribe was considered “extinct.”

Only three people out of the 32 remained standing at the end of the activity.

Members of NACS read from Christopher Columbus’ and other historical figures’ journal entries, recounting the violent history of colonization.

The hosts also discussed the various legal doctrines which legalized the mistreat-

ment of Native Americans and explained how the extinction of North American Buffalo, the Doctrine of Discovery and the Indian Removal Act led to the state of reservations today.

Aleigha Carpenter, a member of the Mohawk Tribe and a UB senior economics major, said she attended the seminar to learn more about her ancestral history.

“I believe it is ignorant to ignore the United States’ traumatic history,” Carpenter said. “Going to school and living on Native American land, while also discrediting that history, is such a hurtful and disrespectful thing to do.”

In August 2018, the Office of Inclusive Excellence said it wanted to begin spreading awareness of Native American culture through different events. This followed a 2017 article in which Native American students and faculty said they felt underrepresented on campus, despite UB being built on Seneca Nation land.

The hosts from NACS and the Indigenous Women’s Initiatives ended the discussion by speaking about the lasting effects of Native Americans’ displacement and genocide. Indigenous women within tribal communities are ten times more likely to be murdered compared to non-

natives, and 84% of native women have experienced violence in their lifetimes, according to the National Institute of Justice.

NACS also discussed how harmful Native American stereotypes are, and the ways trauma can be passed down through generations.

“For [children], the skies aren’t the limit.

Their eyes are the limit. Sometimes the coping mechanisms from disparities become normalized,” Hill said. “Some of our people turned to [eating] and drinking and violence. That isn’t who we are.”

Hill, who has worked with NACS for over 25 years, gave the closing Haudenosaunee tradition of giving thanks and ended the event with a message of healing and forgiveness.

“We didn’t hold this event just to focus on the trauma. We need to move on from the trauma to begin healing, and also learn from the past,” Hill said. “We have to stand with our people, but also all people.”

Email: Samantha.Vargas@UBSpectrum.com Twitter: @SamMarieVargas

ubspectrum.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Monday, October 21, 2019 | 5

RuPaul’s drag queens ‘save the galaxy’ ‘Werq the World Tour’ brings magic to Center for the Arts Wednesday VINDHYA BURUGUPALLI, ISABELLA FORTUNATO SENIOR MULTIMEDIA EDITOR, STAFF WRITER

Sophia Scime didn’t want a new car for her sweet 16. She wanted tickets to RuPaul’s “Werq the World Tour.”

The Buffalo high schooler’s birthday got a little more fierce when she was invited on stage by hostess Asia O’Hara to take part in a game during the show.

Even though Scime didn’t win the contest, she left the stage smiling, knowing it was a birthday gift she would never forget.

“It was a little scary to be on stage with Asia, but even in front of so many people she was super sweet.” Scime said.

On Wednesday, UB’s Center for the Arts Mainstage Theatre was filled with the bright colors, glittery ensembles and sensual dance moves of the Official RuPaul’s Drag Race “Werq the World Tour.”

Roughly 1,200 concertgoers watched as Plastique Tiara, Naomi Smalls, Monét X Change, Detox Icunt, Aquaria, Yvie Oddly and hostess O’Hara “werqed” to “save the galaxy.” Audience members wondered if season seven winner Violet Chachki would appear –– as she appeared at other venues for the tour –– but the seven other queens’ performances seemed to make up for her absence. Their performances emanated various planets: Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Venus, Jupiter and Earth, with O’Hara representing the sun.

X Change filled the theater with a captivating number straight from Uranus. She enchanted the crowd with every aspect of her performance, from her bright-pink pantsuit to her iridescent makeup and spunky, sensual demeanor.

Gasps echoed in the theater when the diva strutted her way into the audience and performed several lap dances for lucky audience members, all while syncing “I Put a Spell on You” by Annie Lennox.

Saying that X Change left the audience bewitched would be an understatement,

Vindhya Burugupalli / The Spectrum Drag queens and performers closing RuPauls’s drag race 2019 ‘Werq the World’

as her magical flare had the audience entranced.

Aquaria took the audience on a trip to Venus, one of the lighter journeys taken that night. She embraced the stage in a feathery, sky-blue dress and green wig, but later stripped down to a strappy, sheer, embellished bodysuit to perform acrobatics.

The fan-favorite queen ended her performance with aerial acts while flawlessly lip-syncing to Kerli’s ballad “Walking on Air.” The invigorating performance left audience members standing in admiration.

Arguably the sexiest performance of the night came from planet Jupiter. Icunt danced and grinded to Madonna’s “Bedtime Story,” as the vivacious performance left fans energized.

She brought a pop of color to her moody and sensual performance, as she donned a fitted neon-green jumpsuit and an extraterrestrial wig to match.

Audience member and RuPaul superfan Rebecca Walter said Icunt was by far her favorite act of the night.

“I’m a little biased, but I love Detox,” Walter said.

Season 11 winner Oddly brought the crowd back to Earth when she made Area 51 memes an on-stage reality. In the apocalyptic performance, she wore a skin-

tour at

UB.

tight semi-sheer black jumpsuit with neongreen futuristic patterns and green face paint. While the performance featured no Naruto running, Oddly instead rhythmically moved to “My Humps” by The Black Eyed Peas and “I Fink U Freeky” by Die Antwoord.

Contrary to the event’s title, the icon RuPaul was not a participant in the tour.

Freshman occupational therapy major Julia Marcotullio was disappointed about RuPaul’s absence, but ultimately expressed understanding, as “he’s a busy man.”

Even without RuPaul, audience members were satisfied with the stylish performances of the seven other drag queens.

“They’re all just about go for it, if it makes you happy just f-----g do it. I love that mindset.” Walter said.

The show concluded with a culmination of all seven queens uniting their powers to “Save the World.”

Every element of the finale –– from matching gold outfits to sexy dance routines and even dramatic displays of acting –– was fabulous. And by the end of the number, the audience was screaming too.

The final song “Heroes” by Alesso (ft.

Tove Lo) left the audience happy with only one possible complaint: the antics did not go on long enough.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

Vindhya Burugupalli / The Spectrum Season 11 winner, Yvie Oddly personifies an alien, bringing Area 51 to life during her act.

A society for soloists Students create UB Solo club, hold first music showcase JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA FEATURES DESK EDITOR

Manuel Pena Cruz has struggled to involve himself in the music scene at UB during his early years of college.

The senior psychology major was an active musician in high school and the president of his high school music club for two years. When he arrived at UB, Pena Cruz joined The Buffalo Chips –– UB’s male a cappella group –– but soon realized that the group wasn’t for him. He is more of a solo artist.

He soon realized other solo artists on campus share a similar experience.

“There’s so many talented students here and they just need to get out of their bubble –– the same bubble I’ve been in for the past few years,” Pena Cruz said.

So he decided to pop the bubble and founded a new club on campus: UB Solo.

UB Solo, founded in early October, is a club for students interested in the music industry. It is not yet recognized by the Student Association, but the club’s leadership is working to gain recognition as soon as possible. Club members believe a community is important for artists to grow their individual careers, as the club provides the opportunity for artists to learn from one another, enhance their networking skills and collaborate.

UB Solo plans to hold regular workshops for students to learn about artistry and plans to hold biweekly showcases called “Show-off Saturdays.”

UB Solo held its first ever showcase on Saturday at the firepit outside of Greiner Hall.

The showcase featured six performers superb at being teammates and helping them and get prepared for performances and two DJs. Each performer put on a each other out with social media, shout like [Saturday’s showcase],” Pena Cruz short set while the DJs kept the music go- outs, all that stuff,” Pena Cruz said. “We said. “Their stage presence has gone up so ing in between. The show lasted from 7:30 even have DJs teaching DJs with less ex- much in the span of weeks.” p.m. until 9 p.m. perience.”

UB Solo intends to host more showcasThe club lit a small fire in a grill to proAJ Franklin, a freshman business ad- es in the coming weeks and its next event vide warmth and s’mores to their fans. ministration major known around campus is a rap cypher, with details to come.

Members of UB Solo promoted their as “Boombox Guy,” is using his campus Pena Cruz believes that the most imporshowcase on social media and by posting fame to help promote the club. tant part of making it in the music indusflyers across campus.

“Seeing that I can be a part of this and try is “getting out there.” He hopes that Over 30 people showed up to watch. help them spread their name so quickly is Saturday’s showcase and the showcases in Members of UB Solo hope that being always good to know,” Franklin said. “It the future allow all UB Solo members to a part of the club will help them reach a feels like I’m helping the cause.” show off their skills and make their names wider audience. Performing shows togethPena Cruz wants UB Solo members to known. er allows artists to perform for other art- improve their abilities quickly and so far “Eventually, if we’re good enough, I’m ists’ fans and friends. he says he’s getting the results he hoped hoping we will become something known Club members also believe that being a for. on campus.” part of a collective will allow them to grow “In these two weeks, I’ve seen these julian.grmela@ubspectrum.com artistically. Each artist brings something guys start with unfinished songs and finish Email: Twitter: @GrmelaJulian unique to the club and members hope that they can all learn something new from each other.

“This club exposes me to different types of artists and different types of music and working with them collaboratively helps me grow as an artist,” Isaac Rizkallah, a freshman business administration major and vice president of UB Solo, said.

Members of the club have experience in different aspects of the music industry, so workshops are also a time for members to pass on knowledge to each other.

“I want people to have each other’s backs and so Julian Roberts-Grmela / The Spectrum far everybody has been Members of UB Solo pose for a group photo after their showcase on Saturday.

OPINION

ubspectrum.com

FROM PAGE 3

LETTER

himself and Europe great riches. A perfect example of the American dream, the myth of Columbus was born. This rose colored myth that cast Columbus as the founder of our nation spread throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, leading to Columbus Day becoming a national holiday in the early 1970s.

The concept of race as we understand it today didn’t exist in Columbus’ day, so it is true that he did not view the natives as racially inferior. However Europeans of this era, including Columbus, ascribed to a hierarchy that put European Christians at the top, and everyone else at the bottom.

It would have been unthinkable to enslave a fellow Christian, even if he belonged to the wrong sect (Blackburn, 1997). Colonial writings about Native Americans, including those by Columbus and his men, emphasize their animalistic nature, even when praising their “human” aspects (Smedly and Smedly 2012). The idea that Columbus viewed them as equals is laughable. He wrote not of their potential to be fellow merchants or leaders, but servants

The Halloween season should be scary, not just spooky ISABELLA FORTUNATO, ALEX WHETHAM, JUSTIN WOODMANCY STAFF WRITERS

The Halloween season consists of cutesy costumes, silly jack-o-lanterns and enough candy to induce a sugar coma, but what makes this time of year so interesting and unique is its underlying theme of terror.

People get their kicks out of being scared s--tless and especially during Halloween. Why else would so many people come together every year to watch possession-infested films and visit haunted houses? Music around this time of year shouldn’t be any different, it should scare the hell out of you, too.

So for Halloween this year, ditch “Spooky Scary Skeletons” for this playlist of truly terrifying tunes curated by The Spectrum’s Arts Desk.

Cannibal Corpse - “Hammer Smashed Face” “Tomb of the Mutilated” (1992) Buffalo’s very own Cannibal Corpse has made a living for itself, crafting some of the most disgusting, evil, offensive and brutal music in the world. With lyrics like “Draining the snot, I rip out the eyes” and “I smash your f--king head in until brains seep in”, “Hammer Smashed Face,” albeit far from the group’s most shocking material, will leave you adequately spooked.

Cryptopsy - “Slit Your Guts” “None So Vile” (1996) “Slit Your Guts,” a blisteringly fast and savagely violent track, is an all-out attack on the senses. Disorienting and punishing riffs and Lord Worm's guttural and shrieking vocals push “Slit Your Guts” to the limits of extreme metal. It's the sonic equivalent to a grindhouse slasher film.

(the man himself). This is not how one speaks of an equal, in 1492 or 2019.

Slavery was common during this period, but chattel slavery was unique to European colonies. In most societies slaves were prisoners of war, criminals, or paying off a debt to their owner. Their children were born free, and the slave could earn their freedom back. There were typically laws ensuring the humane treatment of slaves. It had more in common with the indentured servant system than what was practiced in Colonial America (Smedly and Smedly). Columbus was a cruel master, even by the standards of the day. He and his men murdered people for fun, raped women (Ripa, 1992), and doled out brutal, unwarranted punishments, such chopping off ears and noses, and in the case of a woman who suggested he was “of low birth” [a commoner], he paraded her around the village naked before cutting out her tongue (The Guardian, 2006).

Slaves who did not meet their increasingly impossible quota for gold had their hands chopped off. The indigenous people of Hispaniola were pushed to mine gold

Monday, October 21, 2019 | 6

above all else, leading to food shortages and making the overworked, malnourished people even more susceptible to the diseases brought by the Spanish (Stannard, 1993). When a group of Dominicans arrived in 1510 to help convert the people of the Caribbean to Christianity, as Columbus’ primary objective was supposed to be, they were horrified by what they saw, and immediately sent word home of the atrocities being committed by supposedly Christian men on behalf of Spain.

(Riga). The Spanish monarchy had intended Columbus to spread the word of God, first and foremost, and enrich their kingdom second. Instead, he and his men ran wild on a people unable to properly fight back due to inferior weaponry and their susceptibility to diseases brought by their conquerors. When word got back to Spain of the atrocities being committed on Hispaniola, Columbus was immediately stripped of his governorship and recalled, brought home in the chains like an animal (The Guardian). While he would eventually be freed, he was barred from ever holding a position of power again. He would

die in obscurity.

Finally, on the question of whether Columbus committed genocide, I think the UN’s definition of genocide provides the answer:

“I want to create a platform for artists to submit their things. Basically, a creative platform, not really dictated by me or what I do, but definitely influenced by how I do what I do and how we go about it. But ultimately, I just want a new media platform.

I feel like we don’t have enough of those for music, photography, fashion. And the ones we do have, are pretty caught in the middle of advertisements which sometimes disrupts the art.”

I came to UB in my freshman year as a mechanical engineering student and I didn’t like it because I didn’t even know why I was doing it. [This] is why I switched to business. Being an Indian student, it was tough completely leaving engineering, which is why I also picked up computer science. Gladly, I started liking it. However, there was this low time, when you realize you are thousands of miles away from home and you cannot see you friends or parents until it’s winter or summer. It affected my academics. Was it because of

my mental health? I don’t know. It led to me almost losing my scholarship and that was a really low point in my life. I thought, instead of my parents spending so much money on me, I would rather just go back home and maybe do something there …

Initially I felt I had a lack of identity, which is why I started doing things, I started getting involved on campus, I started actively seeking jobs on campus, I joined a professional fraternity and all this gave me a boost of confidence.

“I am in the Ecological Practices group in the architecture graduate school and we are using Silo City as a site. Me and my partner are studying how plants can become the structure of the architecture and how to create a new, more bio-diverse landscape. We are trying to create a very

natural structure, kind of make the landscape become the architecture in a way.

Part of the program or part of the structure is to observe something. So you are observing the structure itself growing as well as the landscape changing.”

In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: •Killing members of the group; •Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; •Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its phys ical destruction in whole or in part; •Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; •Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

-Amanda Pursell

Earth - “Seven Angels” “Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version” (1993) The volume and intensity slowly creep up on you in this drone metal cut, meaning distorted guitars overwhelm the mix and slowly creep on a dark road to nowhere.

The heaviness is crushing but scary and oh-so-satisfying.

Swans - “I Was a Prisoner in Your Skull” “Soundtracks for the Blind” (1996) This drone track moves through three phases.

First, it smothers and disturbs the listener and builds up with a variety of creepy sounds before moving into intense drumming. From there, the song peters out and concludes with a strange, incomprehensible but darkly comedic spoken-word piece. The last section of the song has been seared into my memory since the day I heard it.

Natural Snow Buildings - “A Thousand Demons Invocation” “Daughter of Darkness” (2009) This 29-minute-long piece takes its time.

While it texturally sounds brighter than the title implies, this track, along with the rest of the full six-hour album sound like the lost soundtrack to “The VVitch,” aka the perfect droning background for witchcraft.

Levi Stubbs - “Mean Green Mother from Outer Space” Little Shop of Horrors (1986) Audrey II is mean, green and just plain bad. If you’re looking for a disturbingly comedic tune to spice up your spooky setlist, look no further. Stubbs’s spoken lyrics and cackling character throughout the number make it the perfect song to “up yours” and boogie ‘til you drop.

Bebe Neuwirth - “Just Around the Corner” The Addams Family (2010) “The Addams Family” will go down as one of the most iconic franchises ever.

Neuwirth, playing the role of Morticia, performs this hysterical number with mortifying grace and seasoned comedic timing. The blissful tone she describes fatality in is just edgy enough to act as a painful reminder that no matter what life throws at you, “death is just around the corner.”

courtesy oF flickr uSer ric The vinYl cOver fOr crYpTOpSY’S 1996 alBum “nOne SO vile”

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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Monday, October 21, 2019 | 7

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REGISTER ONLINE: ed.buffalo.edu/openhouse Questions? 716-645-2110

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SPORTS

8 | Monday, October 21, 2019

Six former UB players selected in XFL Draft Tyree Jackson among players drafted JUSTIN WEISS STAFF WRITER

Six former members of the UB football team were selected in last week’s XFL Draft, including four selected by the DC Defenders.

Quarterback Tyree Jackson, center James O’Hagan, defensive end Chuck Harris, defensive tackle Kristjan Sokoli, offensive tackle John Kling and punter Jake Schum were all taken in the eight-team draft.

The inaugural draft was broken into five phases — skill positions, offensive line, front seven, defensive backs and open draft picks (any position). Teams had 90 seconds to make their selections. The XFL –– a football league owned by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment –– will begin with a 10-week season on February 8, 2020. The league doesn’t have a developmental partnership with the NFL or any other league but will likely serve in that role.

Jackson, O’Hagan, Sokoli and Harris each joined the DC Defenders.

Jackson, 21, was selected in the ninth round of the skill position phase. He was named the 2018 MAC Offensive Player of the Year after completing 55.3 percent of his passes for 3,131 yards and 28 touchdowns. After going undrafted, he signed on with the Buffalo Bills for training camp but failed to make the team.

O’Hagan, 23, joins after an eighthround selection in the offensive line phase. He was a four-year starter for the

ZACH MCADOO STAFF WRITER

Head women’s basketball coach Felisha Legette-Jack is used to recruiting her players.

But freshman point guard Jessika Schiffer was different. In Legette-Jack’s words, “Jessika recruited me.”

Schiffer, who grew up in Iserlohn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, is one of the newest additions to the Bulls this year and has dedicated the last 11 years of her life to the sport. Schiffer comes to UB after playing for the German U19 national team over the summer in Thailand for the FIBA World Cup. Schiffer had an average of 25.1 minutes played, 7.1 points and 2.1 assists per game in helping Germany to a 2-5 record and a 13th place finish. Now the 19 year old hopes to help the Bulls repeat as

Volleyball sweeps Northern Illinois UB volleyball dominates in three sets to cap off a winning week MYAH GONZALEZ STAFF WRITER

Bulls and earned the No. 1 pass blocking grade among draft-eligible centers for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. After going undrafted, he signed on with the New York Giants for training camp but failed to make the team.

Harris, 21, also joins the Defenders in the second round of the front seven phase. He was named first-team All-MAC in 2018 after recording 4.0 sacks and a forced fumble in eleven games. After going undrafted, he signed on with the Chicago Bears for training camp but failed to make the team.

Sokoli, 28, was selected in the seventh round of the open draft phase. He was a sixth round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2015 NFL Draft. At UB, he anchored a defense that also featured star linebacker Khalil Mack. He spent the last two seasons on the Giants’ 53-man roster.

Kling, 26, was selected by the New York Guardians in the seventh round of the of-

Letting her guard down How UB women’s basketball player Jessika Schiffer ‘recruited’ her coach and herself

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MAC champions.

Legette-Jack remembers the recruitment trip when she met Schiffer. She already had a recruit in mind, but Schiffer had other plans for Legette-Jack to consider.

Schiffer approached Legette-Jack and told her she wanted to come play for UB, and for her specifically.

“The mission [Legette-Jack] has, the things she wants to teach the players, it impressed me,” Schiffer said.

Legette-Jack told Schiffer to visit UB, and after an impressive tryout, offered her a spot on the team.

“She came up here [and I thought] ‘My goodness, this kid is better than what we saw on film,’” Legette-Jack said. “… She may very well be a person that was going to play for a country in the Olympics one day.”

Before coming to UB, Schiffer also played on the German U20 team for the European Championship in the Czech Republic. In the five games she played, she averaged 20.4 minutes, 6.2 points and 1.4 assists.

Schiffer feels her experience playing in-

Jack Li / The Spectrum Former Bulls quarterback Tyree Jackson winds up for a throw last season.

fensive line phase. He was an anchor on the 2014 Bulls offensive line. Standing at 6’8”, 330 lbs., he is one of the largest players ever to walk through UB. He has spent time with the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins.

Schum, 30, was selected by the Tampa Bay Vipers in the open draft phase. He was originally a walk-on wide receiver for the Bulls, before becoming the most successful punter in program history. He has spent time with the Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Jets and Green Bay Packers.

Former Bulls running back Branden Oliver and tight end Matt Weiser were also included in the XFL Draft player pool but were not selected.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

ternationally will help her at UB. “I think I [have] collected a lot of experience playing internationally,” Schiffer said. “I will have to adapt here, but I have seen a lot of different styles of basketball, so I think [that] makes it easier.”

Schiffer said her transition to life in the U.S. has been easier than she expected, especially since her teammates are “like family.”

“I think it’s [been] pretty good. I thought it would be harder,” Schiffer said. “It was hard, but I thought that going to college would be way more difficult than it is.”

Schiffer said playing in Alumni Arena is “way better” than Deutschhaus Gymnasium –– the gym where she played in Germany. At home, Schiffer played in front of an average of 150 people.

She will play in front of thousands when she takes the court at Alumni.

“I’m really excited. I played in front of a lot of people at the European Championships and [other international tournaments] and it was always really, really amazing,” Schiffer said. “I’m really looking forward to [playing at UB].”

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

The Bulls volleyball team (7-13) won its second home game of the week Saturday against the Northern Illinois Huskies (616).

The Bulls showed their skills in three quick sets (25-20, 25-17, 25-15) to bring home the win against the higher-ranked Huskies. Illinois struggled to gain traction against Buffalo’s powerful offensive front throughout the match.

Senior outside hitter Rachel Sanks led her team in kills with 13 for the night, making up a third of the Bulls’ total kills.

She credits her team’s collective effort for her success.

“I really just feed off of their energy,” Sanks said. “Our passers were amazing, Scout [McLerran] was setting me perfect balls. I really just think the energy was the difference tonight.”

Senior outside hitter Polina Prokudina closely followed Sanks in attacks for the night with nine kills. Senior setter McLerran orchestrated the offense and put up 33 assists.

The Bulls often capitalized off the Huskies’ mistakes, which contributed 20 errors on attack attempts alone compared to the Bulls’ offense which recorded only 9 attack errors for the night.

UB topped off an amazing game with its determined defense. Ten blocks from the Bulls suffocated the Huskies’ offense and when they did manage to get through the block, UB’s back row was right there for backup and finished the match with 22 total digs.

Despite a great win, the Bulls still made errors. They struggled with serving and had 10 errors from behind the line compared to just six from Illinois.

“We still keep talking about our serving,” head coach Scott Smith said. “Our serving and our blocking are really connected. When we serve well, we block well so we’ll continue focusing on that.”

This win, along with Thursday’s thrilling five-set win, were much needed for the struggling Bulls, as they mark the team’s first wins following a four-game losing streak.

“We focused on just a few things we knew we could get better at immediately: transition offense, coverage and first-contact on the ball. We’ve been really focusing on that the last two weeks of practice,” Smith says.

The Bulls hope to continue this momentum as they play on the road against Eastern Michigan (7-13) this Thursday.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Christine Hanratty / The Spectrum Jessika Schiffer at basketball practice.