The Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo MONDAY EDITION ❖ January 31, 2011 Vol. 60 No. 46 ❖ ubspectrum.com
Super Bull in Super Bowl MATTHEW PARRINOSenior Sports Editor It’s Super Bowl week. Everybody is stocking up on chips, dip, and pop here in Buffalo in preparation for the big game. Since the Bills are usually out of contention by October, most people usually just tune in for the commercials. This year, however, people in Buffalo and at UB have another reason to watch the big game, because one
of the community’s own will don the green and yellow. Hopefully for Buffalo fans, former Bulls running back James Starks will help the Green Bay Packers knock off the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
take everything in and just focus on the games. Now I’m just focused on the Super Bowl.” Former Bulls linebacker Justin Winters has kept in contact with his former teammate and also hopes to make an NFL team next season. He’s dreamt about playing in the NFL since he was a kid, and Starks has told him on several occasions that it’s possible. He told Winters that the guys playing on Sundays aren’t super-human, that they wear pads just like everyone else.
The week leading up to the game is crazy for players, with all of the media responsibilities that come with playing on Super Sunday, but Starks made time to check in with The Spectrum. “[The entire experience] has been so exciting, I’ve been just living it day-by-day,” Starks said. “I get the jitters just thinking about the game already…I have just been trying to
UB and Town of Clarence Partner To Create Initiatives For Students
Starks’ connection to Buffalo and his former teammates is what
The students have “fresher eyes” that are able to see the direct line between new thoughts and ideas to improve standards and practices already in place, according to Gardner. The town government identifies what is lacking, and students respond and meet its needs. The students, in turn, gain hands-on experience that teaches more than a classroom could.
REBECCA BRATEKStaff Writer In light of two initiatives created through the partnership of UB and the Town of Clarence, local students will be given the opportunity to learn about and contribute to local government. Through this partnership, formed by the Office of Economic Engagement (OEE) and School of Management, students will have the opportunity to intern in a community that is close to school. This partnership is the first step in what is hoped to be a long and beneficial relationship between the town and university. “[The] community looks for support from UB,” said Carrie Gardner, administrative director of credit-bearing internships and projects in the School of Management. “[There are] a lot of relationships. The [relationship with] the Town of Clarence is just one.” Currently, the program consists of one internship. Janelle Camesano, a professional MBA student, is leading the student end of the partnership. Camesano is serving as a bridge between the Town of Clarence and UB. She has the task of interviewing various department heads to find out what their needs are in terms of interns. In response, Camesano will write out job descriptions for these intern positions, which will create more opportunities for future students. Because of her work, the town will be better equipped to create a new set of connections to solicit its own interns. Camesano, and students following in her footsteps, will be able to have the experience of running a “business” in the form of a town government. “In the short time I’ve been involved, I have learned a lot about how the governance of a town is similar to that of a business,” Camesano said. “You worry about your costs, and of course your customers, which in this case are the townspeople.”
“Students [get] involved in the local area. [In turn], a local town is more involved in the university,” said Scott Bylewski, supervisor of the Town of Clarence. “Students gain more experience [and] more students [get] involved in the town. It’s a win-win situation.” Bylewski got involved with UB after adopting Lean Six Sigma practices in 2009, which are a set of practices that aim to raise performance by increasing efficiency, decreasing costs, and improving customer service. The town trained employees through The Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE) and joined forces with Al Hammonds, assistant director for TCIE and the Office of Economic Engagement. Bylewski and Hammonds discussed the opportunities available through partnerships between UB and local communities. The Town of Clarence is now working with OEE, UB Career Services, School of Management, and other units within the university. While Camesano’s work will mainly create opportunities for students in the School of Management and Law School, Bylewski also hopes to see internship opportunities form across the board of academic concentrations. Bylewski hopes to see engineering, architecture, and urban planning students get involved in the community, as well. Both UB and the Town of Clarence hope for this partnership to last far into the future, creating as many opportunities as possible and getting more students involved in the local community. For more information on student internship positions, visit Career Services, located at 259 Capen Hall, or the Credit-Bearing Internship Program, located in the School of Management at 308 Alfiero Center. g
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Both the Town of Clarence and UB are benefitting from this partnership.
makes people hold him in such high regard. Winters explained that he and his teammates never expected anything less than the success that Starks is now finding at the next level. Every time he touches the ball, phones start ringing, teammates and people from home call me asking, That’s your man? I say, Hell yeah, that’s my man.
“We knew he was going to shine,” Winters said. “Every time he touches the ball, phones start ringing, teammates and people from home call me asking, ‘That’s your man?’ I
Personal Brand Week Offers Students Career Opportunities PricewaterhouseCoopers hosts second annual online event DAVID WEIDENBORNERNews Editor Starting on Feb. 7, students will learn what it takes to stand out in the intensely competitive job market after graduation. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP will begin its second annual Personal Brand Week that offers students opportunities to differentiate themselves from the competition and start successful careers. The virtual event, “Personal Brand Week 2.0,” provides students with the opportunity to establish their own personal ‘brand’ to stand out in the job market. The inaugural “Personal Brand Week” has proven to be very effective with students. “Students gravitated toward the content and offered their own input,” said Paula Loop, U.S. and Global Talent Leader for PwC. “There was sustained interest from career services offices at colleges and universities throughout the country.” This year’s event runs from Feb. 7 through Feb. 11, with each day focusing on a key theme. The first day of the event offers a “Building Your Network” lecture, which gives participants instructions for how to build and maintain a strong personal network using three simple steps. On the second day, the “You are What you Write” theme stresses the importance of writing and effectively communicating with employers. Developing these talents can really set job candidates apart when competing for a position. “Personal branding is not just about communication but also about developing the right skills that differentiate job candidates,” said Holly Paul, National Recruiting Leader for PwC. The third day incorporates an “Online Image Makeover” opportunity that focuses on the emerging importance of creating a personal online brand that is appealing to employers. Tips from PwC’s inaugural “Personal Brand
say, ‘Hell yeah, that’s my man.’ We send him texts, and he calls right away because he’s a humble dude. He never changed, that’s why I love him.” Love is the perfect word to describe the feelings that the UB community – and even more so, the city of Niagara Falls – has for Starks. A very devout family man, Starks attributes much of his success to his immediate and community family in Niagara Falls. Seeing everyone back home so happy makes his success all the more rewarding for him.
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Week” advises students to Google themselves, keep track of their activity on social media sites, and maintain professionalism in their e-mails. “View from the Other Side: Getting the Job” is the principle of the event’s fourth day. This is a new addition to the event and will include lessons on what employers specifically look for in job candidates and what employers like to hear from candidates at interviews. “Students need an ‘X’ factor that makes them unique and sets them apart from the competition,” Loop said. “Utilizing a personal brand to craft a resume and present one’s self can make a huge difference to a potential employer.” The final day reflects on all of the previous lessons and the personal brand that participants have now created. Titled “Pulling it All Together - Elevator Pitch and Body Language,” this concluding lesson shows how to successfully express and articulate your personal brand. “In a world where employers are looking for differentiated value, personal branding is a strategic tool to stand out,” Paul said. The last day marks the beginning of the Best Elevator Pitch Contest. Once participants have an established personal brand, they may showcase it in a short video contest. The contest is open to all college graduates enrolled in four-year institutions. “The elevator pitch contest connects college students in a creative, engaging way that not only enables them to practice their own pitch but also see how others are presenting themselves,” Loop said. “The most efficient elevator pitches are concise.” PwC also hosts online career chats and has recently launched its online career-mapping tool, “Career Explorer.” PwC has been ranked number one in Training magazine’s “Training Top 125” for three consecutive years. The company has also appeared in BusinessWeek’s “Best Internships” and “Best Places to Launch a Career” rankings. Registration information for “Personal Brand Week 2.0” and the Best Elevator Pitch Contest can be found at www.pwc.com/us/ PersonalBrandWeek and www.pwc.tv. g
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PHOTO CREDITS: STARKS GREENBAY – SOURCE: ONPOINTSPORTSBLOG.COM, STARKS BULLS – SPECTRUM FILE PHOTO, CROWD BACKGROUND – COURTESY OF FLICKR USER ANNABELLPREUSSLER
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