The Spectrum Vol. 71 No. 18

MEN’S CLUB RUGBY EXPRESS CONCERNS OVER SA’S LACK OF EFFICIENCY AND CLARITY

Transfer portal, NIL, scheduling: George Halcovage’s outlook on UB basketball

UB hosted an introductory press conference for its new men’s basketball head coach on Monday

RYAN TANTALO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

UB Athletics introduced George Halcovage III as its new men’s basketball head coach Monday afternoon.

Halcovage coached at Villanova for 15 years, serving as an assistant to legendary head coach Jay Wright. He accumulated two National Championships, four Final Four appearances and five Big East Tournament titles over that time.

Halcovage was promoted to the role of Villanova’s associate head coach prior to the 2021 season. The Wildcats went 30-8 that season and earned a berth in the Final Four.

Previously, Halcovage worked on the staff of the Wildcats teams that won the 2016 and 2018 men’s basketball national championship. He served as director of

The Spectrum editorial board elected Grant Ashley, a junior political science and Spanish major, as its 2023-24 editor-inchief on March 27.

Ashley is in his second semester as a managing editor at The Spectrum, having previously been an assistant news/features editor for three semesters and a senior news/features editor for two semesters. He also has experience working at news stations WBFO and WIVB, creating both radio and written content.

Matt Parrino, a former Spectrum editorin-chief and current faculty adviser, is excited to see Ashley in his new role.

“He’s super curious and he keeps the most important part of journalism, which is [to] seek truth and report it, at the heart of everything he does and he sets such a great example for other people in the office,” Parrino said. “He’s just very kind and approachable, which I think in that role, it’s super important.”

As new editor-in-chief, Ashley is looking

forward to bringing two newsletters per week via email and a podcast to the table, honing in on producing digital content for students.

“I think we’ll be able to reach a lot of new people in a lot of new ways,” Ashley said. “People will get their UB news faster and more easily. You can tell a lot of cool stories with video and audio, so I’m excited to do that too.”

He also hopes to create a larger social media team in order to build The Spectrum’s digital presence to produce more engaging content.

Anthony DeCicco, The Spectrum’s current editor-in-chief, applauded Ashley’s platform of transitioning to a digitallyfocused publication.

“I think Grant’s emphasis on digital media and where journalism is going and not focusing on where it’s been in the past — I think it’s awesome,” DeCicco said. DeCicco “couldn’t be any happier” to leave his role to Ashley. DeCicco says Ashley has all the qualities and experience to successfully run the paper.

“It’s been great to see him grow as a journalist,” DeCicco said. “Grant worked extremely hard to get where he’s at. I expected this from him all along, so it doesn’t surprise me.”

The Spectrum’s assistant managing editor, Andrew Lauricella, echoes DeCicco’s sentiment, calling Ashley “one of the best journalists I’ve ever met.”

“His attention to detail in his stories and his reporting is just always outstanding,” Lauricella said. “He always goes above and beyond, not only as a writer and a reporter, but also as a mentor, and I think that’s really going to help him shine in his role.”

Ashley shows appreciation to his peers and professional mentors who have helped him along the way. He’s looking forward to seeing his visions become a reality.

“It is nice to see that people see the work I’m doing,” Ashley said. “I feel very strongly about my visions for the paper, so it was exciting that people agreed with me and that was the direction we should go.”

Email: katie.skoog@ubspectrum.com

basketball operations in 2016-17 and assistant coach in 2017-18.

On Thursday, UB hired Halcovage to take the helm of a UB team that finished 15-17 (9-9 MAC) in 2022-23. On March 11, the university parted ways with head coach Jim Whitesell after the team fell 101-77 to Akron in the first-round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

The intro presser took place on the floor of Alumni Arena, where Halcovage took the podium to embrace UB Athletic Director Mark Alnutt and address local media and UB basketball fans.

After the press conference, Halcovage spoke with local media about his experience in college basketball and the landscape of the sport. He specifically mentioned the transfer portal and name, image, likeness (NIL) deals as new factors for today’s head coaches to grapple with.

In recent years, the transfer portal has changed college sports and made rosters much more volatile — players are now switching schools multiple times during their four-year careers. In the 2022-23 season, schools like Miami and Texas utilized the transfer portal to fuel deep NCAA Tournament runs. Halcovage said he’s prepared to capitalize on the portal.

The Student Association (SA) Senate decided to bar some clubs from being affiliated with third-party organizations at their meeting Monday.

Clubs in the hobby, POC, special interest and international councils have until May 17 to dissolve ties with any third-party groups or be derecognized by SA.

The new policy came under intense scrutiny at the senate meeting, finally being passed by a vote of 7-1 with five abstentions. Many senate members felt “uncomfortable” voting on the change so soon.

SA President Becky Paul-Odionhin said the policy would “protect SA,” as SA policies sometimes come into conflict with the

missions of larger organizations. SA Vice President Sammi Pang also argued in favor of the policy, saying that clubs with thirdparty affiliations are giving outside organizations control over SA assets.

Both e-board members talked about what prompted the change, telling senators, “We all know why we’re doing this.”

Cutting off their affiliation would not only mean losing the social platform that these chapters gain by using the nationally-recognized name, but also any funding they secure from parent organizations.

The policy doesn’t apply to clubs under the academic, engineering and sports councils. Pang said the SA made the exception because these clubs rely on competitions that UB can’t provide for them.

The easiest way for clubs to comply with this policy is to change their name if they share it with a larger organization. If a club can’t unaffiliate themselves in this way, they can either start over and register as a new club — with a tier I club budget — or find another recognizing agent on campus, like the Graduate Student Association or the Jacobs School of Management. Derecognized clubs can still operate and advertise on campus.

“We’re not in the business of forcing clubs to stay with us if what we offer doesn’t meet their needs anymore,” Pang said in defense of derecognizing clubs who do not comply.

SA is planning to meet with all their recognized clubs ahead of the May 17 dead-

line to discuss their options and ensure the transition goes smoothly.

The policy will affect charity and volunteer clubs, as well as those centered around political advocacy. Matthew Dowd, the hobby council coordinator and Spectrum staff writer, spoke against the policy change. He argued that since parent organizations give many clubs supplemental funding, the policy would force many clubs to rely solely on their SA club budget.

“Lots of clubs would be completely destroyed,” he said.

Pang defended the new policy, saying she heavily researched the possible effects and spoke to clubs before proposing it to the senate. The abstaining senate members urged Pang to talk to more clubs and students to get a better understanding of the impact before passing the new policy.

From starring on Netflix to starting a cooking business, Smita Chutke puts a spotlight on authentic Indian food

The UB community member uses her cooking career to counter misinformation about Indian food

A.J. FRANKLIN ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

Smita Chutke had never cooked, let alone tasted, ostrich loin before.

That was until she had to prepare it for professional chef Jordan Andino as a competitor on Netflix’s “Cook at All Costs,” a competitive cooking show.

But, with a migraine, less than 45 minutes on the clock and up to $18,500 on the line, she was determined to make it work.

But determination was not enough. With two other distinguished chefs as her competition, she wasn’t confident in her ability to pull off a win. And to add insult to injury, most of the ingredients she was given to cook with were foreign to her.

“I’m going to lose,” Chutke thought to herself.

She took a deep breath and remembered the over three decades of cooking experience that has led to this moment, her debut on an international TV show. Her “survival instinct” kicked in, and she won

both rounds of the competition with her Indian-based cuisine.

“I think it was very unreal because I never imagined that I could be on Netflix, which is a global platform,” she said. “Especially wearing a traditional saree, the Indian traditional outfit.”

At just 22, Chutke immigrated to the U.S. from India to complete her master’s degree in biomedical engineering at the City College of New York. Now, about 20 years later, she is a student in UB’s M&T Bank Minority and Women Emerging Entrepreneurs Program, where she further develops Smita’s Cookery, her cooking business. She also works as a senior portfolio manager at M&T Bank and as a private chef. In January 2022, she was cast to be a competing chef in “Cook at All Costs” where she competed and won $9,600.

Chutke took great pride in cooking authentic Indian dishes on the show. She hopes her appearance dispelled some of

the colonial “misinformation” surrounding Indian cuisine.

“Through my food and the way I presented myself, I wanted to represent myself the way we [Indians] saw our grandmothers,” Chutke said of her time on the Netflix show.

After leaving India, Chutke found that Indian food was, if not entirely absent, then misrepresented in many parts of the world.

“I saw cauliflower with just yellow turmeric, and I don’t know what they used, but they would label it as Indian cauliflower or Indian food,” she recalled. “And to me, that struck really hard because In-

dian food growing up meant a lot more than just putting curry powder or turmeric [on it] and calling it Indian, and that’s why many people would say the food smells really bad.”

So when Netflix casting called her in early January 2022, she jumped at the opportunity to represent Indian cuisine on a global platform.

Filming for “Cook at All Costs” started later that month in Toronto.

UB School of Public Health awarded federal funding for mobile health clinic

The clinic aims to expand healthcare access to “medically underserved communities”

KIANA HODGE NEWS EDITOR

The UB School of Public Health received $933,800 in federal funding for a mobile health clinic.

The clinic will be stationed at the Seneca-Babcock Community Association in Buffalo’s Babcock neighborhood and is expected to serve “medically underserved communities” in urban and rural areas across in Western New York region.

“The University at Buffalo’s mobile health clinic will build on existing partnerships to meet members of our community in greatest need where they live to provide comprehensive care,” U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins said in a press release. “Thanks to this critical funding secured in the federal budget, we can eliminate barriers to care and

make a long-term investment in a healthier future for our community.”

Higgins called the lack of reliable transportation as being a “barrier” to healthcare access and keeping appointments.

The mobile clinic will provide food services, conduct screening visits and offer prevention services.

“As a public research university, UB is driven by our mission to partner with the members of our community so we can better understand — and best address — the health needs of our region,” UB President Satish Tripathi said. “By focusing on the needs of our neighbors who are medically underserved, we will work in concert with our community to achieve health equity — a goal that we have long shared with Congressman Higgins.”

According to a UBNow release, the mobile clinic will feature rooms for medical exams and a patient interview area. The unit has yet to be built.

Email: kiana.hodge@ubspectrum.com

sai KrishNa seethala / the speCtrum the mobile CliniC will provide food ServiCeS, ConduCt SCreening viSitS and offer prevention ServiCeS

Celebrate Sustainability Month and UB’s Pride Week this April

UB commemorates the event with everything from networking mixers and panels to guest speakers and a prom

JASMIN YEUNG

SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR

April means two celebrations at UB: Earth Month and Pride Week. Celebrate and learn more from a variety of events hosted by clubs and organizations at UB:

April 6 — How I Got Started in Sustainability Panel

Listen to guest speakers from a variety of industries discuss sustainability. Speakers will include Lindsay Aleshire, head of social sustainability at M&T Bank; Alexandra Holland, executive director of the WNY Sustainable Business Roundtable; and Rob Gauchat, vice president of sales and marketing at Solar Liberty. The event will take place in 10 Capen Hall from noon to 1:30 p.m.

April 10 — Global to Local Racial Justice Series: Decoloniality, Indigeneity and Queer Politics

Hosted by the UB School of Social Work, guest speaker Autumn Asher BlackDeer is a queer academic from the Southern Cheyenne Nation. Her research aims to uplift Indigenous voices. She describes herself as an advocate for survivors of sexual violence, decoloniality and Indigenous health equity. The event will take place on Zoom from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

April 10 — Pride March and Mixer

This march to honor and celebrate LGBTQ+ history and community will begin at 3 p.m. in Knox Quad at the Progress Pride Paths. It will conclude at the mixer in the SU Lobby with speakers and food.

April 11 — TS Madison: University

Pride Lecture

LGBTQ+ activist and reality television host TS “Maddie” Madison will speak twice at UB: Once in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall from 7-8:30 p.m. and at a student-only session from 3-4:30 p.m. at SU Room 240. Madison is known for hosting “The Ts Madison Experience,” guest judging on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and being featured on Beyoncé’s song “COZY,” making her one of the first Black transgender women to chart in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.

April 13 — Queer Climate Justice

Students will learn about queer climate justice and how it relates to UB’s Climate Action plan. The event will take place in SU 240 from 3-4:30 p.m.

April 14 — PRISM OTA Ball

PRISM’s Open to All Ball aims to showcase ballroom culture and its deep roots with queer and trans people of color. The event will take place in Harriman Hall from 7-11 p.m.

April 14 — Global Health Day Symposium: Women’s Health

Learn more about women’s health from keynote speaker Junfeng (Jim) Zhang, a Global and Environmental Health professor from Duke University, at his presentation “Air Pollution and Women’s health: Exposure Vulnerability and Biological Susceptibility.” The event will take place in Farber Hall G26 from noon to 4 p.m.

April 14 — Ecopedagogy: Teaching

Environmental Care

in Iberian Studies and Beyond

Join two professors from Miami University and North Carolina State University in a discussion of ecopedagogy, a teaching technique that connects sustainability education with a wide variety of subjects. The professors will specifically discuss strategies for applying ecopedagogy to Spanish language and literature. The event will be on Zoom from 4-5 p.m., with a viewing party at GRoW CEC.

April 15 — Queer Prom

Enjoy the last event of UB Pride Week with Queer Prom to dress up, eat, dance and take photos. The event will take place in the CFA Atrium from 7-11 p.m.

April 15 — Birding at Tifft Nature

Preserve

Join the Audubon Club on a birding walk at Tifft Nature Preserve on 1200 Fuhrmann Blvd. from 9 a.m. to noon.

April 19 — UB Department of Indigenous Studies Campus Pride Month

Speaker: Kit Thomas

Guest speaker Kit Thomas is an Akwesasne-based artist, a member of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and an LGBTQ+ and mental health advocate. They will be discussing the concept of Two-Spirit and its significance in the indigenous community. The event will take place in the SU Theater from 1-2 p.m.

April 20 — The Legacy of Love Canal: An Intimate Conversation with

Back in 1978, guest speaker Lois Gibbs led her neighborhood of Love Canal, Niagara Falls to bring public attention to the toxic chemicals harming her community. Her actions and successes became a blueprint for the budding environmental movement. The event location is to be announced and will take place at 6 p.m.

April 21 — Engineers for a Sustainable World Club Tabling Event

ESW will be tabling for their Pollinator Garden Bed project, where they’ll discuss the importance of biodiversity and conservation and the ties between native wildflowers and pollinators. The event will take place at SU from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

May 1 — GRoW Your Network

Hosted by UB Sustainability and the Career Design Center, network and connect with sustainability professionals from a variety of industries. The event will take place at GRoW Clean Energy Center from 4-6 p.m.

May 4 — Environmental Justice 101: Connections to Higher Education

Hosted by UB Sustainability, the event aims to discuss how environmental problems often affect marginalized communities more than others. Participants will be able to reflect on their experiences with environmental injustice on campus. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. A location has yet to be announced.

Email: jasmin.yeung@ubspectrum.com

Lois Gibbs

Courtesy of Netflix Smita Chutke CompeteS on netflix S “Cook at all CoStS

The fear of mediocrity

How do we cope with inadequate performances when we always need to be at our best?

As a third-year member of the men’s cross country and track team, I’m tasked with being in top physical shape for a large portion of the year. Being a three-sport athlete requires very few days off and an enormous amount of energy.

learned in the process. We must fall in order to learn how to pick ourselves back up — whether on or off the track.

EVAN HILBERT STAFF WRITER

I find it difficult to stay confident in myself.

Despite proving to others that I can do great things, I struggle to tell the man in the mirror otherwise. I am a UB record holder in the indoor mile with a time of 4:05.78.

But I still can’t picture myself as a top athlete in the country.

Doubt is stopping me from becoming the best version of myself.

I put in hours on end to achieve a specific goal: to continuously improve myself physically, emotionally and mentally. But personal growth does not come easy.

Running is an unforgiving sport. Some would say it’s an unrewarding one too.

The idea of working toward a goal every single day, only to not achieve it, is terrifying. The fear of failure seeps in with every performance that isn’t my best. And that fear hurts.

Failure is often considered one of life’s greatest teachers. We are meant to learn from our mistakes, to build off what we’ve

And I’m no stranger to falling — both literally and figuratively. At the 2023 MidAmerican Conference (MAC) Indoor Track & Field Championships, I was tripped and thrown to the ground halfway through the race. I was lying on the track, writhing in pain, when I realized: it was over.

What could’ve been my best chance to win an individual medal was gone as quick as it came. It wasn’t necessarily my fault, but I couldn’t help but feel like a failure. All my hard work from the previous three months was thrown out the window.

We all have a story like that. My track race is the same as someone’s exam.

But you have to remember: not every

day is going to be your best. Failure is a key part of life.

In high school, I was allowed 24 hours to be upset over a performance. After that, it was back to the grindstone. Living in the past only holds you back from growing. Good performances create expectations. Expectations weigh heavy on your psyche. Expectations shouldn’t be a burden — they should be a reminder of the trust others have in you.

Diamonds form under pressure. So do people.

Running has provided me with some of the highest highs of my life. But it has also given me some of the lowest lows. All of these experiences have come together to forge who I am today.

Email: opinion@ubspectrum.com

We need to start preparing for the next presidential election

With Joe Biden’s blatant hypocrisy and mental disarray, we need to get smart about who we choose

of coherent thought, let alone being president.

A few months prior to the 2020 election, Biden was brought on to “The Breakfast Club” for an interview where he said, “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you aint Black.”

34%. Biden’s currently resides at 38%.

If you’re reading this, you’re likely a college student. As “the future of this country,” it’s up to us to elect the next generation of public servants. The past two presidential elections, Americans have had to choose between the “lesser of the two evils” rather than between two strong candidates.

to

lead our country

true nature of the average politician will go down as one of the few favors he did for this country.

We’ve seen numerous gaffe compilations. We’ve watched Joe Biden speak gibberish on television, forget where he is and we watch his mind deteriorate on a daily basis. Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, or even independent, we need to recognize that Joe Biden is too old to be president. Some watch Biden make speeches and stare in disbelief, but are they surprised?

He’s 80 years old. He’s not fully capable

There’s

Making an excuse for the old man counting change in a grocery store is normal, but we shouldn’t have to make excuses for the president of the United States.

Granted, the U.S. president prior to Biden was no saint. Donald Trump is set to become the first ever ex-president to be indicted, not to mention that his vision of a wall between the U.S. and Mexico will go down as one of the most ridiculous ideas in presidential history.

Trump’s final job approval rating was

Biden has made it clear that he’s no different than any other shady politician. Biden ran on a platform of bipartisanship, but as president he has continuously placed blame on conservatives when he fails to act on something he campaigned for. Biden claimed to be for environmental justice, but his administration just approved the Willow Project, a massive oil drilling project in Alaska.

President Biden is a great example of political hypocrisy. Showing America the

As young voters, we have the power to elect a president who has full control over their mind and a concise plan to make the U.S. a better place to live. While we should be skeptical of politicians as a whole, we hold the power to pick a candidate worthy of leading one of the most influential countries on the planet.

It’s up to us to conduct our own research and look past the misinformation that we are spoon-fed on social media. We need to start preparing for the next presidential election as soon as possible so that we can avoid settling for candidates like our last two presidents — senile, old white men.

Email: dylan.greco@ubspectrum.com

third team in the Team Hailey vs. Team Selena feud: Team Apathy

all disrupted our own lives — and the Biebers’ for no productive reason.

We all know how Hollywood operates as an industry. It glorifies talented creators (or their relatives) and uses parasocial relationships to share that glory with the masses.

ards of Waverly Place.”

Meanwhile, Hailey was just another product of Hollywood nepotism. Her blatant privileges made it harder for me to relate to her.

interaction and the anonymity the online mob provided me made it easy to say anything and everything.

For 10 years, corners of the internet have eagerly anticipated the final rekindling of Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber’s disrupted story of true love.

And for the past eight years, most of the internet has narrowed in on who they see as the main disruptor of this epic: Hailey Bieber, Justin Bieber’s current wife.

But there’s a more ubiquitous, far more sinister villain: us.

With countless social media posts and tabloid articles, we and the press have

THURSDAY, APRIL 6 2023 VOLUME 71 NUMBER 18

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Parasocial relationships aren’t just tools of manipulation. They can be mutually beneficial, as celebrities and fans inspire each other to do great things.

But they’re not always sunshine and rainbows. This feud, the product of a critical mass of parasocial relationships, has exacerbated fans’ uninformed prejudices and repressed bitterness. The online pop-culture sphere has become toxic — and our emboldened behavior online has slowly bled into our behavior offline.

At the naive age of 13, I was once with Team Selena. I admired her performances as a pop artist and as Alex Russo on “Wiz-

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

Justin and Selena’s real-life breakup played out like an overly simplistic narrative in my head. Selena was the innocent good girl, Hailey was the evil new girlfriend, and Justin was getting it all wrong. But as the chances of “Jelena” rising from the dead continued to decline — so too did my interest in their relationship. I aged out of early adolescence and moved on to other pursuits, just like the celebrity trio that had once consumed my thoughts. You could say my judgment was clouded by the strong hormonal stages of puberty and the online disinhibition effect — the tendency for people to say things online that they would not be comfortable saying in person. The absence of face-to-face

But it’s also clear that we have grown too comfortable with repeating our online statements in real life. The fact that fans chanted “F—k Hailey Bieber” during one of Beiber’s performances at Rolling Loud this year is absurd.

How this “feud” has persisted for eight years is beyond me.

As much as I admire the power that the masses have to disrupt the lives and privileges of the elite, that power is unproductive here.

Rather than succumbing to the allure of petty behavior, why don’t we take this opportunity to disrupt our urge to project, and instead, withdraw from the herd.

Email: tenzin.wodhean@ubspectrum.com

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The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100

‘Nothing is ever efficiently done’: Men’s club rugby experiences problems with SA

The team says they’ve endured financial disputes, lengthy delays and lapses in communication

AMY MASLIN SPORTS EDITOR

Members of UB’s men’s rugby club couldn’t help but notice the signs plastered on the walls of their Motel 6.

“Be aware of human trafficking,” they read.

The Motel 6 was booked for the team by the Student Association (SA) while they were in Massachusetts for a set of games in November 2021.

“We had people sleep in the vans because they didn’t feel comfortable sleeping in the rooms,” Scott Hopkins, a junior mechanical aerospace engineering major and treasurer of the team, said.

SA has an emergency reimbursement policy for when clubs need to change hotels for safety reasons. Under the policy, clubs can book another hotel, and SA will reimburse them later.

“All parties in the approval process [SA Eboard and UB Campus Designee] will work together to process the expenditure and make sure the club is safe and can make it back to campus,” Sammi Pang, SA vice president, said in an email to The Spectrum

This isn’t the only time the team has had issues with hotels that SA booked for them. During another trip in October 2022, SA charged the team $440 per room at a Best Western even though the team received a quote from the Best Western for $179 per room. Hopkins sent an email to the SA asking for clarification on why the charge was so high. He said he expected some fees with the SA’s recent addition of a travel agent, but nothing on the scale of the bill they received.

After Hopkins’ email to SA, a total of $400 was refunded out of their $3,067.05 bill. The team didn’t get clarification on what the upcharge was for.

“There was a misunderstanding with the person at the hotel,” Pang said. “They quoted them an individual rate, not a

group rate, which led to expectations of a lower price.”

Pang also said there are “no set travel agent fees, it depends on when the hotel is being booked and where.”

A travel agent for booking hotels was put in place at the end of last year to help prevent clubs from paying “high upfront costs” when booking hotels on their own bank accounts, according to SA.

The rugby team’s problems go beyond hotels.

In August 2022, the rugby team reached out to SA to take the driving tests required to rent SA vans. The team needed the vans for a trip to Northeastern University in October. Hopkins said the team started the process early, knowing that SA can take a long time.

He emailed SA in September to tell them that all the eligible drivers on the team had filled out the necessary forms and were waiting to be scheduled for their road tests.

An SA representative responded to tell them that the organization had recently hired a new transportation coordinator, and the team couldn’t get their road tests done until the new transportation coordinator had been trained. A week later, the team was told the transportation coordinator was no longer working for SA, so they didn’t have anyone to take their road tests.

“Things that you would think would be easy to do take weeks,” Hopkins said. “It’s not at all student-friendly. It seems like they’re trying to fight us on everything that we do. It’s just not well run at all. And there’s a lot of agencies and departments within SA that don’t seem to be talking to each other. It makes everything very frustrating and complicated.”

In order to be eligible to use the SA vans, drivers must be 21 or older, fill out some paperwork and take a road test, which the transportation coordinator and vice presi-

dent must sign. Pang said club members should be able to take the SA road test four to five days after they fill out a form. Vehicle request forms take about a week to be approved.

The day before they left for Northeastern, the team was told they could take their road tests. The approved members took their road tests at 4 p.m., missing practice.

“So it literally came down to the final hours,” Sean Hauptman, the club’s president and a junior criminology major, said. “After three to four months of planning this.”

The rugby team also experienced lengthy delays with SA while sorting out their head coach’s contract this spring. The team hired a new coach in January and had received SA approval on a contract that would pay the coach a $4,000 stipend for the spring season, according to Hopkins. Two weeks later, SA’s lawyer contacted the team, saying they needed to lower the stipend to $3,022.

Hopkins said the contract was finally approved in the beginning of March, more

than a month after the team started the process.

“It comes down to us just having to take time out of our personal lives, our school and all that, and going to their office and just sitting there and spending time doing it,” Hauptman said. “It shouldn’t have to be that way.”

Both Hauptman and Hopkins reported that many of their requests to SA — which they’ve made weeks in advance — aren’t addressed until the last minute. They said that they have missed multiple practices to wait in the SA office until their requests have been put through and hardly ever receive a response from SA without sending a follow-up email or going into their office.

“Nothing is ever efficiently done,” Hopkins said. ”It’s a failure from top to bottom.”

Email: amy.maslin@ubspectrum.com

STEFFI RIVERA / THE SPECTRUM MEN S CLUB RUGBY DETAILS ITS DISCONTENT WITH THE UB STUDENT ASSOCIATION

For the second year in a row, the UB Theatre and Dance Department presented two versions of their annual dance show, Choreolab: one formal and produced, the other relaxed and stripped.

During the packed (and sometimes soldout) formal performances the rest of the weekend, the show’s diverse numbers saw dancers explore spoken word and loon sounds as a backing track, embrace hip hop with swagger and puffer jackets, and present authentic Bollywood-style choreography.

The informal showing opened with senior dance major Kiara Cieslinski’s “Infinity or Oblivion,” a poignant commentary on being present in a social media-driven world that pulls our attention every which way. With sharp movements, running and partner work the dancers conveyed Cieslinski’s message to audiences.

“If you’re not presenting yourself on social media, people often are like, ‘You’re a ghost. You’re nothing,’” Cieslinski said. “If you’re not seen, do you exist?”

Later, the theater descended into madness with first-year MFA student Dani Schofer’s collaborative piece, “Playscapes of Rebellion.” This number, described by Schofer as “a study of comedy,” saw dancers move wildly to audio samples from “Veggie Tales,” “iCarly,” “I Love Lucy,” and countless other sitcoms in bright Tshirts with mascara tears painted under

Informal and formal productions allowed student and faculty choreographers to debut new dances

their eyes. Dancers moon-walked, played charades with the audience and shimmied back and forth across the stage.

“I wanted to try something that was outside of my comfort zone,” sophomore dancer Bella Guerrucci said. “Normally when I’m on stage, I’m doing lyrical or contemporary, and I have to be depressed, [but] for this piece I just wanted to make people laugh.”

Junior dance major Katy Maddalina wowed audiences with a solo that reveled in its goofiness. Maddalina’s character began on a phone call with her mom, nervously anticipating her upcoming date. She practiced pickup lines on the audience, literally falling to the ground to announce that she had fallen for an audience member, then asking another, “Were you talking to me?” followed by, “Would you like to?”

At various points, Maddalina emerged from behind the curtain playing a kazoo, suddenly dropped to the ground flipping her hair to Britney Spears’ “Work B—h,” duck walked, and even ballroom danced with a headless dummy. Eventually, her date (a real human dancer, not a headless dummy) arrived and found her awkward silliness endearing.

“When the whole process isn’t structured for you, it can really push dancers to kind of find their own space,” Schofer said. “[The informal showing] also just

provides more opportunities for dancers and choreographers to make work, which is always important.”

Out of the box comedy and theatrics weren’t limited to the informal performances. As audiences entered the Black Box for Choreolab’s formal viewings, upright paper bags of all sizes littered the stage. Director of Undergraduate Dance Melanie Aceto’s “Lunch” opened the show.

Dancers jumped into paper bags, whimsically slid around with them on both feet like ice skates, placed them on their heads, and broke out of them as if bursting out of eggs. At one point, the paper bags were crumpled and the dance devolved into a snowball fight where audience members joined in, throwing paper at the dancers (some of which attempted to catch them in the bags like baskets).

At its outset, senior dance major Brennah Woollis’ “The Epilogue” depicted her final college bow. From there, time moved backward to highlight key moments and figures in her dance career. One duet represented her close-knit relationship with her older sister, also a dancer.

“It helps me connect with my peers and other artists,” Woollis said. “I know there’s multiple other artists that play their last concert and have to put down their instrument for the last time. It gives you the sense of like, ‘It’s over, finally.’ But also,

‘I’m so sad that I have to give this away.’”

In senior dance major Sidney Bowers’ “Residence,” the color red — whether in the form of a rose, plate, purse, notebook or backpack — represented a moment that had passed. The dance slowly distorted into a nightmare as it repeated, with dancers moving rapidly and becoming dislodged from one another’s scenes. But by the number’s conclusion, the dancers came together and rebuilt. Regular furniture entered, with the red objects falling into place. They were healed, but the memories — painful, joyful or otherwise — remained.

Bowers dedicated “Residence” to her father, who has undergone health issues. She says the piece was inspired by recurring nightmares where she, one of his caretakers, would be unable to help, despite calls for help.

Even as the lights dimmed and “Residence” ended, the dancers continued to move in the darkness — much like Bowers herself.

“It’s showing that it’s not really over when the lights go down because they’re still moving,” Bowers added. “Because it’s still going on for me.”

Email: alex.novak@ubspectrum.com

Embrace Buffalo’s music scene with these up-and-coming local bands

Five WNY-based acts to stream or catch live this spring

MERET KELSEY SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

Buffalo might be primarily known for football, wings and cold weather, but look a little closer and it’s clear that there’s much more to it. It’s a city full of art, creativity and most importantly, great music. These five underground bands represent the best of the Queen City’s diverse, dynamic music scene. Support local music by streaming them on Spotify or, even better, catching them live at a number of beloved local venues. Check out The Spectrum’s musical roundup from last October for more.

tuesday nite

This duo nurtured their creative partnership through virtual open mic nights during the pandemic, but have since brought their “harmony-driven” indie rock in person to stages across Buffalo. Musicians Sara Elizabeth and Courtney Ann are a natural pairing, with voices that comple-

ment each other perfectly. Tuesday nite’s music has an ambient feel to it that evokes dream pop acts of the 90s. Their lush debut singles “hope” and “following after me” are full of hazy synths, fingerpicked guitar and plenty of reverb.

For fans of: boygenius, Mazzy Star

Breakfast for Dinner

Fans of dark, confessional alternative pop will love this synth-based trio. They’ve released a steady stream of singles since 2021, with a full-length project on the horizon for later this year. Try their most recent single, “Can’t Get Over You,” a deceptively danceable heartbreak anthem with dreamy vocals and a driving beat, or “Say,” a gloomy, 80s-inspired cut from their 2021 debut EP. The up-and-coming band tours nationally these days, but can still be caught at hometown venues like Mohawk Place and Babeville.

For fans of: The 1975, MUNA

Spud Spud’s Bandcamp page describes their music as “potato punk.” That may not be an actual genre, but if it was, it would be defined by distortion, piercing guitar riffs and powerful vocals. Their recent demo, “Sheeple,” is a great introduction to their passionate, rough-hewn music, with vocalist Demiya Browning belting over a lo-fi punk beat. Spud’s visceral music is perfectly suited to a live setting — luckily, they’re not hard to find on Buffalo’s live music circuit, playing regular shows at venues like Nietszche’s and Hot Mama’s Canteen.

For fans of: Bikini Kill, Sleater Kinney, anything 90s

Goodbye Metro Goodbye Metro’s lineup is pretty unconventional for a rock duo. It’s hard to tell upon first listen, but the band features not one, but two bassists — no guitar to

be found. Just dual basses. (“Double the bass, double the fun,” their Facebook page says.) One plays a distorted lead and the other lays down the rhythm. But it’s not just a shtick; the band’s slick, experimental sound is extremely cohesive and fullbodied.

For fans of: Metric, Silversun Pickups, and… bass, duh

Whitetails

Whitetails’ music sounds like it was made to be listened to in an idyllic cabin in the woods. The musical project of singersongwriter Jonathan Bobowicz, the band is driven by vulnerable lyrics and folksy acoustic guitar. Their most recent single, “Haunt You,” is perfect for an early spring drive with the windows down.

For fans of: Hozier, Fleet Foxes

COURTESY OF KEN SMITH UB THEATRE AND DANCE STUDENTS PERFORM IN CHOREOLAB

Former UB star Jeenathan Williams signs with Portland Trail

Blazers

Williams, who played his final season with the Bulls in early 2022, will now get a chance to play in the NBA

COCHI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Sam Pellom, a UB basketball player who graduated in 1978, represents the last UB player to play in an NBA regular season game. 45 years later, class of 2022 graduate Jeenathan Williams could become the first UB player since Pellom to play in the NBA.

On Saturday, the Portland Trail Blazers announced that they signed Williams to a two-year contract.

Already eliminated from playoff contention, the Trail Blazers have just five regular season games remaining, so there’s a likelihood that Williams has a chance to play some notable minutes.

After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, Williams joined the NBA G League in October, landing with the Salt Lake City Stars (the G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz).

Williams averaged 14.4 points per game while shooting 52.3% from the field and 41.7% from three in 32 games for the Stars. He also averaged 4.5 rebounds and

‘Couldn’t dream of doing that anywhere else’: Women’s tennis

coach Kristen Maines on her record-breaking 137th

2.2 assists per game.

Listed at 6-5 and 205 lbs., Williams has always had NBA-ready size. Playing mainly small forward while with UB, Williams was primarily a shooting guard with Salt Lake City.

The Rochester native worked his way up the roster during his time at UB from 2018-22, something he’ll certainly look to do with the Trail Blazers.

Williams was a freshman on the historic 2018-19 UB team which earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He had the luxury of learning behind UB greats like C.J. Massinburg and Jeremy Harris.

By the time Williams finished his final season with the Bulls in 2021-22, he was a three-year starter and became the team’s go-to scoring option. In his final season, Williams averaged 19.1 points per game while shooting an impressive 45.1% from three.

Now, Williams will see if his ability to score the ball will translate to the NBA.

Email: brandon.cochi@ubspectrum.com

victory

Maines, a UB tennis alum, discusses her Buffalo roots and coming full circle in her UB career

MICHAEL VACCARO STAFF WRITER

Women’s tennis coach Kristen Maines graduated from UB in 2006 with school records in singles and double wins. Now, she is the winningest women’s tennis coach in UB program history. After the team’s victory over Siena on Feb. 11, Maines claimed her 137th win, breaking her former coach and mentor Kathy Twist’s record.

“It was definitely a longtime goal, so it felt amazing to achieve that,” Maines said. “I feel incredibly privileged to have the opportunity to be at the same school for such a long time and especially in the community where I have grown up and essentially spent my whole tennis career.”

Born and raised in Amherst, New York, Maines spent her summers sailing with her family. She picked up tennis at age seven to stay busy during the offseason months. By age 14, she was competing nationally.

As a Buffalo native, Maines understands the significance of accomplishing this feat in the same community she began her career.

“To achieve that [win record] at Miller Tennis Center, I grew up playing on those courts,” Maines said. “I just really couldn’t dream of doing that anywhere else.”

In high school, Maines always hoped to compete at a Division-I university. After receiving a scholarship offer from UB, Maines accepted and thrived under her role model: then-head coach Twist.

“I couldn’t have been happier looking back in retrospect that I chose to stay in Buffalo,” Maines said.

Twist has been with Maines for the majority of her career with UB, assisting in her development from star player to head coach.

“[Twist] went from a coach to a mentor, to a friend to an advocate,” Maines said. “She’s really played a lot of different roles in my life.”

Maines dedicates a lot of her success to the people around her as a player, specifically noting Twist and current associate head coach Smaranda Stan McNerney.

Throughout Maines’ UB career as a player and a coach, McNerney has been alongside her since the beginning.

“When I took over as head coach, I offered [Mcnerney] the assistant coach job and she’s been with me ever since,” Maines said. “She’s a big part of these wins, too.”

Smita Chutke

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

“I had to really rush through every single thing,” she said. “Whatever they were asking, I had to fill out everything and submit it immediately.”

Chutke feels a sense of pride for being able to represent India on a global platform in “a proper way” with her wins on the show.

“When the judge, chef Naisha, says that, ‘The Indian spice in this dish is the winning ingredient,’ I think that says a lot,” she said. “It’s very powerful, because that shows how you can turn frozen fish sticks into something really delicious, and that can be done in any dish if you have the right kind of spices — and you know how to use them.”

Chutke had been learning how to cook since elementary school by watching her grandmothers and those around her. She learned more cooking techniques while living with her grandmother for three years.

But she wouldn’t see cooking as a career path until she moved to New York.

While studying for her master’s degree in biomedical engineering, Chutke cooked in her spare time, letting her creativity run wild by experimenting with different foods. She started to realize her deep love for cooking and the potential she pos-

sessed in the field.

“I think it’s because it just gives me the freedom to create something,” she said. “Because I know the techniques. I want to just keep on doing something different all the time.”

Chutke realized there was a lack of American food that was both delicious and healthy.

She saw this as an opportunity to start her own home food catering business. The orders poured in, opening a new window of opportunity for her.

She moved to Buffalo 10 years ago to teach cooking socials and classes, mainly to counter the misinformation about spices in food and how to properly add flavor.

These teaching experiences allowed Chutke to further develop her craft and reach her next idea for a business venture: her own spice blends.

“So through that, I developed my blends and people will love that because they used to be really surprised by the flavor, how balanced it is,” she said. “They cannot get that in commercial blends.”

She launched her spice blends in 2021. Each blend represents the different recipes she grew up with.

The spice blends are part of her cooking business, Smita’s Cookery, which she started in 2019 with her first pop-up event.

“That was my dream — to collaborate with chefs in the area and be able to intro-

McNerney joined the team as a freshman during Maines’ senior season, and the two have since spent 17 years together in the program. Their collaboration forms a competitive and successful culture within the program, carrying the same values and coaching philosophies of Twist into their own coaching careers.

“I really do think we are an amazing team together due to the culture that’s been created by Kathy Twist,” McNerney

duce the traditional Indian food,” she said.

On top of her cooking career, Chutke is a commercial real estate portfolio manager for M&T Bank managing commercial loans.

“It’s very challenging for sure to maintain a business, grow it and then to do a full-time job in this portfolio management,” she said. “It’s very challenging, but then you have to take one day at a time and not think about the bigger picture all the time.”

On Feb. 8, Chutke spoke to fellow UB students at Blackstone LaunchPad’s Founder Stories event, a group of Q&A events that host local business founders for students to learn from.

Dominic LaVigne, a junior mechanical engineering student, was leading the Q&A session. He believes Chutke being a “success story” as a former international student is reassuring and inspiring for the

said. “For us to continue the culture of success, it’s amazing.”

Maines began her UB coaching career as a graduate assistant coach while also pursuing an early childhood education degree. After graduating, Maines was hired to the staff as a full-time assistant coach.

Coaching was not always a part of her future plans, but when given the opportunity from Twist, Maines ran with it.

“My hopes had been focused more on athletic administration,” Maines said. “I was privileged to have such a great role model in Kathy who really took me under her wing.”

Since taking over as head coach in 2012, Maines led UB to countless successes, including back-to-back Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships in 2017 and 2018.

Qualifying for the MAC Tournament in her first season as a head coach, Maines guided the Bulls to the semifinals in the 2013-14 season with a 15-6 record, the most victories since the 2006-07 season.

Leading the Bulls to a 17-4 record in the 2017-18 season, the best in program history, Maines was named MAC Coach of the Year and the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Coach of the Year.

Along with the wins and accolades, Twist, Maines and McNerney emphasize the importance of a high academic standing in their players.

In the past five semesters, women’s tennis has achieved the highest GPA of any athletics program, most recently posting a 3.719 GPA this past fall semester.

The link between academic and athletic success is no coincidence; Maines stresses the importance of academics and a “student-first” mentality to her players and recruits.

“It’s not something that happens by chance that we’re continually doing well in the classroom,” Maines said. “When you’re coming to play tennis here as a student athlete, you are held accountable and held to a very high standard.”

While recounting her career journey and reliving her accomplishments, Maines made it clear that her career is far from over.

“There’s certainly a lot more goals to achieve and milestones that I’d like to get to,” Maines said.

From the bottom of the conference in her freshman season, to an appearance in the MAC finals as a senior, and now alltime winningest coach in program history, Maines’ contribution to the success of the program is immeasurable.

“You have a better respect for the program and organization when you really are a part of something that’s grown from the bottom to the top,” Maines said.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

audience.

“So she came here on a visa and is now a successful business owner working in the United States, and I think that a lot of students at our university struggle with,” he said. “A lot of these students come over, and their visa is expiring, and they don’t know what they’re going to do. I think she inspired a lot of confidence in them, to pursue their dreams and follow your path and it’ll work out no matter what ends up happening.”

Chutke believes Indian food is the concept of eating “local and seasonal.” Spices are just a means to flavor it.

“I’m hoping that more people will come to know about what Indian food is and how the spices are, and how they can elevate any dish [with Indian spices],” she said.

BRANDON

Moaz Elazzazi / ThE SpEcTruM

UB BasketBall alUm Jeenathan Williams made his nBa deBUt on sUnday With the Portland trail Blazers

4 takeaways from George Halcovage III’s introductory press conference

Halcovage was formally introduced as the 15th head coach in UB men’s basketball history Monday

BRANDON COCHI

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

A new chapter in the history of UB men’s basketball began in Alumni Arena Monday afternoon as George Halcovage III was introduced as the 15th head coach in program history.

Accompanied by his wife Lizzy, Halcovage arrived to the press conference with the UB marching band and fans to welcome him with music and applause.

Speaking for almost 20 minutes before the press conference officially ended, Halcovage explained what made him choose UB, how he knew it was time to become a head coach and how he plans to bring the program back to prominence.

Here are four takeaways from Halcovage’s press conference:

Said Buffalo “is a special place”

“I knew this is a special place,” Halcovage said when discussing his decision to coach at UB. “This is a place where Lizzy and I can make it home.”

Buffalo already holds a special place in Halcovage’s heart because of the 2017 NCAA Tournament. While with Villanova, the Wildcats played their first and second round games at KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo. Even though Villanova was upset in the second round by Wisconsin, Halcovage said he met his wife Lizzy a few weeks later at the Final Four.

“When I got the call that said, ‘Hey would you be interested in UB?’ I looked at my wife and she was like, ‘Yes, yes,’” Halcovage said.

Six years later, Halcovage and his wife are now making Buffalo home for themselves and their first child, expected in the next few months.

Halcovage has been in contact with transfer portal players

UB currently has six players in the transfer portal, including key starters from the 2022-23 season such as sophomore guard Curtis Jones, junior guard Zid Powell and senior forward LaQuill Hardnett.

“There’s been interaction and I’m excited to continue that,” Halcovage said in response to a question from The Spectrum about the extent of his contact with the UB players currently in the portal. “I just want them to really fully understand our vision as a program moving forward and then also understand a little about their individual one as well.”

Halcovage also said he wants to keep those conversations “in-house,” as he understands that it’s a unique decision for the player’s to make.

Recruiting potential coaching staff candidates at Final Four

With the Final Four taking place this past weekend and wrapping up with the NCAA Championship Game Monday night, Halcovage was in Houston over the weekend to recruit some potential assistant coaches.

He addressed his first priorities as head coach, with building his staff at the top of the list.

“Meeting with different people — that I had already been thinking about if this did happen — to build a great dynamic staff that’s going to be able to be on that mission with me,” Halcovage said.

Halcovage did not mention whether any of the coaches from last season’s staff will be retained or not.

Former UB assistant Jamie Quarles recently accepted a position t Arkansas State; Halcovage is currently the only coach listed on UB’s roster.

Student Association to propose appeal policy in aftermath of over $4,000 club hockey fine

Men’s club ice hockey tried to appeal the fine, but no appeal process currently exists

The Student Association (SA) is in the process of creating a sanction appeal policy after men’s club ice hockey asked SA to overturn a $4,197.50 fine levied on the club in December.

The team was fined for not requesting funds to rent the Northtown Center’s ice beforehand and for not paying referees before games.

Club treasurer Ryan Kelly went to plead for the reversal of the fine at a Feb. 6 SA Senate Meeting. The senate discussed the request but ultimately denied it.

There is also no policy for the club to formally appeal the fine. Currently, clubs can only appeal a fine if SA made an error or violated a law. Senator Ian Roma is working on creating an appeals policy, SA Vice President Sammi Pang said.

“I’m glad that we could be the ones to pioneer the first appeal process,” Kelly said. “I’m kind of disappointed that there wasn’t one before we could appeal our fine. But at least things are changing for the good now.”

On March 17, the SA Club Oversight Committee met to discuss the team’s violations. During this meeting, SA senator Matthew Dowd (who is also a Spectrum staff writer) suggested that the club’s budget be frozen. The committee voted 3-0 with one abstention in favor of suggesting that the senate freeze the budget.

In a March 27 senate meeting, SA decided not to freeze the budget because the hockey club said it still has expenditures that would otherwise have to be paid by individual members, according to Pang.

In that meeting, Kelly argued the hockey club’s case for canceling the fine despite the lack of a formal appeal procedure. Pang said the senate wanted to hear the

club out and have closure on the situation.

The approximately $4,000 fine stands, in part because the SA already reallocated the funds, Pang said. When a club is fined, the money goes toward supplemental club funding and the senate.

“It was very disappointing that they spent or gave away our $4,200 without letting us have a fair appeal process,” Kelly said.

While the appeal policy is still not in place, Pang said the hockey team is unlikely to get its money back.

In the most recent SA Senate meeting, some senators argued that the student governmental organization has been “lenient” toward the club despite its numerous violations.

Along with the violations resulting in fines, the hockey club also has three additional SA policy violations for ordering jerseys to the head coach’s house instead of the Student Union, not requesting the money for trainers before games and not submitting their coach’s Volunteer Agreement form.

“We would appeal again because we feel as if $4,000 is too much,” Kelly said. “And I think a lot of senators agreed that the $4,000 was way too much. Maybe a reduced fine would be the best compromise for us. So I think that’s what we would try to appeal.”

The senate is expected to vote on the appeal policy at its next meeting. The club can appeal when the new policy has passed but Pang mentioned that they would be appealing to the same SA members to whom they’ve already pleaded. She said these people are unlikely to change their minds. But, Pang said, “never say never.”

Eager to take the next step as a coach

After spending 15 years with Villanova in various different coaching roles, Halcovage knew it was time to take the reins of his own team.

Halcovage said that legendary Villanova head coach Jay Wright encouraged him to take a head coaching position last season — with one stipulation.

“He told me that ‘You’re ready to be a head coach… but don’t just go take a job to take a job,’” Halcovage said. Halcovage said that coaches have their own aspirations to develop players and that he knew he’d be ready once the right opportunity presented itself.

Email: brandon.cochi@ubspectrum.com

Chris Koch steps down from UB Council, faces civil suit in connection with vehicular incident

Daniel Parisi claims Koch “knowingly, intentionally and maliciously” struck him with his car

VICTORIA HILL SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Chris Koch, the CEO of New Era, voluntarily resigned from the UB Council in early March to “focus on professional obligations,” UB spokesperson John Della Contrada told The Spectrum Wednesday.

Koch hadn’t attended a single council meeting since Dec. 10, 2018, according to council meeting minutes. The UB Council generally meets four times per year.

Koch’s resignation took place weeks before he was sued in Erie County Supreme Court by Daniel Parisi, whom Koch hit with his car last May.

In his suit, Parisi claims that Koch “knowingly, intentionally, maliciously, willfully and with gross and wanton negligence struck” Parisi with his Cadilac Escalade, possibly committing “assault and battery.” Parisi is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

Parisi, the ex-partner of Koch’s girlfriend, showed up at Oliver’s Restaurant in Buffalo, where Koch and his girlfriend were dining. Parisi said in a statement to police that he noticed his ex-partner and Koch leaving the restaurant, but Erie County District Attorney John Flynn told WIVB that Parisi wasn’t there by chance.

Parisi alleges in his statement that the two exchanged insults, at which point Parisi got out of his car and challenged Koch to a fight. Video footage obtained by WKBW shows Parisi approaching Koch’s car, at which point Koch accelerated forward, nearly crushing Parisi between the two vehicles.

“He tried to hit me with his f—ing car,” Parisi is heard saying on Buffalo Police body camera footage.

Parisi says in his suit that he suffered a

broken hand and injured back due to the impact of Koch’s car.

Koch was originally charged in May with first-degree reckless endangerment, a felony, according to an Erie County DA press release. The DA’s office reduced that charge to two misdemeanors in June before the case was dropped entirely by Buffalo City Court Judge Andrew LoTempio in September, according to another DA press release from September.

“While our office did oppose the motion, we cannot comment further as the case is now sealed by operation of law,” the DA’s office said in its statement.

The DA’s office declined to comment further.

Koch stepped down as president of New Era after charges were dropped, according to WKBW. He maintains his role as CEO.

Parisi claimed that Koch got special treatment because of his status in Buffalo, adding in a WKBW interview that he filed the suit because he was “unhappy” with how his case was treated by the justice system.

Koch’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

Parisi’s attorneys did not respond to requests for comment.

Grant Ashley contributed reporting to this story.

Email: victoria.hill@ubspectrum.com

Paul Hokanson / uB atHletics New meN s basketball head coach GeorGe halcovaGe III addressed medIa aNd faNs at hIs

press coNfereNce

UB Athletic Director says one candidate turned down men’s basketball head coach offer

George Halcovage, the second coach to receive the offer, is now tasked with reviving the program

ANTHONY DECICCO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

One coach turned down the men’s basketball head coaching job before the school hired former Villanova associate coach George Halcovage III, UB Athletic Director Mark Alnutt told The Spectrum

Alnutt said UB only handed out two official offers in a nearly three-week hiring process that drew restlessness from local fans and alumni. One offer was turned down; Halcovage accepted the other.

“One got turned down. Not for any reasons about us, Athletics, what have you.

When we make decisions, it’s a family decision,” Alnutt said. “Everyone has to be all in. And unfortunately, at that time for that candidate, they weren’t ready to make that move.”

Alnutt said UB “had to take a reset,” with Halcovage emerging as the next candidate they wanted to learn more about.

Once Halcovage was brought onto campus, he was UB’s second official offer.

Alnutt called the UB job “highly sought after” during his formal introduction of Halcovage on Monday. He said UB started with “30 or so” potential candidates, held Zoom calls with “eight to nine” and brought multiple coaches in for on-campus visits.

After former head coach Jim Whitesell — who finished with a 15-17 record last season — was fired on March 11, fans wanted answers. UB finally closed in on Halcovage after a 20-day hiring process, which many felt was drawn out.

“I get it, and then to see other schools name a head coach, there’s the impatience level,” Alnutt said when discussing public

apprehension around the coaching vacancy. “But the thing I love about it, to be honest with you, is just the passion. People are out there, it’s not apathy — apathy is the worst.”

While Alnutt said he appreciates the enthusiasm within the community, he made a point to clear up any speculation or confusion surrounding the hiring process, insisting that there was only “one other offer.”

Halcovage — who spent 15 seasons at Big East powerhouse Villanova — claimed he wasn’t phased at any point in the process. He said rumors of candidates visiting campus and turning the job down didn’t deter him.

“I think you learn in this business, going through these processes, you never know how you’re gonna get the job that you’d love to want to be at,” Halcovage said to local media following his introductory press conference. “I’m just so happy the process went the way it did for me to have the opportunity to be there when I did, because obviously, you want to be a head coach.”

Now Halcovage will be responsible for reviving a program that struggled to break through under Whitesell, who failed to bring UB back to “the big dance” in four years on the job. The Buffalo fanbase is clamoring for a winner once again.

The Bulls made four NCAA Tournament appearances over a five-year span from 2015 to 2019 under the leadership of former head coaches Bobby Hurley and Nate Oats.

Hurley (now at Arizona State) and Oats (now at Alabama) used the UB job as a springboard for greater opportunities.

Halcovage now has that same opportu-

Women’s basketball hires James Ewing as an assistant coach

James Ewing joins the coaching staff following Erin Sinnott’s promotion

HAYDEN AZZINARO STAFF WRITER

Women’s basketball hired James Ewing as their newest assistant coach, head coach Becky Burke in a press release Thursday.

The hiring comes one day after the announcement of Erin Sinnott’s promotion to assistant coach. “We are extremely fortunate to have James join our coaching staff,” Burke said in the statement. “His high energy, positive and uplifting personality rubs off on everyone with whom he comes in contact. He is very well connected here in Buffalo and has an unbelievable ability to identify talent and relate to players. I’m very much looking forward to working with him.”

Ewing, a Buffalo native, attended Cardinal O’Hara High School. Most recently, he was an assistant coach for the St. Bonaventure women’s basketball team during the 2022-23 season.

Halcovage

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“It’s a new age, for everybody,” Halcovage said. “It’s a new process of recruiting, where after every season… you’ve got to evaluate what your roster’s going to look like. You’ve got to be open to bringing in people who want to transfer in.”

Halcovage acknowledged that he spoke with the six UB players in the transfer portal, but said he wanted to keep those conversations “in-house.”

He said that the portal, and other changes like NIL, has allowed college basketball to reach an unprecedented level of parity and competition. He spoke about this year’s March Madness Tournament, which featured a Final Four with no top-three seeds.

Halcovage also sees opportunities for NIL sponsorships to benefit the UB Athletics.

“I think Buffalo’s infrastructure is set up to be able to do that at a high level,” he said. “And that’s a great thing for these [athletes] to make money on their name,

Ewing was also an assistant coach for Daemen University during the 2021-22 season, when Daemen finished the year with a record of 20-9 (16-2 East Coast Conference).

Ewing also helped lead Bryant & Stratton College to a USCAA championship appearance as an assistant coach under Brittnee Perry as assistant coach.

Ewing played at the University of Toledo, finishing with six points over two years (2011-2013). Ewing then played at Mercyhurst University from 2013-15, accumulating 318 points.

Ewing played professionally for the Premier Basketball League’s (PBL) Buffalo 716ers, as well as the Dangriga Warriors and Orange Walk Running Rebels in the National Elite Basketball league (NEBL)..

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

image and likeness. It’s been a long time coming, and you’ve got to embrace it.”

But that optimism comes with a caveat: Halcovage also said he had no plans to make the “whole program about NIL.”

Halcovage said his main focus is on bringing UB back to its place at the top of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

The Bulls last won the conference in 2019 under head coach Nate Oats, who then departed for Alabama that year.

Halcovage knows that UB became one of the prominent programs in the conference over the past decade, and he wants the program to regain its MAC dominance.

“There’s going to be pressure right away to put a basketball team on the floor that competes to win championships in the MAC, and then has an opportunity to make the NCAA Tournament,” Halcovage said.

Halcovage said the play style and coaching philosophy of his team will depend on the players UB brings in, saying that his staff has to be open to adjust based on personnel. He said he’s looking for players who are “skilled, tough and want to be a

nity in taking over what was once the premier program in the Mid-American Conference.

Alnutt may not have gotten the No. 1 candidate on his list, but his new men’s basketball coach has a proven track record and may be able to bring the program back to prominence.

“At the end of the day, where we landed, he was on our list — very high on our list,” Alnutt said. “And for us to be able to get him, we’re excited.”

Email: anthony.decicco@ubspectrum.com

Softball goes 3-0 in weekend set versus Bowling Green

Bulls improve to 4-1 in MAC play, 10-19 overall

MICHAEL VACCARO STAFF WRITER

Softball (10-19, 4-1 MAC) went undefeated in a three-game homestand against the Bowling Green Falcons (8-22, 1-9 MAC) this past weekend, marking their fourth-straight win in conference play.

UB came out swinging in the first game of a double header Saturday, taking an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI double by junior infielder Madison Fernimen.

After surrendering a two-run single in the second inning, junior outfielder Sara Kelly responded with a two-run homer, her second of the season, reclaiming the Bulls’ lead in the third.

A solo home run from Fernimen in the fifth inning increased UB’s lead to 4-2. The Bulls kept that momentum going, even after a two-hour weather delay following Fernimen’s home run. They scored four more runs after the delay, courtesy of RBI doubles from freshman shortstop Avelyn Van Heyst, freshman first baseman Abbey Nagel and senior pitcher Alexis Lucyshyn.

Lucyshyn fanned 12 batters over six innings in her complete game outing, sealing an 8-4 victory to begin the weekend.

The Bulls started their second game of the series Saturday evening with junior pitcher Julia Tarantino on the mound. The game was postponed to Sunday after two innings due to darkness, as a result of Game 1’s weather delay.

The game remained scoreless through three and a half innings of play until the

part of something bigger.”

The Pottsville, Pennsylvania native spent a decade-and-a-half with a Villanova team that possessed a winning culture and established itself as a national powerhouse in college basketball. He played a large role in that success, not only by recruiting and training players, but by — as Alnutt said —“architecting” the program.

Part of his role at Villanova as associate head coach included scheduling responsibilities. Halcovage said he is focused on

Bulls scored the first three runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth.

Fernimen led off the inning with a double, eventually scoring via freshman outfielder Mia Mitchell’s sacrifice fly. A tworun home run by junior middle infielder

Tianna Williams gave the Bulls a 3-0 lead.

Responding with a solo shot and a threerun homer, the Falcons quickly snatched a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth. UB took advantage of timely mistakes, scoring the game-winning runs on a passed ball and dropped infield pop up.

Tarantino surrendered four runs and four walks and struck out three batters in her complete game outing, edging out a 5-4 victory for the Bulls.

Looking for a series sweep, UB started game two of the day hot at the plate, scoring two runs early in the bottom of the first.

Continuing her hot stretch in the box, Fernimen knocked in two more runs for the Bulls on an RBI single, increasing their lead to 5-0 in the fourth.

The Falcons had no answer for Lucyshyn at the plate. Lucyshyn allowed just two hits in her shutout victory, racking up seven strikeouts.

Leading 5-0 in the sixth, Kelly secured the mercy-rule victory for the Bulls with a three-run blast.

UB will look to continue their success in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play with a three-game series this Friday at Miami (OH) (17-14, 5-6 MAC).

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

getting big-time road games for UB to boost the team’s national profile and ranking.

“I would like to utilize some connections [to] get us in some creative things to help us brand up a level,” Halcovage said. “Take us anywhere… to Hawaii… to Europe… It doesn’t matter for us. We’re going to work every day to be the best team we can by the end of the year.”

Email: ryan.tantalo@ubspectrum.com

Paul Hokanson / uB atHletics

UB Athletic Director MArk AlnUtt introDUces new Men s BAsketBAll heAD coAch GeorGe hAlcovAGe

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