The Spectrum Vol. 71 No. 12

Parents of Tyler Lewis sue UB and Buff State, disclose new details about investigation into their son’s death

Erie County DA says investigation into stabbing of Tyler Lewis is ‘nearly complete’

ASHLEY MANAGING EDITOR

The parents of Tyler Lewis, the Buffalo State sophomore who was fatally stabbed near the Ellicott Complex in October, are suing UB and Buffalo State University in connection with their son’s death.

The lawsuit, filed earlier this month in the New York State Court of Claims, alleges that both universities “failed to properly vet students prior to admission and admitted students known to have a violent history,” who then attacked Lewis.

“The defendant universities deliberately and/or recklessly admitted students known to be a danger or known to have a dangerous propensity, thereby exposing the claimants’ only child to a dangerous environment where he was likely to be seriously injured or killed,” the claim reads.

Roquishia Lewis, Tyler Lewis’ mother, also told The Spectrum in a phone interview in mid January that at least one of her son’s alleged assailants was a prior felon.

A spokesperson for Buffalo State declined to comment. But in response to a question about whether current or former UB students were among those who allegedly attacked Tyler Lewis, UB spokesper-

son John Della Contrada told The Spectrum in an email that “the claims made in the lawsuit are not supported by the evidence gathered in the case.”

Roquishia Lewis declined to comment on the filing, but said she was “not confident” with Erie County District Attorney and UPD’s investigation into her son’s death.

“I’m not confident in anything,” she said in a phone interview with The Spectrum “I’m going to have to go ahead and start demonstrating and protesting and doing whatever I have to do in order to get the district attorney to do his job.”

She didn’t think calling officials would get her message across. Roquishia Lewis says UB stopped returning calls about a month after the incident. (Della Contrada said that UPD has had “regular contact” with the Lewis family.)

So instead, Roquishia Lewis came to North Campus late last month, handing out fliers advertising a $4,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and an anonymous tip line set up by the Lewis

SA pursues alternatives after Amazon discontinues Business line of credit

SA Senate discussed solutions last Monday and temporarily amended SA’s tax exempt status on Amazon purchases

HODGE NEWS EDITOR

The Student Association held an emergency senate meeting on Jan. 30 to respond to the organization’s inability to purchase from Amazon by temporarily amending its Encumbrance and Expenditure policy.

Amazon has ended all business lines of credit for Amazon Business effective midJanuary, leaving the SA without a way to pay one its most popular vendors, according to Tendaji Ya’Ukuu, assistant director of SA communications.

SA Vice President Sammi Pang said in a Jan. 18 email that Amazon currently accepts invoices by “invite only,” but SA has not heard back on its efforts to get an invite. The average annual usage of Amazon by SA for “programming, activities, events, and items” is approximately $107,000, according to the SA Senate minutes.

Clubs are still able to complete Purchase Orders for events through the UB Student Association Financial Entry System (SAFE), which provides clubs with a directory of other approved vendor options, such as Wegmans.

SA Treasurer Alana Lesczynski said that clubs could still purchase from Amazon if they decided not to use one of the approved vendors, but they would have to use personal Amazon accounts and get reimbursed by the SA.

Pang said clubs would have to file reimbursement requests “approved prior to making a purchase” and that “orders must be delivered to 360 Student Union for review and confirmation of a good receipt.”

The Encumbrance and Expenditure Policy, which states that “SA will not pay

any NYS sales tax, and in the case of a reimbursement, any NYS sales tax paid will not be reimbursed, excluding those not covered by our NYS Tax Exempt status,” was temporarily amended by a majority vote from Jan. 30 through May 21, 2023.

The temporarily amended policy allows the SA Treasurer to reimburse sales tax on purchases made through Amazon since personal accounts are required to pay sales tax on items purchased from Amazon.

SA President Becky Paul-Odionhin said that although the reimbursement option is available, clubs “should try every other possible avenue” that SA already has, adding that Amazon orders should be “the last resort.”

“SA understands that the solution approved on Jan. 30 is, unfortunately, not perfect,” Ya’Ukuu said. “It is meant to be a temporary solution to the problem…We are working to rectify the situation as soon as possible so SA and clubs can continue to purchase goods as usual.”

MORGAN S.T. ROSS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

UB formally requested student input on a proposed five-year Broad-based Fee increase plan in a statement released Monday.

The university says the 3.54% increase — set to begin in the 2023-24 school year — is meant to ensure UB adheres to statemandated increases in university finances and services.

The Broad-based Fee includes what students see listed as “comprehensive fees” on their financial statements, which includes the Academic Excellence and Success Fee, Athletics Fee, Campus Life Fee, Career Services Fee, College Fee, Health Fee, Recreation Fee, Technology Fee, Transcript Fee and Transportation Fee.

The proposed increase will allow UB to increase minimum wage for students, up-

grade classrooms, support the academic and research needs of students, develop new programs to promote diversity and inclusion, and provide access to career services, UB said in its statement.

Students are encouraged to provide suggestions for the changes and improvement of services through special advisory groups and a survey found in MyUB.

“UB strives to remain as one of the nation’s best values in higher education and will continue to be a major public university and the premier public institution in the Northeast with continued student support,” a statement from the Office of the Vice President for Student Life said.

Students may comment on the proposed increase through an online form on UB’s website, which will be open from Monday, Feb. 6 to Friday, Feb. 17.

Email: morgan.ross@ubspectrum.com

GRANT

TWO VEHICLES STOLEN FROM UB SOUTH CAMPUS FOLLOWING AN AUTO-THEFT TIKTOK CHALLENGE

UB SENIOR RETURNS TO THE BARRE AFTER CANCER TREATMENT

Two vehicles stolen from UB South Campus following

an auto-theft

TikTok challenge

UB and surrounding areas face a rise in Kia and Hyundai theft, UPD urges the community to be “vigilant about their personal safety and report any unusual circumstances or suspicious persons”

VICTORIA HILL SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

University police notified students to “be vigilant at all times” after two vehicles were stolen from South Campus.

The thefts appear to be related to a TikTok trend which encourages users to break into and steal 2011-21 Kia models and 2015-21 Hyundai models. UPD recommends that “owners of these vehicles consider utilizing a steering wheel locking device to deter thefts.”

Josh Sticht, Deputy Chief of Police, urged students to follow all of the tips outlined in the UB Alert, in an email to The Spectrum. He stated that students “should remain vigilant about their personal safety, but shouldn’t be afraid.”

Both vehicles stolen from South Campus were “parked and unoccupied.” Sticht encourages the importance of the steering wheel lock, saying, “so far we have not seen a vehicle stolen where there had been a steering wheel lock in use.”

UPD is also having the South Campus patrols “focus on the parking lots that were involved [in the theft],” Sticht said. “In addition, many of the South Campus cameras are coming up at the end of their service life. We are replacing them with newer cameras that have much better image quality. This camera replacement is not in response to the two vehicle thefts, but will really help with our prevention and investigation efforts.”

The models targeted are those with a traditional ignition key rather than a “push-to-start” key. Carjackers break a window to gain access to the vehicle then use a USB cord to manually start the car by turning the ignition tumbler.

On Oct. 24 of last year, a fatal car accident in Buffalo involving a stolen Kia killed four passengers, according to WGRZ. The driver of the vehicle, identified only as a 16-year-old male, was indicted on four counts of second-degree manslaughter charges. The driver pleaded not guilty and was released without bail on the condition that he wear an ankle monitor and abide by a curfew, according to The Buffalo News

In response to the accident, Kia said in a statement that they “pledge to work with local law enforcement by providing, at no cost, steering wheel locks as an optional safeguard to concerned ‘steel-key’ operated Kia vehicles.”

Following thefts all over the country, a spokesperson for Hyundai and Kia told Forbes Wheels that “all Hyundai and Kia vehicles after Nov. 1, 2021, come standard with the anti-theft immobilizer, so many 2022 models and all 2023 units are safe from the brazen thefts.”

Hyundai was deserted in front of her house with a back window broken. Glass shards littered her driveway.

Wachowiak contacted her rental car company, Enterprise, who said the problem was common with rental Kias and Hyundais.

lot, Bermudez noticed many other stolen Kias and Hyundais.

“They all have the same damage: the driver’s window is broken into, and the ignition under the steering wheel is all messed up,” Bermudez said.

Her car remains in the repair shop.

“There are so many cars that got stolen, and they all need the same parts to get fixed,” Bermudez said. “There is a waiting list to get your car fixed. They [the mechanic] said it could be a couple of months until I can get it back.”

Now without a car, Bermudez — who lives downtown — has to take the subway to South Campus before taking the Stampede to North Campus.

“I’ve had to make a lot of adjustments because of this, and you know, it’s scary being a girl and having to ride the subway late at night,” Bermudez said.

On top of being worried for her safety, Bermudez also has to pay $75 for a monthly subway ticket to get to her job and classes. She wishes that there was something the university could do to subsidize those costs and that UB had addressed the issue sooner.

“I don’t know if they [the university] just caught up to it, but I did a little research into the internet trend, and it’s been happening for a while already, since last summer,” Bermudez said. “UB has a large commuter population, so I think it’s important for students and faculty to know about this. If I had known earlier, I would have taken more precautions.”

Even with these improvements in newer models, TikTok users are still finding older models of these cars and recording themselves while breaking into them. After completing the “challenge,” the culprits ditch the vehicles, often without facing any charges.

After getting into a car accident two weeks prior, Tonawanda resident Averi Wachowiak, 22, had her rental 2020 Hyundai Elantra stolen right from her driveway.

“I guess it happened sometime overnight, and [the culprits] actually dumped off another stolen Hyundai Elantra in front of my house. The car was left running,” Wachowiak said.

Immediately, Wachowiak called the Tonawanda police, who said they’d been encountering this a lot recently.

Wachowiak reported that the stolen

Buffalo seismic event draws mixed reactions from UB community

Students and staff respond to the 3.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Buffalo and surrounding areas Monday morning

Makaela Grijalva thought she was dreaming when an earthquake struck Buffalo this Monday morning.

Still half asleep at 6:15 a.m. Grijalva said the quake took her by surprise.

“I jumped off the bed, and I felt the floor lifting up and I’m like, holy s—t,” Grijalva, a freshman undecided major, said.

Alarmed, but unaware that what she experienced was an earthquake, Grijalva assumed the Buffalo wind was the cause of the commotion.

Other students also initially thought strong winds were shaking their buildings. Chelsea Muentes, a freshman from New York City, recalls her windows shaking and feeling like “the building was going to tip over.”

Many students were shocked to find out about the event, unaware of Buffalo’s perceivable earthquakes.

Augustine Peprah Frimpong, a junior

media study major, actually slept through the quake. He found out about it later that morning from his friends, whom he assumed were joking.

“It’s very jarring to be able to sleep through something so quakey,” Peprah Frimpong said. “I definitely kind of got worried because if this was a bad earthquake and the ceiling had collapsed onto me, I would have probably died.”

Dr. Nick Henshue, an ecology professor at UB, was unfazed by the seismic event.

Henshue says the Monday morning earthquake wasn’t like the ones he experienced while living in San Diego.

“There was no noise [in San Diego], it was just kind of this side to side undulation,” Henshue said. “As opposed to today [in Buffalo], it felt like it was the same kind of noise when they knocked down the towers at Tonawanda Coke.”

Dr. Tracy Gregg, a geology professor at UB, has lived in Buffalo since 1998. She was excited because, although she experienced three earthquakes before, this was

“It’s sad because Hyundai and Kia are pretty affordable cars and the ones that are broken into are the ones that are a little bit older,” Wachowiak said. “I never thought this would happen in my neighborhood.”

Alysson Bermudez, a first-year chemistry Ph.D. student, had her Hyundai stolen the same week as Wachowiak.

Unable to find her car, she thought it was towed or parked in the wrong place. Phone calls to multiple local towing lots didn’t solve Bermudez’s problem, and one towing company told her that her car “probably got stolen because it’s a Hyundai.”

Bermudez then called UPD, who advised her to call Amherst Police and file a police report. Police found her car a few hours after the report was filed.

While retrieving her car from the police

Even with these new provisions from the university, Bermudez said that once she gets her car back, she plans on selling it.

“I heard stories about people getting their Hyundais stolen twice, even when they took precautions,” Bermudez said.

“That’s just too much stress to handle.”

So far, the police don’t know who stole her car, but she hopes that the individuals who did it will be reprimanded, and face the appropriate consequences.

“People who take part in this trend need to learn that this isn’t okay, because it’s actually interfering with people’s lives,” Bermudez said.

Email: victoria.hill@ubspectrum.com

the first one she felt.

“I immediately knew what was going on,” Dr. Gregg said. “And it’s Buffalo, so I wasn’t worried about damage or my safety or anything like that.”

Earthquakes are common in Buffalo due to the Clarendon-Linden fault system.

If the earthquakes are less than 2.5 magnitude, humans are unable to detect them without instruments. These small earthquakes occur several times a year.

According to research conducted by Robert Jacobi, a former geology professor at UB, “if the Clarendon-Linden fault system were to go off, it could generate a magnitude 6.0-6.5 earthquake.”

“The probability of this happening in our lifetimes is really really low, —so low that I don’t worry about it,” Dr. Gregg said. “These smallish quakes will continue to happen though.”

JACK LI / THE SPECTRUM

A RECENT TIKTOK TREND HAS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS KIA AND HYUNDAI THEFTS IN THE BUFFALO AREA

ALEXANDRA SACCONE STAFF WRITER

In the courtroom that is my classroom

Muslim students are tired of defending themselves against white saviors who seem to think they know best

lable and one letter too long. They sometimes even tell me that it’s prettier that way. Suha Noor sounds better, but maybe I’m wrong. How funny it is I don’t know my own name.

Stay quiet, little Suzy, and don’t think too much about what they say. Simply attempt to veil your rage.

Barbaric backwardness and dissonance — those are the accusations they make. I hold my tongue and repress my anger, afraid of proving them right. I can’t help but ask myself: is it simple ignorance or a silent hatred?

I am often a defense attorney in the courtroom that is my classroom, up against the prosecution that are my professors and the jury that are my peers.

I have grown tired, having fought myself numb. Can you blame me when I have been an expert witness and attorney on this case for the past 15 years? When my embroidered fatigue dwindles into exhaustion, I plead the Fifth, though internally I scream for an appeal.

Stay quiet, little Suzy, stay silent. They don’t need to know your name.

Sue was how it started, around 2008. Three letters encapsulating the person I used to be. The little girl who seemed so certain, yet she was deeply insecure. For them, Sue was better — Suha is one syl-

I never minded Little Suzy or even Suzy Q — they were endearing nicknames, just meant to tease me. But it was when Suzy and Sue were no longer ironies, that their fond sentiments became my stale memories. How sad it is to see what they can take from me.

Stay quiet, little Suzy, because they can fix you and reverse you, repair you and save you.

I am questioned on the stand, and as I speak, a short film plays in my head. The movie starts with me at 9 years old, the first time I remember being called a terrorist. The scene shifts to when wearing a hijab almost got me kicked out of an 800 meter race. I think of sitting through a recent lecture, listening to my peers debate whether the hijab is a symbol of oppression. I heard a white professor call a student of color white washed — this scene in particular often replays in my head.

They tell me you’re not allowed to be an activist, no, not with your faith. It is then that the prosecution presents me with their evidence — Afghanistan and Yemen, Syria and Lebanon. Case files stacked with stories of women with no freedom because of Islam, hijabs and niqabs. The jury — my classmates — agree and concur. Liberal and progressive are the words they (pretend to) claim. This jury is fraud-

ulent and faulty. They don’t talk about the strength of the women who chose. The ones who made a choice for themselves in choosing not to show. But those witnesses are never brought to the stand. The prosecution objects. Nothing of the sort will be submitted into or accepted as evidence.

How belittling it can be to allow others to redefine you and strip you of your being.

Stay quiet, little Suzy. Pull your scarf a little back, along with your undercap, and be sure to not make a scene. Always remember not to think that much. Don’t remind yourself that it feels obscene.

Perhaps then, if you adhere, they’ll take you more seriously. This is what the white savior, the prosecution that has mistaken themselves for the defense, has made me and made us do. We stay silent and show a little more, not by choice, but by what feels like necessity.

I only started wearing my hijab again about a year ago. They tell me bleach blonde Suzy was more fun. I try to remind myself again and again it’s not about them, it’s for Him. I apologize to myself and God. I convince myself they don’t know better, so I sit here and pity them.

Stay quiet, little Suzy, and do not pull away. Just shake their hand, even if it does not feel OK.

The former propagators of consent display their own naked hypocrisy.

Stay quiet, little Suzy. Let them call it an absurdity. Ignore the heavy weight of uneasiness.

“No” becomes an oddity. Boundaries

have limits and norms. The prosecution and jury rest their cases, convinced that this one is a peculiarity. How blasphemous and abhorrent it is for me to not want to touch a man. Silly me.

Stay quiet, little Suzy, and don’t tell your mother of all the utters and mutters.

I, like many, don’t tell her. We tell ourselves it is nonchalant and normal, as carefree as child’s play. After all, people are on trial everyday.

Stay quiet, little Suzy, and hold yourself back. Take a deep breath and reconvene.

I don’t have an exact date for when my lifelong trial, this neverending case, began. Though I may have realized it four years ago, it’s been like this for two decades. But I sometimes wonder, am I the one to blame? In many ways, has my quiet state not been complicit in their game?

In my silence, I am reminded that enjoying political science and humanities classes is a privilege. Educational institutions only teaching through specific lenses. Spaces where we’re not heard nor seen, purported to be works of charity. It is, like many things, run by the white man and woman. A scholarly realm for them, a battleground for us.

Stay quiet, dear Suha. Just remember your silence lets them take your identity.

Email: suha.chowdhury@ubspectrum.com

Kick the sheets and go outside

shredded cheese as I please. I should be able to lie down in my bed and rewatch

“Better Call Saul” until the sun blows up — or at least until it’s time to go back to school.

I shouldn’t have to get a job. I’ve worked hard enough this semester, and now it’s time to shamelessly do absolutely nothing.

And so, I did just that. I did nothing.

feel every minute of every hour when you don’t occupy yourself. I stayed inside for almost 30 days, and I started to feel sick.

I didn’t have a fever, or strep, or any kind of illness. My self esteem reached such a low level that I felt lethargic. I became a self-isolated zombie, all because I refused to get a healthy dose of sunshine.

There it is, that feverish feeling.

I’m burning up while I’m freezing cold. It feels like an invisible anvil is sitting on my chest, pushing down on my lungs, slowly but surely. The anvil gets heavier every day. The effort to push it off isn’t worth the stress. Now is my time to relax.

Last semester, I worked myself to the bone. I sat in the front row of every class and prioritized my education over leisure time. I leaped from staff writer to the senior sports editor for The Spectrum, and while it was challenging, I managed to write sports pieces that I’m truly proud of. Coming home to Long Island for six weeks of relaxation should’ve been a reward.

I should be able to sleep in until 5 p.m. if I want to. I should be able to eat as much

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9 2023 VOLUME 71 NUMBER 12

3,000

For the entirety of winter break, I sat in my bed and rarely went outside of my house. I hung out with my girlfriend and I went out with my friends on occasion, but my schedule consisted of eating, watching movies, playing Xbox and sleeping. The first few days of slacking were bliss. I enjoyed sipping dark roast coffee at 8:30 p.m. and maintained a patchy 5 o’clock shadow.

My parents kept telling me to “get a job.” I brushed them off as if they didn’t know what they were talking about. But looking back on this past winter break, they were absolutely right.

After one full week of neglecting a much-needed trip outdoors, I developed an emotional fever.

It’s truly incredible how much your emotional state affects your physical state. I’d never realized how long 24 hours is without some sort of occupation. You truly

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.

Do you have an interest in journalism, graphic design, photography, social media, advertising, cartoons or copy editing? The Spectrum is always looking for enthusiastic students who want to be part of our team. Join our 45-time award winning independent student newspaper for hands-on, realworld experience in your field.

Anyone interested in joining The Spectrum’s editorial staff can email Anthony DeCicco at: eic@ubspectrum.com.

For information on advertising with The Spectrum: VISIT: www.ubspectrum.com/advertising EMAIL US: spectrum@buffalo.edu

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

Eventually, my patchy beard and I decided enough was enough. It was time to find a solid, productive reason to leave my house.

Naturally, it was very difficult to find an establishment to hire me for one month. During the last two weeks of my winter break, I signed up for Uber Eats. As simple a job as it may seem, it gave me a reason to leave my house — and, more importantly, a reason to shave.

After a four-hour shift of Uber Eats, the mental and emotional anvil felt a whole lot lighter. I was finally able to breathe. Just walking down my front stoop and getting in my car, knowing I was being productive, improved my self esteem tenfold.

It’s really easy to get couped up at home, especially after a hard-fought semester. But it’s important, even over breaks, to occupy yourself with either a job or some sort of physical activity.

That hunk of iron sitting on your chest isn’t as heavy as you think. You only feel that way because you’ve let it weigh you down for too long. You start with pushing the anvil, then work your way to shoving it. Eventually, the mass of steel will be as weightless as a feather. Some people will need more time than others, but it always ends with the same result: fulfillment and higher self esteem.

Email: dylan.greco@ubspectrum.com

It’s easy to stay inside for all of break. Don’t give in to the temptation of your own bed

DYLAN GRECO OPINION EDITOR

Last on-campus homicide occurred almost 40 years ago

18-year-old Tonawanda native Craig Allen was stabbed in a dispute with his friend’s roommate

MORGAN S.T. ROSS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

After Tyler Lewis, a sophomore business major at Buffalo State University, was fatally stabbed outside of the Ellicott Complex in October, University Police released a statement saying that it had been “at least 30 years” since the last homicide on campus.

So when was the last on-campus homicide at UB?

Altemio Sanchez’s murder of UB sophomore Linda Yalem on the Ellicott Creek Bike Path in 1990 is often mistakenly cited as the last example of an on-campus murder. (Sanchez is serving 75 years to life in prison for killing three women, including Yalem, and raping 12, according to The New York Times.)

But that would be inaccurate. Yalem’s body was found a half mile north of UB’s North Campus, according to UPD Deputy Chief Josh Sticht. A memorial in Yalem’s honor is located near the Ellicott basketball courts.

The last homicide on UB’s campus actually occurred on the morning of Oct. 21, 1984, nearly 38 years to the day of Tyler Lewis’s death on Oct. 14, 2022.

And similar to what authorities have

said about the circumstances surrounding Lewis’ death, the assailant and victim were familiar with each other. .

Earlier that day in 1984, 21-year-old student Ronald Longmire was involved in an argument with his roommate Richard Boulware.

Later on that morning, Boulware returned to their living space with a group of friends with the intent to fight Longmire in retaliation. A physical altercation ensued as four of the men targeted Longmire.

In his testimony, Longmire claimed to hear them yell, “Let’s kill his ass.”

During the attack, Longmire was placed in a chokehold and, in a moment of panic, reached for a knife.

In the struggle, Longmire stabbed two individuals, Craig Allen and William Drmacich. Drmacich walked away from the incident with a laceration to his abdomen. Allen succumbed to a stab wound to the heart, similar to Tyler Lewis’ fatal stab wound to the chest.

The length of time it’s taken for answers has troubled Lewis’ family. His mother, Roquishia Lewis, insinuated that her son’s race played a major factor in the length of the investigation.

Tyler Lewis

family. Crime Stoppers WNY, a not-forprofit organization that assists law enforcement organizations, is also offering an up to $7,500 reward for information that leads to an arrest or indictment for Tyler Lewis’ murder, which UPD reposted on their Instagram account. Roquishia Lewis also told The Spectrum that she hired a private investigator to look into the case.

Two days later, Erie County DA John Flynn released a statement in which he said his office’s investigation was “nearly complete.”

“While it is my policy to not comment during an active investigation, I want to assure the Lewis family, University at Buffalo and Buffalo State University communities, and the public that this case remains a top priority,” Flynn said. “I understand the difficulties of waiting for answers and recognize the importance of transparency in this case. We have been in communication consistently with Tyler’s family to provide updates without compromising this ongoing investigation.”

In the hours after Lewis’ death, investigators told the public that the incident “likely stemmed from a physical altercation between several individuals who most likely knew each other” and that they were searching for a black sedan and four individuals, one of whom was described as

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

a 19- to 22-year-old white male wearing a blood-stained, yellow shirt with a “large diagonal laceration” on his forehead.

Roquishia Lewis told The Spectrum that the black sedan referenced by authorities is a BMW, which Della Contrada confirmed. Authorities have released no other information.

“I wish I could believe that they were treating this case as if it was their own child,” Roquishia Lewis said in a statement to The Spectrum. “With all honesty, my belief in Buffalo’s justice system is quite shaken… But I do look forward to meeting with John Flynn in person and for my son’s murderer to be arrested, for the sake of justice, for Tyler X. Lewis and the sake of the safety of the UB students and the Buffalo community at large.”

Roquishia Lewis told The Spectrum in mid January that prosecutors had received lab results and identified “everyone that was involved,” making her even more frustrated with the lack of arrests.

“Everyone [of those involved in the incident] lawyered up, and they [prosecutors] claim they can’t talk to them because they have lawyers, which is nonsense,” she said.

“District Attorney John Flynn and ADA [Assistant District Attorney] Gary Hackbush know exactly who this white assailant is. They know exactly who it is. They said

“If it were reversed, this would not have happened,” Roquishia Lewis said in a phone interview with The Spectrum. “I would not be waiting three months. And I hate to say it, I mean, nobody wants to think in 2023 we’re dealing with, you know, playing the race card, but it’s plain as day.”

In the news and the courtroom, Longmire, a Black man, was repeatedly characterized as “aggressive,” “violent” and a college dropout. (Longmire was banned from all campuses by the university, according to In the Public Interest.) Prior to the crime, his reputation was said to be positive in the community.

Longmire was indicted on counts of second-degree murder, assault and two counts of criminal possession in the fourth degree, according to The Spectrum’s archives. The charges came in December, 1984, about a month and a half after Allen’s death.

According to the United States Sentencing Commision, Black men have historically received longer sentences than “similarly situated white offenders.”

Longmire’s trial with an all-white jury reportedly lasted only three and a half weeks. He was acquitted on the charges of attempted murder and second-degree

it from the beginning. And they already have his DNA. There’s no reason for him not to have been arrested already. ”

Kait Munro, a spokesperson for the Erie County District Attorney’s office, declined to comment further, citing the “active, ongoing investigation.”

Roquishia Lewis also told The Spectrum that investigators believe her son’s death is linked to a fight involving at least one alleged assailant that took place earlier that evening. She also says a university incident report states that the suspect received medical treatment at the scene.

“I got a witness that came forward on my end and said that he [the suspect] was there,” Roquishia Lewis said. “He got beat up. And then he came back with a knife.”

UPD’s incident report log contains a report of an assault at Flickinger Court from roughly an hour before a first aid report that matches the timing, location and facts of Tyler Lewis’ death. But Della Contrada said that incident stemmed from an unrelated dispute between roommates that occurred days earlier and was simply reported the day Tyler Lewis died. He also disputes Roquishia Lewis’ assertion that her son’s death was related to an earlier fight.

The Spectrum attempted to obtain copies of the police reports for both incidents, but the request was denied on the grounds that disclosing the reports would “interfere with law enforcement investigations or judicial proceedings.”

murder on the grounds of self defense.

According to his defense counsel, jurors credited the expert testimony of UB law professor and psychologist Charles P. Ewing for their decision. Ewing described the complex nature of interracial conflict between Black and white men as well as the natural psychological response of fear that occurs in the body when in danger.

Campus law enforcement has recently described their investigation into the death of Tyler Lewis as in its “final stages ,” in a Jan. 30 statement. CrimeStoppers WNY, a not-for-profit organization that assists law enforcement organizations, has offered a reward of up to $7,500 for information in the death of Tyler Lewis.

University Police are urging anyone with information to call them at (716) 645-2222.

The Lewis family’s tipline can be reached at (716) 226-6336.

Crime Stoppers WNY can be reached at (716) 867-6161.

Darcy Winter contributed reporting to this story.

Email: morgan.ross@ubspectrum.com

Roquishia Lewis also added that she “knows” that Tyler Lewis wasn’t at that first fight because she was tracking his cell phone that evening, as she usually did. He wasn’t on North Campus until about 20 minutes after the altercation, she said, adding that she has turned over that cell phone location data to investigators.

She also called UPD’s ability to solve a murder into question, adding that her confidence in them was “shaky.” University officials have previously stated that it has been at least 30 years since “anything similar” has happened on campus.

Della Contrada disputed that characterization, maintaining that UPD’s “highlytrained team” has competently handled the Tyler Lewis investigation, especially with assistance and resources from the FBI, New York State Police, Amherst Police and Erie County Central Police Services.

“UB Police possess a depth of experience in all aspects of law enforcement and are well prepared to maintain safety on our campuses,” Della Contrada said.

University Police are urging anyone with information to call them at (716) 645-2222.

The Lewis family’s tipline can be reached at (716) 226-6336.

Crime Stoppers WNY can be reached at (716) 867-6161.

Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com

NY Deli & Diner and Bread Box Deli reopen for the first time since COVID-19 pandemic

CDS says reopening will ‘provide more points of service and offer greater variety’

MASLIN SPORTS EDITOR KATIE SKOOG ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

The NY Deli & Diner — UB’s only allkosher dining location — and Pistachio’s Bread Box reopened Monday for the spring 2023 semester after a near three-year hiatus. The two eateries have remained closed for an extended period of time after the pandemic due to the national labor shortage, according to Raymond Kohl, director of marketing and communications at UB Campus Dining & Shops.

Bread Box Deli, which is located inside Pistachio’s on the second floor of the Student Union, will be accepting orders through the GET app and will be open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The menu will feature returning student favorite paninis like the Montana, the Buffalo Chicken and the Brooklyn, Kohl said.

The NY Deli & Diner is located in Talbert Hall and will be available for takeout only. Kosher breakfast foods, sandwiches,

roasted chicken plates and chicken shawarma pita will be served, among other menu items, Kohl said. The kosher deli is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The university hired a new mashgiach (a person who ensures an establishment is in compliance with kosher standards), Moshe Morrison, ensuring the NY Deli & Diner will maintain its kosher status.

Rabbi Sara Rich, executive director of Hillel of Buffalo, says the reopening of the NY Deli & Diner is an important step toward catering those who observe kosher dietary laws, who had been left with only grab-and-go options at CDS locations for three years. The deli will also serve those who only eat halal food.

“We hope the reopening will help students eat well and feel good,” Rich said.

“For some students, this menu will be the comforting taste of home. For others, it is an opportunity to try new foods and broaden their horizons. In all cases, we are

grateful to the university for their commitment.”

Rich says the closure of the deli due to COVID-19 and staffing shortages has been challenging for everyone. Now that the establishment is back at UB, her main

focus is to make sure the deli meets the needs of the campus community.

“I hope everyone will eat, enjoy and bring their friends,” Rich said.

Email: amy.maslin@ubspectrum.com

Email: katie.skoog@ubspectrum.com

AMY

UB alum creates community with the Tool Library

Members borrow tools, share knowledge and volunteer their skills at the all-volunteer nonprofit

JASMIN YEUNG

FEATURES EDITOR`

Like many renters, Milagros Buschfrers had a problem: the branches of a tree near her house kept hitting her building during windy days.

And also like many renters, Buschfrers struggled to get her landlord to fix the issue.

Her solution? A visit to the Tool Library.

Located just 10 minutes from South Campus on West Northrup, the Tool Library allows members to borrow a variety of tools for $30 a year, providing community members (UB students included) with access to tools they’d otherwise not be able to afford.

“It’s great because there’s so many broke college students around here who just want to fix up their apartment,” Buschfrers, a senior civil engineering major and Tool Library volunteer, said. “I just got a pull saw, cut them [the branches] off… and fix[ed] the problem in one day.”

UB alum Darren Cotton struggled with a similar problem. He noticed the many unaddressed “odd jobs” there were at his University Heights apartment, jobs that he felt comfortable working on but didn’t have the tools for.

As a then-urban planning student, he was interested in urban issues like “blight, abandonment and affordable housing” that affected much of Buffalo. Finding inspiration in tool libraries around the country, he realized he had found a tangible way to address some of these issues in his community and founded his own in 2011.

One thousand one hundred seventy active members and over 4,500 tools later, the Tool Library is now a vital part of the University Heights community.

Neighborhood residents — including homeowners, renters, gardeners, hobbyists and college students — come together at the library to share resources, swap knowledge and discuss their latest projects, ac-

cording to Lissa Rhodes, Operations Manager at the Tool Library. She describes the library not as a single community, but as “10 communities all coming together in the same place for different reasons.”

The organization is run entirely by volunteers. Some of those volunteers, including Buschfrers, are UB students who enjoy working with tools and are looking to connect with their community.

“I did volunteering in high school — I’ve

Volunteering regularly has allowed Nguyen-McDowell and Buschfrers to connect with people in the neighborhood and develop new skills.

“I’ll give a tool out one week and the next week the same person will come in, and I’ll be like ‘How’s the project?’” Buschfrers said. “Sometimes couples will come in who are remodeling their house, so they’ll come in and get a couple of tools every week, and I get to hear about the progress

major and work-study student, fell in love with the Buffalo community through the program after a tabling event in a local park.

“[It] really gives you a sense of the community and a sense of Buffalo that you don’t really get when you’re only limited to campus,” she said. “The park cleanups, the trip planning… just knowing that it exists and knowing that all this is here is amazing.”

The library also hosts various community events, including the ReTree the District program — which has planted over 1,400 trees since its inception in 2014 — and their monthly Dare to Repair Cafes, where volunteer fixers repair individuals’ broken items for free. One volunteer specializing in video-game consoles even fixed Cotton’s Nintendo from 1991.

“They’re from all over the place,” Cotton said of Dare to Repair volunteers. “It's people who enjoy repairing, who are tinkerers, who like taking things apart and putting them back together.”

The event aims to encourage a circular economy, where individuals extend the lives of their broken items instead of throwing them away. Participants are able to watch the fixers repair their items and learn valuable skills on how to problemsolve if they have a similar issue.

Cotton is proud of the library’s impact on the community and hopes to provide a blueprint for others to do the same.

always been very hands on, and I wanted to keep that going when it came to the library… back home that looks like fixing bikes,” Rufus Nguyen-McDowell, a senior industrial engineering major, said. “Here, that looks like helping people get the tools they need. I found this place a perfect fit and I reached out, went to a training and was able to come down and be a tool librarian two to three hours a week.”

of that. There was one person who was turning a bus into a library, which was really fun to hear.”

Volunteers don’t need a lot of experience in order to participate. Launched during the fall 2022 semester, UB’s new work study program with the library encourages students of all experience levels to participate.

Sara Abdalla, a sophomore architecture

“You’re saving money, you’re learning new skills and to date we’ve diverted more than two tons of usable items from landfills,” Cotton said. “Again, how could every community potentially do this and what would that impact look like?”

Learn more about the Tool Library at thetoollibrary.org.

Email: jasmin.yeung@ubspectrum.com

JASMIN YEUNG / THE SPECTRUM LOCATED JUST 10 MINUTES FROM SOUTH CAMPUS ON WEST NORTHRUP THE TOOL LIBRARY ALLOWS MEMBERS TO BORROW A VARIETY OF TOOLS FOR $30 A YEAR

‘Resilient, courageous, creative and unstoppable’: UB senior returns to the barre after cancer treatment

Kara Skrubis on recovery, learning to dance again and dealing with stigma

A.J. FRANKLIN ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

Kara Skrubis has been determined to be a ballet star ever since she was 3 years old.

As a youth, she traveled nationally, performing pre-professional ballet. She started teaching ballet and enrolled at UB as a dance major.

But her life took an unpredictable turn during her first semester at UB.

In October 2019, Skrubis woke up with extreme pain in her left knee, which developed into a “warm lump.” A doctor at a local urgent care was unable to diagnose the issue. Three months later, her orthopedic doctor found a tumor in her left tibia.

At 18 years old, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer most commonly found in teenagers and young adults. The survival rate for most patients is 70%.

“It’s really hard to have hope when you’re given a prognosis and when you're given a deadline almost when you’ve been turned into a percentage,” she said. “You start to view yourself as a statistic rather than a life.”

Her diagnosis changed the trajectory of her life. She went from pursuing dreams of becoming a dance star to fighting for her life.

Her treatment regimen was grueling, forcing Skrubis to take a year off classes. She started chemotherapy in February 2020, had her left leg amputated to get rid of her cancer in April 2020, did immunotherapy until June 2021 and finished chemotherapy in September 2021.

Over a year in remission, the 21-yearold Skrubis, now a senior double majoring in psychology and health and human services, has not let her diagnosis and amputation define what is possible for her.

In addition to being a student, she fosters dogs for Buddy’s Second Chance Rescue, takes photos for UB’s dance program and still practices and teaches ballet. Her story was even featured in People magazine in November.

Skrubis said it was “really nice” to use her new-found platform to raise awareness about osteosarcoma on a national scale.

“[Osteosarcoma] is deemed the oldest cancer known to humankind,” she said. “It was found in dinosaur bones, but we all forget about it and we don’t really care about it because it’s rare. There are still many kids that are diagnosed and unfortunately do not make it.”

Skrubis was treated in pediatrics, where she had access to a child life therapist who helped her overcome and cope with her situation. She was one of the oldest patients in the hospital and said seeing her younger peers take on cancer treatment inspired her.

“I think that ever since I was diagnosed, I was trying to figure out ways to help the kids in the cancer community,” she said.

“It is pretty hard to see a kid get diagnosed with something as devastating as osteosarcoma. So I think ever since my diagnosis, I was kind of changing my gears into ways that I can give back and that’s now kind of the career path I’m on.”

Skrubis has put her ballet dreams aside and now aspires to be a certified child life therapist to help kids facing medical crises

tion of her left leg.

“Osteosarcoma does not have the best outcomes, and I really wanted to have clear [cancer] margins and not have to do any more type of treatment or surgery, so I just elected to have them amputate my leg,” Skrubis said.

The amputation left Skrubis weak. Her left leg lost muscle, withering away in her hospital bed. Its size still fluctuates today.

“Treatment was really tough on me, and sometimes the biggest achievement that I

to the best of my ability today. It’s been a year walking independently, and I’m still figuring out my best gate and speed and balance.”

She believes that answering their questions gives her an “awesome” opportunity to educate them about people with visible disabilities.

“I know that I look different than most people,” she said. “I know that the public tends to stare at someone who looks different than them, which is totally normal and I think [that is] a part of being human. My favorite thing is when kids come up and ask about my leg.”

There was an abundance of support throughout her surgery and recovery. Her friends from her dance classes put together a care package with “goodies,” blankets and a “feel better” video.

But no one was more supportive than Skrubis’ mom, who spent every night with her through 18 months of treatment. She says her mom became her “other half.”

“I was just sitting in the bed and getting the medicine pumped through me, and it kind of felt like whatever happened to me, happened to me,” she said. “Whereas, my mom was watching a part of her go through something that she couldn’t control.”

Jeanne Fornarola, a dance professor at UB, taught Skrubis her freshman year and now collaborates with Skrubis on her dance photography. Fornarola described Skrubis as “resilient, courageous, creative and unstoppable.”

“I remember Kara coming up with such really, really brilliant and creative responses,” Fornarola said of Skrubis’ dance style. “I remember thinking I saw a whole new side of her. I remember thinking how creative she was and also, at that moment, what a leader she was.”

Now working as a dance studio choreographer, Skrubis works with clients as young as 3 years old.

like hers.

“I think that working with kids always has made me the happiest, [and] the hospital setting is a great way to give back,” she said.

Chemotherapy wouldn’t be enough. Skrubis had three options. Her doctors could replace her infected bone with titanium. She could undergo a rotationplasty, where her femur, knee, and upper tibia would be surgically removed and her lower leg would be rotated 180 degrees and then attached to her femur.

Skrubis chose the third option: amputa-

had during the day was brushing my teeth in bed or just waking up and eating something,” she said.

Skrubis could do everything that she was able to do prior to treatment; she just had to learn how to do it in “adaptive ways.”

It took her a long time to relearn how to walk and an even longer time to relearn to dance. She had to use a wheelchair, a walker and crutches before she could walk with her prosthetic leg.

“Walking was pretty scary, it was a lot of falling, a lot of pain and very frustrating,” she said. “I’m still learning how to walk

“I’d say it’s pretty rewarding,” Skrubis said. “I was a dance teacher before my diagnosis, so it was another way of learning how to get back into it. It taught me that teaching doesn’t have to really change at all because of my diagnosis, and it’s still a way to be in the dance world.”

Prior to her diagnosis, her experience with ballet was “very hardcore and strict,” which took a mental and physical toll on her. Her love of ballet has been rekindled after her treatment.

“I don’t put so much pressure on myself to be perfect because no one’s really perfect, even if you have two legs.”

Email: aj.franklin@ubspectrum.com

‘It’s not every day you can see Battle Bots come and beat each other up’

Engineering students prepare for annual Battle Bot competition

KATIE SKOOG

ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

In Jarvis Hall’s machine shop, Nico Hadlick cleans off old pipes. Under the fluorescent lights of the shop, he shaves the pipes to remove a toxic metal coating, cleans them and repeats. He plans to use the pipes, salvaged from UB, as supports for his “Battle Bot,” a remote-control robot designed to annihilate its opposition.

Hadlick, a freshman biomedical engineering student, is preparing for his team’s participation in E-Week’s Battle Bot Competition by repurposing any junk he can find from his job as a student supervisor in the machine shop.

“SA [Student Association] no longer approves Amazon orders, which has made it really hard [to buy materials],” Hadlick said. “So I have no funding basically for the robot.”

He’s not discouraged by this. In fact, he

says that cobbling together enough junk to build a robot is “actually pretty funny.”

E-Week, held from Feb. 19 to 25, is a time for UB’s engineering clubs to bring the clubs and the wider campus community together with a variety of events.

The Battle Bot Competition may be the biggest of the week, but it’s not the only one. Engineering clubs compete in a variety of contests, ranging from paper airplane races to cardboard roller coaster design.

When a club wins one of those competitions, they gain points toward winning E-Week. The Battle Bot Competition — worth more points than any other event — is a crucial battleground for any club vying for the championship.

The first, second and third place winners

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

who secure the most points will each win a cash prize for their club budgets, Jesse Orozco, a junior civil engineering major, who is planning E-Week as SA Engineering Council Coordinator, told The Spectrum

This year, 19 clubs will be participating in the Battle Bot Competition, which takes place on Friday, Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Student Union lobby.

Orozco encourages all students to come and watch, even if they’re not a part of an engineering club.

“It’s not every day you can see Battle Bots come and beat each other up,” he said. “I just want it to be a fun time.”

Along with the metal pipes, Hadlick is also using metal handles from a diving board and steel from the bottom of an old grinding machine for the frame of his bot. His motor will be made out of old drills that don’t work anymore.

With this in mind, Hadlick gave his bot the name “Garbage Can.”

Hadlick learned about robotics in high

school through a self-taught club, making it to the 2021-22 Vex Robotics World Championship and placing 18th out of over 800 teams.

He finds time to work on the bot during his shifts at the machine shop, helping other students along the way. When another student can’t pay for a part, Hadlick tells students what other materials they can use instead for free.

He looks at prior UB competitions to see who won and what their design was, and then compares it to Battle Bot competitions on television. He also uses the program Fusion 360.

“You take real world objects and you can import them into the software to see how it scales up,” Hadlick said. “You’re trying to make it real, you’re trying to make the sizing right.”

Marcus Yuen, a senior mechanical engineering major, also uses Fusion 360 for his construction process. As the leader for UB’s American Society of Mechanical En-

gineers (ASME) battle bot team, he is putting in 20 to 25 hours every week to work on the bot.

With four members on the UB ASME team, they divide up the work in between classes to build at the machine shop in Jarvis.

“I’m kind of learning on the way,” Yuen said. “It’s kind of been my first time, so I hope it goes OK.”

He credits the people at the machine shop for helping him learn more about designing products to be made easily.

ASME’s bot is currently named “Skullcrusher,” though that’s subject to change.

Yuen uses onlinemetals.com to get the materials. This year they are going for a spinner — or a bot which typically has a spinning arm on it that inflicts damage on other bots, while also knocking them away — making it useful for both offense and defense.

UB ASME has won the Battle Bot Competition for the past five years.

“I hope we uphold our title and we bring the heat to the other contestants,” Yuen said, adding that his favorite part of the process is watching the destruction on competition day. With his bot being made of repurposed materials, Hadlick hopes to bring originality to the competition.

The Battle Bot competition is a highlight of E-Week and a day that many engineering majors have circled on their calendars. Orozco finds himself in a unique situation as he prepares for the event. Being in charge of organizing a six-hour event featuring 19 clubs comes with pressure, but watching UB’s engineers do what they do best makes it all worth it.

“It’s a pretty nice position just being able to see everyone come together, build a bot, battle it out and kinda just have fun,” he said.

Email: katie.skoog@ubspectrum.com

ChatGPT a ‘blessing and a curse’ for UB students, faculty

With its potential for revolutionizing the way students engage with course materials, ChatGPT is at the center of ongoing discussions and debates among universities as they weigh the pros and cons of incorporating this advanced technology into their curriculums.

That was written by ChatGPT, an “advanced language model tool” created by software firm OpenAI.

ChatGPT — a chatbot capable of providing information on command, generating content and explaining concepts — is turning heads at higher education institutions across the country. Weeks after its November debut, a Furman University student confessed to enlisting the chatbot to complete a philosophy paper, according to Insider. Since then, academics have proven it capable of passing the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam, a Wharton Business School exam and four law exams.

Several K-12 school districts and universities have even banned the ChatGPT outright, citing fears over “plagiarism and misinformation,” according to Insider

But UB is among a shortlist of universities exploring a future with ChatGPT in its lecture halls.

The university says its Office of Academic Integrity and Office of Curriculum, Assessment and Teaching Transformation (CATT) is collaborating to help faculty “incorporate new tools as part of the learning process” without backing down on academic integrity.

“UB supports innovative teaching, including the use of emerging technologies such as ChatGPT,” the university said in a statement. “Student use of these technologies, however, should never violate existing academic integrity policies.”

An “Academic Integrity at UB” course that was piloted this past academic year will also be made mandatory for all new students in the fall.

“Students who use ChatGPT outside of the bounds set by their instructor will be charged with academic dishonesty,” Kelly Ahuna, director of the Office of Academic Integrity, said. “We know students are likely intrigued about ChatGPT and how it might assist them. Different courses may be more inclined to use AI technology as a tool, so it will be important for instructors to set parameters around its use.”

Several students and faculty members spoke with The Spectrum about their attitudes toward ChatGPT and classroom experiences one week into the spring semester.

Zach Leng, a freshman electrical engineering major, says he got the lowdown on ChatGPT in Introduction to Programming with professor Nicholas Mastronarde by the end of the syllabus week.

“[Dr. Mastronarde] concluded that it [ChatGPT] certainly can be used to write a program, but just because the program can run without errors doesn’t mean it is actually doing what you wanted it to do,” Leng said. Mastronarde warned students against using ChatGPT but admitted that detecting AI code compared to human

code would be difficult “since they can look completely identical.”

Jinhui Xu, chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, says that the lack of concrete detection methods has prompted his department to increase the weight of exams at the expense of homework and projects, to compensate for the use of ChatGPT.

“I want to feel like this will help students to learn – of course, maybe they can use ChatGPT as a starting point. But if it teaches students the wrong information, that is even worse than not learning,” Xu said. “But like any other new technology — because we’re computer scientists —

adaptable tool for learners to be able to help themselves in the bigger picture — given the right motivations.

“We had Google before, now there’s ChatGPT,” Kumar said. “Personally, I believe that seeking help is OK if you understand the concept by the end.”

Sinai Thomas, a senior chemistry major and former Spectrum staff writer, has other opinions.

“From an academic perspective, ChatGPT should not be allowed,” Thomas said. “Letting a machine do the learning for you? I feel like it reflects our shorter attention spans as our generations keep going.”

Thomas says taking the time and effort

“pre-trained” chatbot, according to Xu. “Whatever is generated by ChatGPT is based on similarity to the training data, so it does not really guarantee correctness,” Xu said. “That is not something it cares about.”

“I find ChatGPT to be both a blessing and a curse,” Stapleton said. “It’s incredibly scary to think of students just telling the bot to write an essay and then submitting it. It makes our jobs as teachers hard, to make sure that it’s not AI-generated.”

we are also excited about this new development because it provides a lot of other opportunities. All breakthroughs in technology provide us with opportunities to improve and make people’s lives easier.”

Leng supports banning the tool in most classes and would like to see the university adopt AI-checking tools similar to GPTZero (the brainchild of Princeton senior Edward Tian) to counter ChatGPT.

“I am sure that certain classes could absolutely utilize ChatGPT as a tool,” Leng said. “However… classes such as ENG 105 or CSE 115 are teaching students how to write, whether that be writing code or writing essays. ChatGPT would completely circumvent these course goals.”

Milind Kumar, a freshman computer science major, is taking an introductory English course. While ChatGPT wasn’t mentioned by name, he says his professor switched to paper to make it more difficult for students to cheat using online tools.

“I personally think that the switch from digital to paper was necessary, to be honest,” Kumar said. “The course challenges someone on the basis of their writing and grammar skills, and cheating your way out using ChatGPT would be unfair for students who genuinely work hard to get a good grade.”

Still, Kumar sees ChatGPT as another

to learn is more important than any outcome. He says he struggled with writing in high school but was able to improve aspects of his writing with years of English courses. He even became an English minor.

“You need to have those fundamental skills in order to succeed in the future, especially if you’re planning on going to grad school,” Thomas said. “So to me, to basically choose the easy way out doesn’t make any sense.”

Thomas isn’t alone. Zachary Stapleton, a senior education major, recounted similar discussions in a “digital tech for teaching” course he had taken.

“We were talking about the risks it would pose for the classroom when we become teachers,” Stapleton said. “It was super interesting because it’s a real issue, and we had to think of ways to combat against our own students using the program to finish their assignments.”

In one class, Stapleton was told to test out ChatGPT to get a feel for the ease of access to “quick, easy assignments” and try to find commonalities between AIgenerated essays or “tell-tale” flags.

“I can see the appeal,” he said. The senior noted that the tool was error-prone and seldom cited sources correctly.

This comes down to ChatGPT being a

But Stapleton does see silver linings. ChatGPT can help students outline essays and generate topic ideas, and is forcing teachers to be more creative with lesson plans.

“It sort of forces educators to consider more project-based learning,” Stapleton said. “As we all know, we should constantly be looking for new ways to educate, and while [cheating through AI essays] is a bad reason, it is a way to start the process.”

Carol Van Zile-Tamsen, associate vice provost and director of the CATT office, says that the university is in the process of sharing both cheating prevention guidance and ideas on implementation with instructors.

“While there is a lot of anxiety about cheating, instructors now must consider how AI tools can actually promote writing instruction just as the arrival of the calculator changed how math is taught,” Van Zile-Tamsen said.

Ahuna says that instructors will be able to tell if a student’s work is “suddenly different” and may start “asking for drafts, oral components to assignments, or inclass writing to accompany assignments.”

Meanwhile, in Davis Hall, Xu teeters between skepticism and reverence.

“I have mixed feelings,” Xu said. “It is certainly a challenge, but there’s also an opportunity for us to improve our education and our lives.” Email:

Moaz Elazzazi / ThE SpEcTruM StudentS have been uSing ai-powered chatbot chat gpt for aSSiStance on homework and aSSignmentS

The university will “embrace” ChatGPT, work with faculty to implement chatbot

Upcoming shows and exhibitions that are sure to be highlights of the spring semester

MERET KELSEY SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

Spring is right around the corner, and with it comes a wealth of dynamic campus arts events. From avant-garde dance showcases to nostalgic film screenings to Celtic fiddle music, there’s something for everyone to enjoy as the weather warms up.

Theatre and Dance

Zodiaque Dance Company

March 3 - 4, March 4 - 5, Center for the Arts

Drama Theatre

The 48th annual spring showcase of Zodiaque Dance Company will include jazz, ballet and contemporary performances (to name a few) choreographed by UB’s own dance majors.

The showcase is part of UB Dance Day, an annual celebration of dance on campus, which also includes a pre-show workshop, a dance class and a Q&A with Zodiaque Dancers.

An all-access UB Dance Day ticket costs $30; admission to the showcase alone is $10 for students.

Eurydice

March 9 - 11, March 11 - 12, Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre

This theatrical production is a reinterpretation of the iconic Greek myth of Orpheus with a unique spin — it’s told through the perspective of Eurydice, his wife, as she journeys to the underworld. Written by playwright Sarah Ruhl, the play is an inventive new look on a tragic story.

Admission for students is $10.

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella

April 27 - 30, May 5 - 7, Center for the Arts

Drama Theatre

Written by two legends of musical theatre, this adaptation of Cinderella is a contemporary take on the classic fairytale. The whimsical production is perfect for anyone in search of a little magic.

Admission for students is $10.

Art and Film

Napoleon Dynamite Live

April 13, Center for the Arts MainStage Theatre

The cast of cult classic comedy film “Napoleon Dynamite” reunites for an engagement at the Center for the Arts this April. The event will kick off with a screening of the movie, followed by a moderated discussion with Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez and Jon Gries (or Napoleon Dynamite,

Pedro and Uncle Rico, respectively).

Tickets start at $38, with VIP meet-andgreet packages available for $108.

‘I don’t know you like that’ — Curator’s walkthroughs

Feb. 25, Anderson Gallery

March 2, CFA Gallery

UB Art Galleries’ latest exhibition, “I don’t know you like that: The bodywork of hospitality,” may have opened back in November, but there’s still plenty of time to explore the show.

Join curator Sylvie Fortin at the Anderson and CFA galleries for an in-depth walkthrough of the exhibition, which features a diverse collection of multimedia works on the topic of hospitality and the human body.

Admission to UB Art Galleries is free.

Music

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell

Leahy

Feb. 14, Center for the Arts MainStage Theatre

Join real-life couple and fiddle virtuosos

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy for a night of traditional Celtic music this Valentine’s Day.

The Canadian duo, who have collabo-

What music ‘UB’ listening to?

Songs have the ability to capture moments and epitomize the chapters of one’s life.

The Spectrum asked UB students what songs they’re emulating this spring semester. SZA or Ice Spice might be helpful for getting out of bed and on the shuttle to class, but might be less useful when it comes to rigorous exams and endless late night study sessions. Either way, these spring semester anthems are sure to put some pep in your step and some cheer in your ear.

“Kill Bill” by SZA — Masere Kaba (sophomore early childhood education major)

Kaba fell for SZA’s vibey No. 2 Billboard Hot 100 hit (week of Feb. 4). She said the song finds its way to her ears every single time she opens TikTok. Kaba does

offer one clarification though: She doesn’t entirely see eye to eye with SZA’s lyrics.

“No, I don’t wanna kill my ex! Nah,” Kaba said. “It’s something nice to listen to. It’s just a vibe.”

“S&M” by Rihanna — Saira Velez (junior theatre major)

Velez found herself drawn to the funloving rowdiness of Rihanna’s 2011 bop.

“My anthem… would be ‘S&M’ by Rihanna because I am going to go wild,” Velez said. “Oh, I’m gonna go wild.”

One set of lyrics particularly moves her: “Na-na-na-na-na, come on.”

“Euphoric” by Ice Spice — Olamma Okolo (junior pharmacy major)

When Okolo listens to “Euphoric,” she envisions herself in a fast car with her red hair blowing in the wind.

“It feels like I’m in a car and I’m rid-

ing fast like NASCAR racing, you know?” Okolo said. “My vibe this semester is just being fast-paced. I’m very fast-paced.”

“The Climb” by Miley Cyrus — Haley Myruski (senior business administration major)

Myruski really connects with “The Climb” as a senior graduating this spring.

“It’s a really good song to listen to when thinking about my future and where it might lead me,” Myruski said. “It’s nervewracking. It’s bittersweet. I’m excited to go but also sad.”

“Act Up” by City Girls — Fatoumata Magassouba (junior biology major)

Magassouba loves the opening lyrics to “Act Up.” She said that the first line closely describes her life and the upcoming semester.

The City Girls open the track as follows: “Real ass b—h, give a f—k ‘bout a n—a.”

“Because like who gives a f—k about a n—a you know?” Magassouba said.

“Tomorrow 2” by GloRilla (ft. Cardi B) — Tamoy Forbes (junior biological sciences major)

Forbes may adore the hip-hop sonics of “Tomorrow 2,” but she doesn’t fully endorse its message.

“I don’t think you should follow the words because it basically says that if y’all don’t date today, y’all may have a chance tomorrow, and you should never wait for a man,” Forbes said. “Just listen to it because it’s a nice song, but don’t follow the words.”

“You” by Don Toliver (ft. Travis Scott) OR “Two” by Lil Uzi Vert Zariyah Gravenhise (junior public health

rated with stalwarts like cellist Yo-Yo Ma, vocalist Alison Krauss and banjo player Bela Fleck, are internationally recognized for their energetic take on traditional fiddle music.

Tickets start at $29.

Harlem Quartet

Feb. 25, Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall

This acclaimed string quartet was formed by the Sphinx Organization, a musical nonprofit dedicated to increasing diversity in the world of classical music.

The Grammy-winning group is set to take the stage at Lippes Concert Hall later this month to perform a selection of classical and jazz music.

The performance is free to UB students.

An Evening With Third Eye Blind

March 29, Center for the Arts MainStage Theatre

Best known for hits like “Semi-Charmed Life,” 90s alternative rock band Third Eye Blind is back on tour in support of their 2021 album “Our Bande Apart.”

A portion of ticket sales will benefit SeaTrees, an organization that fights climate change by restoring kelp forests. Tickets start at $58.25.

Email: meret.kelsey@ubspectrum.com

major)

One is never enough. For Gravenhise, settling on just one song to be her semester anthem was an impossible task. Instead, she opted to split her selection in two.

“You,” a Don Toliver and Travis Scott collab is already a win in Gravenhise’s eyes. The lyrics relating to her own life is just an added bonus.

Scott sings, “Before I break up out this place, take a eighth, and levitate.”

“That’s just me,” she said.

As for Lil Uzi Vert’s “Two,” Gravenhise reminisced on the nostalgia of this “Love is Rage” album-opener. It reminds her of high school’s naivety and carelessness.

The voicemail that opens “Two” features a girl trying to get Lil Uzi to wake up. This also hits home with Gravenhise.

“Wake up! Time for class!” Sanaa Stnetienne, Gravenhise’s friend and a junior law major said.

“Girl, you’re still sleeping! Get up!” Gravenhise said, imitating her alarm clock.

“CUFF IT” by Beyonce — Danaye Maddox (freshman business major)

Much like Beyonce, Maddox feels like falling in love and is definitely “in the mood to ‘eff something up.”

“It’s hype. It’s lit,” Maddox said. “It’s party.”

Whether this semester consists of acting up with the City Girls, funking up the night with Beyonce or feeling nostalgic with Miley Cyrus, with the right music blaring in your ears, May will come and go in no time. Don’t blast the music too loud though — audio exposure is a real danger! Email: alex.novak@ubspectrum.com

DaisyChain kicks off The Spectrum’s concert series

UB band brings a high-energy performance to the office

MERET KELSEY

SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

Local band DaisyChain stopped by the newsroom in December to give the inaugural performance in The Spectrum’s brand new concert series. The three-piece rock group, fronted by UB electrical engineering senior Joseph Gogan, played a raucous set that featured both original songs and a host of classic covers.

The band is accustomed to playing at conventional local spots like Stamps and Mohawk Place, so the scaled-down, cozy atmosphere of The Spectrum’s office wasn’t exactly a typical venue for the group to perform in — but that didn’t stop DaisyChain from delivering a high-energy performance.

Drummer and vocalist Gogan traded in his usual drum set for a cajon, backed by guitarists Katie Missert and Matthew Riley.

The band’s name alludes to their style of performing — the band flows from one song to the next seamlessly, forming a musical “daisy chain.”

The trio paid homage to some of their influences with covers of songs like Pink Floyd’s “Money,” but they were quick to showcase their own originals too.

“Jeg Elsker Deg,” a love song that takes its name from a Norwegian phrase, was a highlight of the band’s set. Gogan penned the lyrics after a case of songwriting fatigue.

“I got really tired of rhyming with ‘you…’ So I’m like, OK, let me think of something else,” Gogan said. “I had a significant other in my life… that knew a bit of Norwegian, and one of the phrases [they used] was jeg elsker deg, which means

‘I love you.’ So I took that and wrote the whole song around that phrase.”

Then there’s “In Your Eyes” (no, it’s not a Peter Gabriel cover), another original song that initially stemmed from a “goof” between Riley and Gogan.

“There was literally something in his eye,” Gogan said, as he and Riley laughed. “So I went, ‘Oh, there’s something in your eyes…’ The rest of the songwriting process went from there.”

DaisyChain has undergone a series of lineup changes in its few years of life, but at the band’s core is Riley and Gogan’s creative partnership. The longtime friends, who attended Canisius High School together, have a certain camaraderie that’s quite apparent both on and off stage that fuels their shared songwriting process.

“I write a riff in my bedroom, not to a metronome. Then I show it to Joe and because I didn’t write it to a metronome, it’s not in four-four,” Riley said.

“And so I have to write a stupid drum riff to match to it,” Gogan said. “Somehow something will happen and I come up with some lyrics and I merge the two to create the song.”

The members of the band bring some vastly different musical influences and tastes to the table, but that’s something they embrace.

“He listens to the Beatles, I listen to Metallica, Katie listens to John Mayer,” Riley explained.

It’s this type of variation that makes DaisyChain so fun to watch.

“If it rocks, we’ll bop. That’s the tagline,” Gogan said.

Email: meret.kelsey@ubspectrum.com

The Spectrum’s Super Bowl LVII eye candy

The Bills may be out, but gorgeous football players are still in. Bills Mafia may be grieving another missed shot at the Lombardi Trophy, but that doesn’t mean the big game has to be a big downer.

The Spectrum hit the Student Union and One World Café to ask students which Chiefs or Eagles players will be catching their eye when the two teams duke it out Sunday, Feb. 12 at Super Bowl LVII.

Based on student contributions, The Spectrum presents the Super Bowl’s Top 5 Hunky Heartthrobs:

Jalen Hurts (Eagles)

Hurts gives the Eagles an early 1-0 lead in this “Super Bowl” of sorts.

When a group of male students in One World Café unanimously selected Hurts as their No. 1 choice, it became obvious what a fierce competitor he is in this game of looks-based superficiality.

“Jalen Hurts is handsome,” Caitlyn Phan, a sophomore biology major, said. “I think he’s cute, just a cute boy.”

“He’s a handsome fella,” Ryan Lott, a freshman civil engineering major, agreed.

This quarterback garnered compliments on everything from his hair to his smile and jewelry.

“[He has] perfect teeth. I like the earring,” Sam Obi, a mechanical engineering major, said. “[He’s] very symmetrical. I love the jewelry. It looks like he’s got some style.”

Meanwhile, Chioma Nweke, a sophomore psychology major, begrudgingly selected Hurts as her top pick.

“Out of what we were given, he is the lesser of two evils,” Nweke said.

Regardless of motivations, Hurts’ certified hunkiness brings home an early lead for Philadelphia.

Travis Kelce (Chiefs)

Fortunately for Kansas City, Travis Kelce impresses enough UB students to get the Chiefs on the baddie board. His strong features, beard, deep eyes and pearly whites receive a lot of consistently positive attention.

“It’s definitely gonna be Kelce for the Chiefs,” Obi said. “He’s definitely the best dressed. I like his facial hair. He’s got a nice smile. I like his personality too… the way he conducts his interviews.”

“He has really good teeth,” Cecilia Mak, a freshman pharmacy major, said. “Damn!”

There was one subject of heated debate, however: Kelce’s buzz cut.

“I think he’s ugly. I hate the buzz cut,” Maddy Frost, a freshman nursing major,

weighed in. “There’s something else off about him, but I can’t think what it is.”

“He’s just a regular white boy,” Ethan Lysarz, a freshman undecided major, said. Others like senior psychology major

Quez Watkins (Eagles)

Compared to Hurts and Kelce, Quez Watkins was the underdog of the Hunklympics. Students appreciated his winning

Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)

To tie the scores up again at 2-2 is Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs’ quarterback: heartthrob to some, aversive sight to others. Out of all of the Super Bowl’s key figures, Mahomes was the most frequent victim of back-handed compliments and outright insults.

“Objectively Patrick Mahomes is good looking, but I just hate Mahomes as a player in general,” Mak said, reflecting on times that Mahomes was instrumental in taking down her team of choice — the 49ers — most notably in Super Bowl LIV. “He’s still better than Tom Brady.”

“I think he’s kind of cute,” Le said. “I think his nose is ugly, but everything else is fine. I see potential.”

“I like his hair,” Andrea Salinas, a freshman business major, said. “I just don’t like his ears… I like his hair though and his smile, I do. I see it.”

Despite the criticism of his ears and nose, others like Lizbeth Gomez, a junior communication major, were more generous to Mahomes.

“His smile is cute,” Gomez said simply. “He looks nice.”

Jason Kelce (Eagles)

Shockingly breaking this nail-biter of a hotness contest is Jason Kelce, Eagles center and brother of aforementioned Travis Kelce. Although often pinned as Travis Kelce’s less-conventionally drool-inducing brother, Jason Kelce held his own in the big leagues.

“I just followed him last night on Instagram and then I saw that he was married and unfollowed,” Autumn Frien, UB Class of 2018 psychology alum, said. “He’s a thick boy. I call them T.N.B.s: Thick Neck Boys. That’s what I’m into.”

Although his physique makes him Frien’s dream man, others appreciated his likability instead of his outwardly burly appearance.

“He’s not hot though. He’s cute,” Ian Pachura, a freshman biology major, said. “He’s lovable.”

Despite the wholesome appreciation for Jason Kelce, some students could not help themselves from landing one last blow on the opposing team.

“All the Chiefs are ugly,” Rebecca Tran, a sophomore exercise science major, concluded.

Trinity Folk and sophomore biology major Nicole Le jumped to Travis’ buzz cut’s defense.

“I like it. I like a good buzz cut,” Folk said.

“I like buzz cuts sometimes,” Le said.

“It works for him.”

Phan, disapproved.

“He looks like a dad,” Phan said.

smile and visible tattoos.

“Nobody is giving,” Shayla Peterson, a sophomore public health major, said. “[But Watkins has a] nice smile. He has tattoos.”

“He does have a nice smile,” Dominic Taormina, a junior mechanical engineering major, said.

With a final score of 3-2, the Eagles take the win — at least in regard to superficial attractiveness. Whether their success with UB students will carry over onto the field on game day is yet to be determined.

Moaz Elazzazi / ThE SpEcTruM The Three-piece rock group fronTed by ub elecTrical engineering senior Joseph gogan played a raucous seT ThaT feaTured boTh original songs and a hosT of classic covers

all-pro rEElS / WikiMEdia coMMonS philadelphia eagles quarTerback Jalen hurTs was ranked The hoTTesT player in The super bowl by ub sTudenTs

all-pro rEElS / WikiMEdia coMMonS kansas ciTy chiefs quarTerback paTrick MahoMes looks To win his second super bowl This sunday

Women’s basketball falls to Northern Illinois, currently stand at seventh in MAC

Bulls lose 72-62 for fifth loss in last six games, drop to 9-10 overall

AMY MASLIN SPORTS EDITOR RYAN TANTALO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Fans filed into Alumni Area on UB’s celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day for a 2 p.m. matchup between UB and Northern Illinois. The Bulls were tied for sixth in the MAC with a 4-5 conference record (9-9 overall). NIU came in at 10-10 (2-7 MAC).

The first half was evenly matched; NIU led 34-33 after the first 20 minutes of play. Graduate guard Re’Shawna Stone scored 11 of the first 23 UB points. The 202122 Division-II National Player of the Year went to the halftime break with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting.

Northern Illinois’ offense centered around senior A’Jah Davis. The 2021-22 All-MAC forward dominated the paint with 10 first-half points on 5-of-7 shooting, and 8 total rebounds. The Bulls were heavily out-rebounded in the first half — 25-to-11.

As the second half progressed, NIU’s size and rebounding ability began to wear the Bulls down. Davis grabbed another eight boards in the third quarter, and the Huskies began to pull away. A buzzer beater at the end of the third quarter gave them an eight-point lead, and all of the momentum, heading to the final period.

Davis continued to shine for the Huskies. She finished with 18 points on 8-of10 shooting and 21 total rebounds. The final rebound total was 51-to-25 in favor of NIU.

“We just got killed on the glass,” Burke said. She expected Davis to be NIU’s focal point on offense, given the Bulls’ “lack of a true post player.”

“Ultimately, I think [Davis] was the difference,” Burke said.

The Bulls battled back in the fourth, but ultimately fell short 72-62. Stone played the entire 40 minutes. She finished with 19 points, tied for the game-high with her teammate: fifth-year guard Zakiyah Winfield. Winfield picked up her 12th doubledouble of the year, with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

The Bulls’ strong backcourt performance wasn’t enough and UB dropped to 9-10 overall. The Bulls lost five of the last six, with the only win coming Wednesday against Miami (OH) 81-76. Stone led the team with 22 points in that effort.

UB’s 4-6 MAC record is good for seventh place in the conference. The top eight MAC seeds will travel to Cleveland in March for the conference championship tournament. Following Saturday’s loss, the Bulls hold a one-game edge over NIU for that final spot.

In light of the recent skid, Burke said she’s concerned about her team’s position in the conference.

“We’re going to be scrapping and clawing and fighting to be playing in Cleveland. We knew that from the beginning of this year,” Burke said. “But I think it’ll mean more to us when we do make it… and [we’ll know] what it took to get there. These last few games down the stretch are going to be really crucial.”

The Bulls have eight regular season games remaining in 2023, all in conference play. Their next game is at Toledo on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.

Email: amy.maslin@ubspectrum.com

Email: ryan.tantalo@ubspectrum.com

UB football hauls in MAC’s No.

1 overall recruiting class

Maurice Linguist’s second UB recruiting class includes 32 new additions

RYAN TANTALO

SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

The Bulls are back on top of Mid-American Conference recruiting for the second consecutive year.

The updated 2023 football recruiting class rankings came out on Feb. 1 — National Signing Day — when coveted high school players usually announce their commitments to play college football. Although UB didn’t land any elite four or five-star recruits, the 2023 class is full of high-level talent (no MAC team was able to land a four- or five-star player).

Head coach Maurice Linguist commended his staff’s recruiting efforts, telling The Spectrum that “people see the end result of our recruiting class — and it’s worthy of being celebrated — but there’s hundreds of hours of phone calls [and] arranging visits.”

UB picked up 32 new players: one is already enrolled, 22 signed letters of intent and nine are transfers. The Bulls have the conference’s largest overall class, the most transfers and the most three-star players. Linguist said he didn’t focus specifically

on recruiting one position, but said, “from receiver, to tight end, to safety, to corner, to quarterback, we want to address every single position on our roster with talented and driven student athletes.”

Linguist, 38, now entering his third season as UB’s head coach, recognized the impact of the Bulls’ 2022 Camellia Bowl win and the program’s growing profile.

“Anytime you play nationally televised games — and you’re able to play well and win — it gets the nation’s attention,” Linguist said. “It allows recruits in Florida, Georgia or California to see our program. Those things contribute to building that bridge to show a recruit why they’d want to join this family.”

It’s no surprise that Linguist — who gained a reputation as one of the nation’s top recruiters through stints at Texas A&M, Minnesota, Mississippi State and Iowa State, to name a few — has secured his second-consecutive No. 1 MAC class this offseason. Here are the new additions you need to know:

Notable Transfers: UB took full advantage of college

HAYDEN AZZINARO STAFF WRITER

RICARDO CASTILLO STAFF WRITER EVAN HILBERT STAFF WRITER

Men’s basketball (12-12, 6-5 MAC) defeated Eastern Michigan (6-18, 3-8 MAC) 102-97 at Alumni Arena Tuesday night, UB’s highest-scoring game in conference play this season.

UB’s found itself in a number of highscoring affairs this season, and EMU’s 97 points is the most the Bulls have allowed in any game during the 2022-23 campaign.

“We prepped for the chaos,” senior forward LaQuill Hardnett said. “This felt like a regular game to me.”

Hardnett finished the game with 21 points, matching junior forward Isaiah Adams for the team high. On Sunday, Hardnett scored 27 in UB’s 85-76 win over Western Michigan (6-18, 2-9 MAC).

Sophomore guard Curtis Jones scored 30 in the Bulls’ last game, but got off to a slow start against EMU. He went into the break with just 3 points on 1-7 shooting. Jones had a down night on offense, along with some foul trouble in the second half, but still put up 13 points. He was one of six Bulls to finish the night with double figures.

All eyes were on Eastern Michigan sophomore wing Emoni Bates. The former five-star recruit from Ypsilanti, Michigan took the court to loud boos from the UB crowd. Bates — who played at Memphis under head coach and former NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway last season — got off to a slow start, going 16 minutes without a field goal. Bates managed to turn that lackluster performance around in the last four minutes of the first half, scoring 12 points that helped the Eagles take a 48-

football’s latest craze: the transfer portal. Along with the best overall class, the Bulls had the highest-rated MAC transfer class. View the full transfer class here.

CJ Ogbanna, three-star quarterback, Southeast Missouri State

Ogbanna is the only quarterback to transfer to the Bulls (two others signed letters of intent.) Ogbanna is the highestrated quarterback in the UB 2023 recruiting class.

He didn’t start for the RedHawks in 2022, but in 2021 he put up 1,521 yards and 15 total touchdowns. That included four total touchdowns in the final game of the 2021 season, a 31-14 win over UT Martin. He made the Ohio Valley Conference All-Newcomer team in 2021.

But Ogbanna isn’t perfect. He struggles with accuracy, and his career completion percentage is nearly 50/50.

But, he’s still a welcome addition to UB’s quarterback room. Senior Cole Snyder is the likely starter in 2023, but depth is always valuable — look at Brock Purdy’s recent playoff run with the San Francisco 49ers.

Demetrius Harris, three-star safety, Cornell University

The Michigan native went Ivy League for four years. During Harris’ senior year, Cornell had a top-50 defense in Division-I and he tied for third on the team with 45 tackles.

Before Cornell, Harris won a Michigan high school state title while playing safety, linebacker and receiver at Muskegon High School.

At 6’2 and 191 lbs., he is the highestrated player to transfer to UB in 2023.

Zion Carter, tight end, Dartmouth

Another Ivy-Leaguer, Carter is nearly Gronk-sized — 6’6, 230 pounds. He adds an interesting wrinkle to UB’s offense, but he needs to develop.

Despite his physical gifts, Carter caught just one pass in 15 games at Dartmouth. But Dartmouth averaged less than 163 passing yards per game in 2022. UB averaged 40% more than that. Will the Bulls be able to unlock him?

Even if Carter’s just a blocker, the Bulls

44 lead at halftime. Bates finished his night with 27 points on 8-17 shooting from the field.

“What made him difficult was just being able to make tough shots,” Adams, who was tasked with guarding the Eagles’ top scorer, said about Bates. “I just tried to make it hard for him all night, and I think I did.”

UB exploded with 58 points in the second half, led by Adams who had 14 in the frame along with three 3-pointers in the first eight minutes. Head coach Jim Whitesell praised the forward’s ball security during the post-game press conference.

Adams also got help from his teammate Hardnett, who scored 21 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Whitesell praised everything about Hardnett’s game against the Eagles, except the technical foul he received following a slam dunk.

“These two [Adams and Hardnett] played really well,” Whitesell said. “His holding on the rim I wasn’t happy about, but I thought he played outstanding.”

EMU sophomore guard Tyson Acuff racked up a game-high 35 points, but the Eagles stay at 10th in the MAC with the loss. UB improved to fifth with their second straight win Tuesday.

“I feel good,” Whitesell said in a response to a question about the upcoming conference playoffs in March. “I want to take every game one-by-one. You know, we got a big game Friday [and] I want to keep going north with our guys.”

The Bulls return to Alumni Arena on Friday, Feb. 10 to attempt to avenge their 74-68 Jan. 27 loss to Kent State (19-5, 9-2 MAC). The game begins at 6 p.m. and can be watched on ESPN3.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

can still use his size in their high-scoring offense.

Notable Recruits:

Jamarr Davis, three-star offensive lineman, Northwest Mississippi Community College

At 6’4 and 315 lbs., Davis adds Power-

Five size to the UB offensive line. Davis was 247sports.com’s 45th-ranked junior college recruit, and the highest-rated UB recruit in the 2023 class.

Davis received offers from four other schools — including Georgia Southern, whom UB defeated in the 2022 Camellia Bowl — but chose to bring his talents to Western New York. He is one of three offensive linemen in the 2023 UB class.

Dion Crawford, three-star linebacker, Collins Hill High School

With the departure of All-MAC linebacker James Patterson, UB’s defense needed to fill a void in the middle. The 6’1, 235-lb. Crawford is the highest-rated defensive recruit in UB’s 2023 class.

The Bulls managed to beat out powerhouse schools like Florida State, Michigan, Tennessee and Arkansas to secure Crawford’s services.

The Suwanee, Georgia native is a huge get for Linguist, defensive coordinator Brandon Bailey and the Bulls’ defense.

Micah Woods, three-star wide receiver, Hutchinson Community College

Linguist reached back into the junior college depths for another of UB’s top 2023 signings. Woods (6-foot, 175 lbs.) looks to replenish the Bulls’ receiving core as star wideouts Justin Marshall and Quian Williams depart for the NFL Draft.

Woods was a long way from Marshall’s 64 receptions and 837 yards, but on just 17 receptions in 2022, he caught three touchdowns and averaged just under 14 yards per catch.

Woods received 17 offers (multiple from notable Group of Five programs such as Colorado State, Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee State and Temple) but chose to become one of five receivers in the Bulls’ 2023 class.

‘We prepped for the chaos’: men’s basketball beats Eastern Michigan 102-97

Bulls outlast Emoni Bates, put up 102 points in front of ‘Blackout’ crowd

John Garcia / The SpecTrum Graduate Guard re’Shawna Stone dribbleS the ball in ub’S Saturday Game verSuS northern illinoiS