UBSPECTRUM.COM
MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017
UB COUNSELING SERVICES P.2
VOLUME 66 NO. 47
“THE LANGUAGE OF OBJECTS” P.7
THE UNCROWNED SON OF BUFFALO P.10
UB students and community participate UB Journalism Program in Buffalo March for Science sponsors first ‘Muslimedia’ panel
Demonstrators advocate for science in solidarity march
Debate discusses journalism and Islam
MADDY FOWLER ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Zayne Sember’s biggest political concerns include climate change, funding NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sember joined roughly 2,000 others when he marched through Delaware Park as part of the Buffalo March for Science on Saturday. The March for Science is a “diverse, nonpartisan group” that calls on political leaders and policymakers to implement evidencebased policies in the public interest, according to the March for Science website. The protesters were driven by President Donald Trump’s threats of budget cuts to companies funding scientists’ work. Other science marches took place in 600 cities around the world on Saturday, including the main march in Washington, D.C. Participants shouted chants like “Science not violence,” “Citizens need information, fund science education,” and “Hey hey, ho ho, we won’t let our planet go.” Marchers displayed brightly decorated signs with phrases like “We cannot bloom without STEM,” “Science is not an alternative fact,” and “Grab ‘em by the facts.” While other recent political marches such as the Women’s March and March for Education took place in highly visible locations in Downtown Buffalo, the Science March was comparatively a shorter and more insular march, beginning in Soldier’s Circle and ending in Delaware Park. “We have an administration that doesn’t believe that half of my coursework is real,” said Josh Herman, a senior geographic information systems major. “I mean, we’re learning about climate change and our president doesn’t believe that’s real, even though 97 percent of scientists believe in it.” Sember, a freshman political science major, was one of the march’s organizers.
BENJAMIN BLANCHET SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
Sember said he is politically active and considers himself an activist. “I think we need more grassroots understanding of those issues, we need informed voters to understand those things matter,” Sember said. Sember described the march as an apolitical, non-partisan event. He said the goal of the march was to advocate for public policy informed by evidence-based science and to emphasize the march’s youth-centered, grassroots style organization. Sember wishes more people understood science should be important to everyone, not just scientists. “You have the classical idea of a scientist in a white lab coat and that it’s something that will never affect you and that’s just not true. Just look at anything you use – it comes from science,” Sember said. Alexandria Trujillo, a PhD student in pharmacology and toxicology, chose to get involved in the March for Science because she has a passion for improving STEM education and science policy based on evidence and research. She said science is important because it provides the tools to research and find cures for diseases, protect our environment, and end food insecurity. Trujillo thinks it is important to have funding for science and education to get the US “on par” with other countries. “It was encouraging to see so many people grouping together for the same goals,”
MADDY FOWLER, THE SPECTRUM
(top) Buffalo demonstrators rallied in support of science in Delaware Park on Sunday. (bottom) Participants marched through the park echoing chants like “science not violence.”
Trujillo said. “It is important to advocate for science because it is the future.” Herman believes science is inherently beneficial to humanity and thinks it’s “baffling” that the Trump administration does not believe in climate change or recognize the importance of scientific research. “Science is progress. It benefits humanity. No one loses out when we progress in science,” Herman said. “So I think defending it is essential, especially when we have an administration like this one.” email: maddy.fowler@ubspectrum.com
Petition circles asking for Buffalo Mayor to close Bottoms Up nightclub Popular Buffalo nightclub accused of racist and discriminatory practices
SARAH CROWLEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
Bottoms Up is located at 69 W Chippewa Street in Downtown Buffalo. Bottoms Up has been criticized recently for allegedly racist behavior.
ubspectrum.com
Taryn Shepherd had visited Bottoms Up nightclub at least five times and never had any problems. On April 14, this changed when a bouncer allegedly called Shepherd a “n***r” after telling her she had to leave. Shepherd, a 21-year-old Buffalo native said she was shocked to see how many people came forward with similar stories after she recently posted about the incident on Facebook. After Shepherd wrote about the incident, a Buffalo man started a petition asking Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown to close down the Chippewa Street nightclub. Bottoms Up is a popular destination for college students and is one of Buffalo’s only 18 and up venues for nightlife. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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The complex issue of media portrayal of Islam was the forefront of Buffalo’s Muslimedia event this weekend. On Sunday afternoon, a panel of journalists, community members and local faith leaders discussed how Islam is covered in the media. The discussion took place at the Islamic Society of Niagara Frontier (ISNF) and roughly 100 people attended. The seven panelists discussed topics regarding misconceptions about Islam and journalism as well as the “terminology of terrorism.” “We wanted to choose the topics that were most important and salient for this crowd, the bluntest subjects, the subjects that really would elicit answers and get to the heart of some of the conflicts between Journalists and the Muslim community,” said Jody K. Biehl, director of the UB Journalism Certificate Program. Biehl along with Rasul Khan, president of the ISNF, moderated the discussion. Biehl arranged the panel with the help of a grant from the Society of Professional Journalists. Biehl was inspired to bring the panel together when she noticed students and student-journalists writing stories about the Muslim community without having experiences within the community. Attendees questioned the coverage of terrorism – especially with regard to the 2015 San Bernardino attack and broadcasts of the perpetrators’ home. Others asked for the panelists’ opinions on media outlets, such as Al Jazeera and its coverage in a post-9/11 world. Dr. Khalid J. Qazi, a clinical professor at UB and former president and chair of the Islamic Society of Niagara Frontier, spoke as part of the panel. “We certainly do want all citizens treated equally and equitably, all members of the community having an equal say in how we shape our community going forward,” Qazi said. “There is a feeling, and it’s not only a feeling it is also a fact, that Muslims do not necessarily have a seat at the table most of the time. This event is one of the ways to highlight that concern.” Dr. Qazi said hosting the event at the ISNF was an opportunity for the mosque to be an open house for the community to see Muslims in this setting. Other topics addressed at Muslimedia focused on how terrorism can become defined by religion and how to engage individuals that don’t align with your own beliefs. During the beginning of the event, Imam Syed Khalilullah Qadri, imam of the ISNF and part of Muslimedia’s panel, went through prayer with attendees. He discussed the purpose of showing obedience toward God and the spreading of peace after prayer, which occurs five times a day. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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Monday, April 24, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
UB + Counseling Services run-down + Counseling Services offers variety of services and resources for students
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MADDY FOWLER ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Darby Swab wants people to know they should not feel scared or embarrassed to seek counseling. “You don’t need to live life internalizing your mental struggles and problems, no matter how mild. A professional counselor can help you work things out and maybe cope and manage in ways you hadn’t thought of,” Swab, a graduate student in the arts management program said. UB students can receive up to 14 individual or couples counseling sessions per academic year. While some students seek counseling for mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, students attend counseling for a wide range of reasons. These include: adjusting to a new school, stress, family issues and relationship problems, according to Sharon Mitchell, director of UB’s Counseling Services. “Counseling allows students to be an active agent in making their emotional health a priority as well an asset that allows them to lead happy, satisfying and productive lives,” Mitchell said. Students do not need to have a mental health diagnosis to be eligible for counseling through Counseling Services. “Everyone faces challenges. Counseling equips students with the tools and skills to be resilient in response to those challenges,” Mitchell said. Bradley Stone, a freshman undecided major sought counseling at UB for help with stress
Services
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Some students seek counseling for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Students attend counseling for a wide range of reasons including adjusting to a new school, stress, family problems and relationship problems*
Counseling Services also offers 100-200 mental health outreach programs each year. The outreach programs focus on topics such as stress management, improving relationship skills, how to help someone in emotional distress, suicide prevention, and eating disorders.
Counseling Services offers walk-in crisis hours during regular business hours. There is also an on-call counselor available 24/7, 365 days per year.
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Counseling Services offers suicide prevention training to hundreds of campus community members including RAs and CAs, faculty, and staff.
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Counseling Services offers group counseling. Some topics include: Body image and eating concerns, coping skills, family matters, graduate and non-traditional student group, international student support group.
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Stress + Stress Management and Prevention
Counseling Services (South Campus) University at Buffalo 202 Michael Hall, South Campus Buffalo, NY 14214 Phone: (716) 829-5800 South Campus Hours Monday 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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and time management. He said counseling has also helped him maintain healthy routines and connect with social events and clubs at UB. “If you’re stressed out about school or life in general and you’re willing to buy into it and open up, [counseling] can really make you feel better,” Stone said. Swab said she likes going to counseling because it’s completely confidential; she feels it is good to have an outlet that cannot affect other people in her life. “Counseling is a good place to have rants and be able to get professional feedback, or just have someone to listen and know it’s not a burden,” she said. Swab said it is also important to find a therapist whom she can connect with and feel comfortable opening up to. “A big thing I’ve learned is that it’s okay if you don’t ‘click’ [with your counselor], and if you don’t, you really need to request a different counselor. They’re there for you so you
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need to be comfortable,” she said. Swab said she is very open about the fact that she goes to counseling in hopes others will feel comfortable seeking it out for themselves. In addition to individual counseling, Counseling Services provides educational programs, crisis intervention services, couples counseling and group counseling. Counseling Services also offers 100 to 200 mental health outreach programs each year. The outreach programs focus on topics such as stress management, improving relationship skills, how to help someone in emotional distress, suicide prevention and eating disorders. Walk-in crisis hours are available during regular business hours. There is also an on-call counselor available 24/7, 365 days per year. “The objectives of [crisis appointments or phone calls] are to assess the nature of the crisis, engage in short-term problem-solving, develop a safety plan if necessary and identify next steps which may include scheduling an
initial assessment appointment,” Mitchell said. Counseling Services offers suicide prevention training to hundreds campus community members including RAs and CAs, faculty and staff. Mitchell said Counseling Services also serves as mental health consultants for the UB campus community. “If a friend, parent, faculty or staff member is concerned about the emotional well-being of a UB student, they can contact our office to get advice on how to best help that person and to learn about the resources available to the student on or off campus,” Mitchell said. Swab recognizes going to counseling may seem overwhelming at first, but it is all about taking that first step. “It’s something you need to get comfortable with at first, and if you can’t go all in and bare your soul right off the bat, that’s totally fine. Just getting there is step one,” Swab said. email: maddy.fowler@ubspectrum.com
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3 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
OPINION THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Hannah Stein
MANAGING EDITOR
Maggie Wilhelm COPY EDITORS
Grace Trimper, Chief Saqib Hossain Emma Medina NEWS EDITORS
Sarah Crowley, Senior Maddy Fowler, Asst. Danielle Colagio, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS
Max Kalnitz, Senior Lindsay Gilder, Asst. Victoria Hartwell, Asst. ARTS EDITORS
Benjamin Blanchet, Senior David Tunis-Garcia, Senior Brenton Blanchet, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Danny Petruccelli, Senior Thomas Zafonte, Senior Jeremy Torres, Asst. Justin Bystrak, Asst. PHOTO EDITORS
Angela Barca, Senior Troy Wachala, Senior Lucas Smith, Asst. Elaine Lin, Asst.
The Spectrum published a front page news article on April 20 about a UB student who attempted suicide from the seventh floor of Goodyear Hall. Several students wrote to us, criticizing the article as “unethical,” “insensitive” and a breach of privacy. One student accused us of publishing the article for “shock value.” As student journalists we work every day to bring the UB campus information our community needs. We take our jobs seriously and work to fill our pages with stories about students and faculty and the messiness of living and learning
NHL playoffs show just how much improvement the league needs
Pierce Strudler Martina LaVallo VIDEO EDITOR
Allison Staebell, Senior
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley Priyanshi Soni
JUSTIN BYSTRAK STAFF WRITER
ADVERTISING DESIGNERS
Alexa Capozzi
THE SPECTRUM Monday, April 24, 2017 Volume 66 Number 47 Circulation 4,000 The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion and Perspectives sections 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. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at 716-645-2152 The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100
together while we try to figure out our futures. We work diligently to cover stories we think students care about, are talking about and will help them understand the world. Last week, one of our peers jumped from the window of a dorm complex that houses close to 1,000 students. He did it at 11:10 a.m., a prime time for student activity and classes. We feel for and with this student and his family. That’s why we didn’t print his name in the paper. We also did not print much of the information we learned about him from students in his dorm. Obviously, he and his family are suffering and deserve privacy,
It’s time to fix the NHL
CREATIVE DIRECTORS
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Monday, April 24, 2017
Playoffs are the time of the season where every sport should shine. Then there’s hockey. Instead of moments to reflect and absorb the magic that the postseason brings, a plethora of issues are brought up. Declining viewership, branding issues and new review policies are some of the problems that plague the NHL. Out of the four major sports in the United States – including football, basketball and baseball – professional hockey is last in TV rat-
ings. The Stanley Cup Finals are unable to get airtime on NBC’s main channel due to lack of viewership, and instead are aired NBC Sports. Lack of viewers could be attributed to the lack of diversity of the teams that the NHL broadcast, as well as their inability to promote up-and-coming players. The NHL also struggles with the simple task of branding its stars. NHL league leading scorer and Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid was not featured on any nationally televised games in the United States during the regular season this year. Instead, viewers saw the Chicago Blackhawks 21 times. In a time where the NFL and NBA are thriving due to the offensive aspect of their games, the NHL seems to be content with their low goal totals. Scoring in hockey has been stagnant for the past decade, with games averaging just under five and a half goals per game. In the 1990s, there were, on average, six and a half goals per game. Last year, the NHL implemented extended usage of video play re-
which we gave them. However, his cry for help occurred in a highly public manner and left dozens of students traumatized. Students were talking about it across campus and rumors had begun. We see it as our role to help sort fact from fiction and provide students with accurate information, even about tragic events. Our story told students what had happened and included information about counseling available at UB. It also helped direct students to services UB offers. Suicide is the second leading
cause of death among people our age. Nearly 1,100 college students are projected to kill themselves this year, according to a University of Toledo study. One in twelve of us has a suicide plan. This student is not the only one suffering. Students need to know that their lives matter and that help is available. Yes. Talking about it is hard. Reporting about it was tough for our reporters, who are students, too. But if we don’t talk about it, we can never operate as a community.
views. The new extension has led to the reduction of goals despite it not affecting the play at all. If a play is offside but not blatant enough to warrant the referee calling it, play on. Previously, the only thing that could be reviewed for goals was to determine if the puck completely crossed the net and if there was a high stick on the play. Now, coaches can challenge whether or not a play was offside when the offensive team entered the zone. A simple Google search of “NHL offside reviews” will bring up some not-so-subtle opinions on the topic. Some have the headline of how the system needs room for improvement. Then there are others saying that the policy is a joke. The expansion of this asinine rule has led to lengthy reviews throughout the season. Reviews have lasted as long as five minutes to see if the edge of a player’s skate was on or off the ice at the blue line. Analysts and reporters hate the offside challenge. Fans hate it too, especially when they wait five minutes to have an announcement made by the referees that there was no evidence to change the ruling on the ice. And, ironically, some of the league’s rules aren’t enforced enough. Referees need to start calling more penalties. Throughout a game, there are
many plays where obvious penalties occur. More often than not, referees seem to look the other way and let the game continue. Calling penalties would increase the amount of power plays. This would open up play more, allowing for more offensive chances and shots on goal. There are also occasions where a player commits an infraction on another player, but when that player retaliates, he is the only one who receives a penalty and ends up going to the penalty box. This cost the Boston Bruins game three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals matchup against the Ottawa Senators on April 17. Senators’ winger Bobby Ryan gave a forearm to the head of Bruins center Riley Nash. Nash then retaliated with a punch to the face. Nash was the only player charged with a penalty and Ryan scored the game winner on that power play in overtime. Despite everything, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman continues to insist that the league is as great as it has ever been. A change has to be made for the better – to grow the brand of the NHL. That change needs to start at the top.
email: hannah.stein@ubspectrum.com
email: sportsdesk@ubspectrum.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR I am writing in response to the article on the speaker Robert Spencer, invited to campus on May 1st. I share the concerns expressed for free expression even by those whose views I might find abhorrent or discriminatory. I am a strong supporter of the First Amendment, and, though I’m not a legal expert, it seems that the university may have little basis for barring the speaker. Also, since Mr. Spencer regularly portrays himself as a righteous victim of thought-policing I am wary of giving him any more ammunition for this position. However, First Amendment protections are not absolute and citing them should not be the end of the debate, but the beginning. I wish to raise several additional issues that I think all students administrators and faculty should consider. The speaker, Mr. Spencer is currently barred from the U.K. by a judgment from the Home Office, on the grounds that he expresses views that “foster hatred which might lead to inter-community violence.” UB is responsible for the safety of all students, and this is a warning by a government agency that the University would do well to take to heart. At the time of the ban, Mr. Spencer was attempting to travel to a rally put on by the farright street-protest group, the English Defense League, whose members have been convicted of assault
on Muslims and attacks on mosques. Mr Spencer inspiring violence with his words is not a hypothetical situation. Mr Spencer views were quoted over fifty times in a manifesto by Anders Behring Breivik who perpetrated the largest mass murder in recent European history, killing 77 people in Norway. Breivik also claimed that Robert Spencer “would be an excellent choice for a Nobel Prize.” Mr Spencer’s speech has real consequences of violence and intimidation for religious minorities. Spencer is the pseudo-academic face of a movement whose goals are explicitly violent, discriminatory, and antidemocratic. He is a founder of Stop Islamization of America, which is listed as a hate group by both the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. This group promotes a paranoid vision of a world where Muslims are trying to take over the US and institute Islamic law. Despite its absurdity, this paranoia serves to dehumanize Muslims, calls them savages, and mobilizes supporters against them, much as Nazi propaganda did towards Jews in the 1930s. Mr Spencer and members of his organization do not come to present academic findings or express political views in good faith. They are not interested in a debate on the facts. They come as part of a strategic move by far-right forc-
es to whip up public sentiment against minorities by appealing to stereotypes and caricatures. Members of religious and ethnic minorities, as well as those familiar with recent history, do not have to be told where this leads. This violence and intimidation is not abstract or distant, either. Just a few days ago, on Tuesday, the 18th, two students wearing hijabs had flyers for this event thrown in their face by members of the Young Americans for Freedom. This was reported to campus police and a complaint was filed, but to my knowledge no additional investigation has taken place. Clearly, the administration of UB understands that speech is limited and contingent on circumstance. The UB handbook currently restricts protests to a few spaces on campus and regulates speech that might “interfere with the mission” of the University. Despite your assurance that free speech also extends to the freedom “to engage in protest,” the actual behavior of the University is not reassuring on this. Protesters at recent events have been forcibly removed by campus police, and just a few years ago in 2013, the UB police arrested a professor for swearing against a antiabortion demonstrator. The University’s role, including the operation of its police force, cannot be entirely neutral in deciding when and where
someone may speak and what sort of platform they are accorded. Finally, I would call your attention to recent incidents at the University of Washington and University of California, Berkeley, where violent conflicts have broken out between supporters of similar hategroups and their opponents. In Seattle, this January, one protester was shot on campus by an armed supporter of Milo Yiannopolous. At UC Berkeley dozens were injured in clashes between right-wing forces and anti-fascists, when Mr. Yiannopolous was scheduled to speak. The far right is targeting public universities in an attempt to provoke such outbreaks of violence. I would urge the administration, faculty, and student body to use their freedom of speech to condemn Robert Spencer’s noxious views in the strongest terms possible and to investigate the use of any public money or resources, including student fees, going to support or advertise his talk. Despite talk of free-speech, the administration cannot remain entirely neutral on issues that threaten the safety of minority students and the campus at large. Thank you, Ethan Seeley Junior English and philosophy major
4
NEWS
Monday, April 24, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
LOCAL
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Arkansas executes death row inmate in first execution since 2005
Pope under fire for concentration camp remark
News Briefs
UB faculty donate to revitalize Dental school facilities
Man in custody after firing shotgun on Keystone Street
After 30 years of having the same equipment, the UB School of Dental Medicine (SDM) will be getting a facelift thanks to the philanthropic support of faculty. Donors include: Joseph Zambron, dean of the school as well as long-time faculty members Jane Brewer, Robert Genco and Sebastian Ciancio. The improvements to Squire Hall will cover 300 operatories, according to UBNow.
The Buffalo Police SWAT Team took a 35-year-old man into custody after shots were fired around 2 p.m. Saturday, according to The Buffalo News. The man had barricaded himself inside his downstairs flat and was firing a shotgun through his window, according to Buffalo Police. Police safely removed about half a dozen people from the upstairs apartment. The Crisis Management Team arrived at 3:30 p.m. and the shooter surrendered without incident. No injuries were reported and police are considering charges against the subject.
Engineering faculty awarded over $1.5 million in NSF CAREER awards
The National Science Foundation awarded research grants totaling $1.5 million to three UB professors. Ning Dai, an assistant professor in the department of civil, structural and environmental engineering, received $503,517. Dai’s award will go toward her research in sustainable desalination methods. Lu Su, an assistant professor in the department of computer science and engineering, will use his awarded $508,860 toward researching more secure and reliable computing frameworks. Zhi Sun, an assistant professor in the department of electrical engineering, will work to create a computing system capable of handling extreme environments like being underground or underwater.
West Seneca man charged with rape of 13-year-old girl
West Seneca police have charged Adario C. Morrison with raping a 13year old in August of 2016, according to The Buffalo News. He is also charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Morrison pleaded not guilty and was placed in the Erie County Holding Center. He is due back in court at a later date.
The state of Arkansas carried out its first execution in more than a decade on Thursday. Death row inmate Ledell Lee was put to death with a lethal injection, according to The New York Times. Lee, who was sentenced to death for the murder of Debra Reese over 20 years ago, was pronounced dead at 11:56 p.m. Central Time at the Cummins Unit, a prison in southeast Arkansas. The State of Arkansas intends to carry out three more executions before its supply of the lethal injection chemical expires at the end of the month. Michigan doctors charged in first genital mutilation case in U.S.
Two Michigan doctors and the wife of one of the doctors have been charged with performing genital mutilation on a 7-year-old girl in the first female genital mutilation case in the U.S. Dr. Fakhruddin Attar and his wife, Farida Attar were arrested in their medical office in Livoniva, Michigan on Friday, according to CNN. Detroit emergency room physician Jumana Nagarwala was arrested April 12 and is currently in jail awaiting trial because she was deemed a flight risk and a threat to the community. The Attars and Nagarwala are charged with conspiracy, female genital mutilation and aiding and abetting.
Pope Francis is facing criticism from the American Jewish Committee after he compared European refugee centers to “concentration camps,” according to CNN. “I don’t know if he was able to get out of that concentration camp, because the refugee camps – many – are concentration [camps], because they are so crowded with people,” the Pope said in Italian on Saturday while speaking to migrants about a man he met at a refugee camp last year. The AJC issued a statement asking the Pope to reconsider his choice of words. “The conditions in which migrants are currently living in some European countries may well be difficult, and deserve still greater international attention, but concentration camps they certainly are not,” said AJC CEO David Harris. The Vatican’s website said the Pope was speaking “off the cuff ” when he made the remark. Le Pen and Macron win first round of French presidential election
On Sunday, France voted in its first round for presidential candidates. Out of the eleven in the running, the two candidates who emerged as victors were far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron, according to BBC. Macron led Le Pen with a slight lead, taking 23.7 percent of the vote to Le Pen’s 21.7 percent. The second round of voting will take place on May 7. The election is considered globally decisive. If Le Pen is elected, France will follow the populist trend seen in the U.S. election of President Trump and the UK’s Brexit vote. email: news@ubspectrum.com
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5 UB English Department co-sponsors FEATURES
Monday, April 24, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
marathon poetry reading event Community participates in National Poetry Month VICTORIA HARTWELL ASST. FEATURES WRITER
Emily Dickinson enthusiasts drove from Dickinson’s birthplace – Amherst, Massachusetts – to take part in a Buffalo community marathon reading and express their love for the late poet. The UB Department of English, Just Buffalo Literary Center and community literature lovers came together at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Saturday to read Dickinson’s collection of roughly 1,800 poems. The daylong event was open for the public to read a verse of Dickinson’s poetry. Dickinson is known to be one of the most important poets in American literature, according to Cristanne Miller, SUNY Distinguished Professor and event coordinator. Dickinson, an American poet from the 1800s, challenged the religious beliefs of her community and felt disconnected and isolated from the world. After Dickinson died, her sister found her 1,800 poems in makeshift books. Dickinson created her own punctuation and syntax unknown to the outside world. Miller planned this event, along with two previous reading marathons in 2009 and 2013, as part of National Poetry Month.
VICTORIA HARTWELL, THE SPECTRUM
A group of Emily Dickinson enthusiasts gathered and recited from over 1,800 poems to celebrate the poet’s legacy Saturday afternoon.
“It’s a wonderful way to bring graduate students and undergraduate students who otherwise think of poetry as very esoteric and not much fun into a context that makes it actually kind of fun and cool,” Miller said. A small group of enthusiasts was in attendance throughout the day. They wore “Emily Rocks” t-shirts, sat in a circle and took turns reading lines from Emily Dickinson’s Poems: As She Preserved Them, edited by Miller. “Dickinson is a poet who many people find helpful to them,” Miller said. “They
read the poems because they find solace and comfort and ways to help themselves with their own grieving and their own pain and they find pleasure.” The festivities were captured through a live stream, posted to the Emily Dickinson Marathon YouTube channel. The room was silent to pay respects to participants reading Dickinson’s poems. Children watched from the edges of the room, admiring members of the community as they added their own glimmer of atti-
tude to Dickinson’s lines of poetry. Janet McNally, an English professor at Canisius College, brought her own children to the marathon reading to hear the poems she fell in love with as a child. “It was actually really moving sitting there and reading everything [Dickinson] ever wrote,” McNally said. “It’s like being there for her whole life, basically. Her whole writing life.” Similar marathon readings take place in Amherst, Massachusetts for Dickinson’s days of birth and death every year to celebrate her life and poems – which were never published while she was alive, according to Miller. Steve Jura, a volunteer for the Just Buffalo Literary Center, attended the event to meet other writers. “Buffalo is a small community to begin with and then the literary community is another smaller ring in that circle,” Jura said. “It’s nice to see people that you’re familiar with and care about similar things as you.” He thinks important to make poetry a part of everyday life. “I think there’s something to be said for just contributing as much as you can.” Jura said. “It’s not a lot. In the grand scheme of things, we’re reading poems, but you never know if you’re going to influence someone or if someone’s going to influence you.” email: features@ubspectrum.com
Petition circles asking for Buffalo Mayor to close Bottoms Up nightclub CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“I’d heard stories from friends, some people close to me, that they had been disrespected, but I’d always had fun,” Shepherd said. “This shows, just because it wasn’t happening to me doesn’t mean it wasn’t happening,” Shepherd said. Shepherd reported after leaving Bottoms Up she spoke with one of the bar’s owners outside the building and told him about the incident. Shepherd said the owner didn’t apologize and told her he “didn’t care about her Facebook post.” Shepherd said she has not been contacted by anyone from Bottoms Up since the incident occurred, but several of the employees took to Facebook to defend their workplace. Elijah Hood, a Buffalo local of two years, started the petition that has roughly 1,131 signatures so far. The petition is an attempt to raise awareness, and “show that objectifying people of color or race has consequences,” Hood said. “We are aware of the petition that has been circulating,” said David Robida general manager of Bottoms Up. “We take great pride in being the most racially diverse bar
in the area. Not only do we have the most racially diverse crowd, we have several minority employees who have been with us for years. We work weekly with several groups from UB as well that are majority minority based so her allegations are offensive to our entire staff and our brand that we have went above and beyond over the years to build.” Robida claimed surveillance footage reveals Shepherd instigated the altercation. Robida said numerous people have reached out the nightbar since the allegations. Some witnesses of the incident claim security “did nothing wrong,” and “most certainly” did not call Shepherd names, according to Robida. “Of course it’s easy to avoid going to the club if you’re not white, but it’s not ok to do nothing about it,” Hood said. “Neglecting inequality will not change anything, humility and understanding will.” Hood shared a time where he felt discriminated against on Chippewa Street. He entered the establishment and set his things down when a worker told him he needed to buy something if he wanted to sit down. “I started the petition because I was a outraged by the inequality that the young
lady Taryn experienced. I don’t know her personally, however, I lived in Buffalo for two years and i know how Chippewa can be quite racist or unwelcoming to most African Americans at times,” Hood said. “It’s unfortunate that race is being pulled into this situation,” Robida said. “Racism is alive and well in the country and it’s a shame some people exploit it for likes, shares and social media acceptance.” Cletus Emokpae, a senior communication and international trade major said he and his friends have experienced similar problems at Bottoms Up . “It happens a lot more often than people hear about it, see about it, but the fact of the matter is this is one of those things that becomes a norm of being black in America, or a minority in America,” Emokpae said. Emokpae said he was denied entry into Bottoms Up last summer when the bouncer told him his jeans didn’t meet the dress code requirements. A friend who did get into the club later sent him a photo of another man wearing his exact jeans inside the club. The only difference he said was a white man was wearing them.
UB Journalism Program leads ‘Muslimedia’ panel CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Dr. Khalid J. Qazi, a clinical professor at UB, speaks at Muslimedia. The discussion found a panel of seven journalists, community members, and local faith leaders discussing Islam’s coverage in the media.
Lee Coppola, a UB alum and award-winning reporter and panelist, discussed the media and the difficulties in reporting the way Muslims want themselves portrayed. Coppola touched on how the term “media” is applied to all kinds of media, regardless if it’s entertainment or news-related media. “I think a lot of the problem is the general public – including the Muslim community – doesn’t understand how journalists work and how news works,” Coppola said. “That, I think is the difficult thing, the role of the journalist and the difficulty for journalists to try to present the news in a factual, unbiased manner. I took away from here that deep-rooted feeling that Muslims aren’t being treated well by the news media.” Students attended the event to learn more about the relationship between media and religion. Sarah Stanford, a senior English and psy-
Emokpae and his friends have also watched as white females paid $5 for cover while his black friends paid $10 if they were female and $15 if they were male. Emokpae has also struggled to rent venues for events in Buffalo. “If they hear black kids they think fights, gunshots, gangsters, but it’s crazy I always say, ‘we’re college students, we’re not hood, we’re here to get our degree and go back to where we came from and better our community, I’m not here to brawl I’m not here to shoot up clubs, I’m a college student,’” Empokpae said. Shepherd said she hopes her story and the petition raises awareness. “I can’t even tell you how many people wrote under the post ‘oh get over it, it’s not that serious,” Shepherd said. “Yes it is, it is that serious, especially when on my post there are tons of other people coming forward sharing similar experiences. I was amazed just to see how many people were feeling what I went through.” email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com
chology major attended to understand Islam in the current political climate. “I loved how Imam Syed Khalilullah Qadri quoted the Quran and said ‘this is not the way we identify Islam’ – ‘Islamic terrorists’ are not Islamic, they are terrorists,” Stanford said. “I thought he was particularly eloquent and coming from a voice within the Buffalo Muslim community, it was beautiful.” The event was sponsored by an array of local sponsors including the ISNF, Congregation Havura, Access of WNY, Temple Beth Zion, Muslim Public Affairs Council of WNY, Westminster Presbyterian Church of Buffalo, The Society of Professional Journalists and the UB Journalism Certificate program. At the conclusion of the event, halal food was served not only to bring about conversation but also to bring the community closer together. email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com
6
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Blues Monday, April 24, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
comes to Buffalo
Legend Buddy Guy mesmerizes audience at UB’s Center for the Arts
BRENTON J. BLANCHET ASST. ARTS EDITOR
Blues legend Buddy Guy performed on more than just the stage Friday night at the Center for the Arts. As he performed his 1994 hit “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In,” Guy walked off stage and traveled so deep into the floor level of the venue that he was no longer visible from the balcony. Audience members ran around trying to catch a glimpse of the action. Guy shared decades of his music with an adoring, packed audience. Kim Bonds, a Buffalo resident had a front row seat. “I was standing at the top of the stairs, I looked back, and here comes Buddy Guy playing the guitar and he stopped right there in front of me,” Bonds said. “I love that about him. You don’t get too many stars that will do that.” Guy’s showmanship didn’t just end with an audience venture. The 80-year-old musician proved that age is just a number by displaying his masterful guitar tricks. Guy was unforgettably playful as he performed a medley of songs from some of his favorite guitarists: Eric Clapton, B.B. King and Jimi Hendrix. He played the guitar with his teeth, a drumstick, a towel and even his behind. Comedy complemented the stage theatrics. Guy kept things fresh and interesting between songs by messing with the older
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Buddy Guy, one of the last great blues men, rocked the CFA with his guitar on Friday night.
crowd. His excessive use of f-bombs added to the liveliness of the night. At one point, Guy asked a woman in the crowd to name his latest album. When a different audience member answered, Guy jokingly put him in his place. “Shut the f**k up, I didn’t ask you,” Guy said. This type of humor kept the audience engaged even when the tunes stopped. When Guy played “Hoochie Coochie Man,” he gave the audience exactly what they came for. Guy’s full band took the volume to its quietest level during the song. When they brought the sound back up, the band did it with style. Guy shook his legs and thrusted on his guitar as he shredded, much to the delight of the crowd. “Feels Like Rain” was another crowd pleaser. The laid back tune gave Guy the chance to showcase his aged and beautiful vocals. The seductive guitar solo later in the song was also well received and switched up the mood of the show. When Buddy wasn’t joking or playing the
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strings, he told stories of his past to the crowd. He spoke of playing in Buffalo with Muddy Waters and Junior Wells, as well as growing up without his mother. Guy’s life experience and wise tone added a special flare to an already eventful night. After speaking fondly of his late mother, Guy brought his opening act to the stage. Tom Hambridge provided backing vocals as he and Guy performed their song “Skin Deep.” The heartwarming track advises listeners to be careful of how they treat each other, a lesson that Guy’s mother taught him before her death. The message touched Vishal Raghu, a sophomore neuroscience major. “My favorite part of [the show] was when he talked about his mother,” Raghu said. “It was moving.” Guy’s show was something that Raghu had been looking forward to and something he won’t forget anytime soon. “It was a memorable show for me,” he said. “It was my first time seeing Buddy
Guy. That’s off my bucket list now.” Audience members will also remember fellow blues musician and Grammy winner Tom Hambridge who opened the show. Hambridge is well known in the Buffalo community and even has a day dedicated to him. Hambridge performed his set with only a snare drum and a cymbal, receiving assistance from a backing keyboardist. This touch showcased his skills with the sticks as he played them on his entire setup, even the mic stand. Hambridge’s set in itself was memorable, but he hopes to never forget his experiences touring with Buddy Guy. “Sometimes you have to step back, shake your head and go ‘Okay. I have to remember every minute of this,’” Hambridge said. “You’re playing with a legend, he’s 80-years old, he’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he’s the last standing blues legend. I try not to ever take it for granted.” email: arts@ubspectrum.com
7
FEATURES
Monday, April 24, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
‘The Language of Objects’ gives cultural artifacts new life Tri-artist exhibition utilizes UB Art Galleries’ Cravens Collection MAX KALNITZ SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
As museumgoers walked throughout UB’s Anderson gallery, UB dance students crawled out of the woodwork mimicking the works displayed throughout the gallery. The dancers wore Styrofoam 3D-printed replicas of masks from UB’s Cravens Collection – a collection of archaeological and ethnographic objects from around the world dating as far back as 4,500 BC – which they incorporated into their routine. Patrons had the opportunity to interact with exhibit artists during an artist talk Sunday afternoon. Each artist talked and answered audience questions about their work. Dancers placed their heads into empty showcases and posed next to the original copies of their masks, camouflaging themselves as real-life additions to the exhibit. “The Language of Objects” – an exhibition featuring the works of Matthew Craven, Brendan Fernandes, and Alyssa Pheobus Mumtaz – opened Saturday night to a crowd of curious and mesmerized attendees. Using archaic objects from across the globe – such as wooden African masks, ancient Greek vases and Roman busts – the artists presented new narratives through personal connections with each piece of artwork. Craven used antiquated textbook images to collage artifacts onto the backs of vintage movie posters. He also collaged the images
MAX KALNITZ, THE SPECTRUM
Senior dance major Maggie Hansen (left) and junior dance major Mary Pappagallo (right) performing during the opening night of “The Language of Objects” exhibition at UB’s Anderson Gallery.
onto hand-sketched patterns from different cultures and time periods. Fernandes worked closely with dancers from NYC’s American Ballet Theater who posed for pictures alongside African masks from the Cravens collection. He also choreographed the dance routine performed throughout the opening of the exhibit. Pheobus Mumtaz used her own handmade paper glued to silk, to make textiles of Asian inspired dress and robe designs. She used the same hand-made paper to display golden variations of prayer beads and abstracted flattened images of looms. Robert Scalise, co-curator of the exhibit and acting director of the Anderson Gallery planned this exhibit for over two years. The seeds of the exhibit were planted after the arrival of the Cravens Collection in 2010. “When we received the collection [our focus was] modern contemporary abstraction,” Scalise said. “After bringing in such a rich collection of antiquities and cultural materials, we needed a plan with what to do with it all.” To take on such a large project, Scalise collaborated with schools and companies across Buffalo to turn the gallery’s vision into a reality. Dr. Peter Biehl, UB professor and chair
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of the Department of Anthropology, had students in his anthropology museum studies course study African Masks from the Cravens Collection. Students provided critical research on the background of each artifact such as provenance, use and function of the objects. After being studied, the masks were professionally documented for the first time using photos and 3D scans courtesy of Buffalo State’s Conservation Lab. After students made the 3D prints, UB’s school of Architecture and Planning’s fabrication lab cut the masks. Fernandes designed an African mask of a hyena, which New Era Caps detailed onto a hat that’s on sale at the exhibition. Scalise said it was important for Fernandes to incorporate one’s self-image into his work and New Era represented a platform to bring his art’s identity into a new modern outlet. “You think of an African mask, which embodies the spirit of belonging to a tribe or a culture, it’s no different wearing a cap associating with the Yankees or Mets,” Scalise said. “He saw the slogan ‘fly your own flag’ and was really inspired by it.” Prior to the opening, the three artists had never met before. It was a special moment to see all their hard work come together flawlessly. Artist Pheobus Mumtaz commented on the connection between her past and what kind of dialogue those experiences represent now. “For me, it’s a meditation in older forms that I find inspiration in,” Pheobus Mumtaz said. “Have a dialogue with these cultural objects, reflect in the functionality and status that they have now. Looking at where something came from helps spark a further connection with the art.”
A reoccurring theme in each of the artists’ works is giving old art new life. The mystery behind each cultural object adds another layer for the artists and viewers. Grace Zabielski, a sophomore art and environmental design major was amazed with how well the exhibit combined two separate forms of art into one space. “I really enjoyed [the exhibit’s] unique conjunction of anthropogenic discoveries and modern dance,” Zabielski said. “The dancers provided a captivating representation of movement that the masks and sculptures lacked.” Throughout the night, the dancers sporadically interacted with the masks and sculptures on display, something that Zabielski thought paired well. “You have the implied sense of movement through the lines within the sculptures, with the dancer’s literal movements,” Zabielski said. “Together they complement each other, adding to the sense of motion within the sculpture.” Dancers met with Fernandes two months before the opening to begin rehearsing the routine. Each section was carefully choreographed to pair with different sections of the exhibit. Taylor Heaphy, a junior dance major was one of the six students who performed Saturday night. “The performance was a lot of fun since there had never been other people in the gallery when we were rehearsing before. Having these people to interact with during our performance definitely changed the feeling in the gallery,” Heaphy said. “It was clear that some people were very interested but others were slightly bothered, probably because they did not fully understand dance in this way.” Adding any prop to a dance routine can be challenging and can possibly distract the dancer’s focus from the routine. Heaphy found that she enjoyed performing with the mask, especially when she interacted with the real version. “I found that [the mask] actually added to my level of performance because I was able to tap into the character of the face on my mask,” Heaphy said. “I always listened when I was dancing near the mask that matched mine to see if the audience members recognized the connections too.” Scalise intended for this exhibit to be the opposite of a traditional museum display. He encourages students and patrons alike to view the exhibit and interact with each piece. “Collections in museums could get very static, pieces can just sit there and collect dust,” Scalise said. “There’s so many levels to this collection that people can get different experiences each time they visit the exhibit. “The Language of Objects” is being shown through July 30 and admission is free. email: max.kalnitz@ubspectrum
8
SPORTS
Monday, April 24, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Junior Vidit Vaghela lines up a shot. Veghela won his singles matchup 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. The Bulls are now 7-0 in MAC play and the MAC regular season champions.
UB men’s tennis wins regular season MAC title with undefeated record
DANIEL PETRUCCELLI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
UB’s men’s tennis team (12-5, 7-0 MidAmerican Conference) capped off a perfect MAC season with a 4-3 win over the Northern Illinois Huskies (13-11, 25 MAC) Sunday afternoon. The Bulls are the first team to go undefeated in MAC play in 18 years. This has been one of the best seasons for the Bulls in years. The tennis team locked up the number one seed Friday with their 6-1 win over the Ball State Cardinals (13-11, 2-4 MAC). Sunday’s win locked them in as sole winners for the MAC regular season championship. “I feel like it’s a little bit bigger of an accomplishment than winning the tournament just because it’s over an extended period of time,” said Bulls head coach Lee Nickell. “We’ve gotta get up for separate matches, where in a tournament you can get hot. It’s just kind of surreal right now, I’m just
sitting here really proud of the guys and the effort they put through this season.” Junior Vidit Vaghela sealed the perfect MAC season when he won the match in three sets at second singles. His game was one of the most exciting of the day. Vaghela dropped the first set to Huskie freshman Bor Schweiger Muzar, 6-4. Muzar came out and got the break to start the second set, but Vaghela rallied hard and turned things around. Vaghela took control and captured the second set 6-3. The Bulls had a 3-2 lead over the Huskies during Vaghela’s third set and needed one of the final two singles matches to clinch the regular season title. Vaghela dominated the third set, 6-1. “I lost the first set with just one break and I got broken early in the second, all the momentum was on his side,” Vaghela said. “But I fought back and switched a couple of things… once I started getting points I figured out that if I stayed on I could win it, so that’s
what I did and it worked out pretty well.” The Bulls started the day flat. Each team captured a doubles matchup but the Huskies captured the final doubles matchup and the doubles point to go with it. The Bulls came back in singles play and took four of the six points. Sophomore Ethan Nittolo turned things around and clinched the first singles point for the Bulls in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Freshman Hao Sheng Koay cleaned up next and took care of things in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. Freshman Vilhelm Fridell was the other Bull to bring a singles point to the team. He dropped his first set 4-6 but answered back with two dominant sets for the victory, 6-2, 6-1. After Vaghela’s clinch of the victory, the team quickly embraced before moving over to the fifth singles court to cheer on Junior Petr Vodak who was playing in a super tiebreaker set. The team looked on from the next court over as they cheered on their
teammate and waited to celebrate as a unit. Vodak dropped his point but it was too little too late for the Huskies. “It feels pretty amazing, in the beginning we lost the doubles point, didn’t look too great, but our team just has a lot of fight,” said senior Tony Miller. “We’re a family, ended up getting the job done and really lost for words right now, pretty unbelievable.” Miller, the only senior on the team, was honored before the game. The Bulls entered MAC play with a record of 5-5. All five losses came to Ivy League teams, including 4-3 losses to both Yale and Harvard. Nickell said the team purposely scheduled a tough non-conference to be prepared come conference time. “We started .500 but our losses were to five teams in the top-50 and two of those teams top-20,” Nickell said. “Two of those matches were 4-3, last match on, so we do that on purpose to get us prepared for what we just faced.” The Bulls capitalized on the preparation and dominated almost all of their MAC opponents. Four of their MAC victories came by 6-1 margins. The Western Michigan Broncos and the Huskies were the only two teams to come within a point of the Bulls during league play. Five different Bulls finished with 15 or more singles victories during the season. Next up for Buffalo will be a trip to Kalamazoo, Michigan for the MAC tournament. Their opponent will be the No. 4 seed that is yet to be determined. The Bulls have wins over every team in the MAC and are confident in entering the tournament. “It’s going to be just a fight to prove that we deserve to be 7-0, and we’ll make it 9-0 at the conference tournament,” Vaghela said. email: daniel.petruccelli@ubspectrum.com
9
CLASSIFIEDS
Monday, April 24, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
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10
SPORTS
Monday, April 24, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
THE
UNCROWNED
SON OF BUFFALO
Local boxing legend, Joe Mesi discusses his career and life after boxing JEREMY TORRES ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
If “Baby” Joe Mesi’s career has shown anything, it was that a kid from Buffalo could become a legend. He had an unblemished record of 36-0 and the city of Buffalo behind him when his career stopped short. Mesi refused to be defeated and adopted a fighter mentality. “As awesome as it is to fight on HBO in Madison Square Garden and HBO at Mandalay Bay and MGM, those are not my highlights,” Mesi said. “My highlights are fighting HBO, ESPN, national television, in downtown buffalo with 18,000 of your family and friends and supporters. I had a secret weapon. I had Buffalo.” THE DIAGNOSIS Through his 15-year career, the Buffalo native was cheered on and celebrated by his home city. Their support doesn’t just come from his accomplishments: Mesi earned their respect through fighting for every dollar he earned. But Mesi was never able to contend for the world heavyweight title. An MRI revealed that Mesi suffered from a subdural hematoma, a head injury when blood collects on the brain’s surface, from his fight against Vassily Jirov. “I have no repercussions from boxing or from the bleeds,” Mesi said. “In my heart, I believe I could have continued my career successfully and I could have become the heavyweight champion.” FIGHTING THROUGH A LOSS Yet, for his loved ones, seeing Mesi box was a struggle. Although he was a beast in the ring, not knowing if he would come out as the same man he was prior to his injury, took a toll on his wife, Michelle Mesi. Michelle remembers it being tough to watch her husband continue to box. “Those experiences are not really mine to share,” Michelle said. “But they were very hard to watch. Joe went through a transformation and during that process hit some very low points.” Mesi left boxing without being able to complete for the heavyweight title. Over a two-year span, Mesi fought numerous legal battles with the Nevada court system with hopes to return to the ring. But Mesi never fought in the ring again. “After the injury and when he made his
COURTESY OF JOE MESI
(top) Joe Mesi celebrating as he wins by KO. Joe Mesi is a former heavyweight boxer, and is considered an icon of Buffalo sports. (left) Joe Mesi and his wife Michelle with their three children. (right) Joe Mesi celebrating after winning a title belt.
comeback, mostly because of the realization that he could get hurt again,” she said. “I did love watching him walk out to the ring, his eyes looked like he was a different person and you just knew he was in beast mode. I still love watching the videos of that today.” His transition from the ring to the “real world” wasn’t easy. “My injury was in 2004. [The years] 2005 and 2006 was a drawn out legal battle with Nevada State Supreme court,” Mesi said. “A depressive two years for me. What I considered my two best years of boxing or would have been, according to my age and fitness level. I was pretty upset about that and I was depressed and I turned to drinking and I did drugs. I was unhappy, I was a miserable person not knowing where my future was going to bring me.” Mesi had to fight his way out of another loss and he did. Mesi was approached with an opportunity to jump into a new career, medical device sales with St. Jude Medical. Mesi was hesitant to do something he’s never done before. “I’m not exactly a trained salesman, but I have a good rapport with my surgeons and doctors. I have this little niche territory of Buffalo,” Mesi said. “It keeps me out of trouble and I don’t have to get punched in the face any more.” Mesi’s boxing mentality carried over into his professional life. He continues to work hard at what he does, knowing that if he puts in the work he simply cannot lose. “Sales is personality based, know your product, which I do,” Mesi said. “I kind of ignorantly walked in and I didn’t have anything to lose and I care. You know I care about the technology. I care about the patient, I care about what the physicians needs are. I’ve always been that type of person that’s never changed.” LIFE IN THE RING Starting a career late and fighting to succeed has been a recurring theme in Mesi’s life. He started boxing at 19. Mesi had always been a quick learner even though he wasn’t always the most graceful athlete. “In high school, senior year, he got voted cutest smile and most clumsy,” said longtime
friend and bartender at Blue Bull Tavern, P.J. Bryniarski. “So, he is still really clumsy and he is the worst driver in the world too but he hasn’t changed or anything, he’s Joe… He was the fat pudgy kid and least athletic of our friends.” What Mesi did have was a strong mind and work ethic, which helped him get through maturing late both physically and mentally. “After high school, I realized I’m not doing anything but getting fatter,” Mesi said. “My father said to us [him and his brother] ‘why don’t you guys go to the Buffalo Police Athletic League gym and it’s free, they have boxing there, you guys love boxing.’ My brother’s eyes lit up and he was like come on let’s go. And he would beat me up every day.” The rest is history. Mesi started winning amateur bouts all over the New York area, even winning the Golden Gloves boxing tournament. It wasn’t until later in his career that he realized what it meant to defeat the boxers he went up against. “I beat these guys I shouldn’t have been beating and I didn’t know that then,” Mesi said. “Had I known that going into the ring, I
probably would have been mentally defeated.” Mesi looks back on a boxing tournament in Lowell, Massachusetts as his launching pad. “You have to win six fights in a row all week long, it’s a lot. They kept saying Joe you’re next and I would go in and I would win. The crowd would be quiet and I would come out of the ring and they (his corner) would be like ‘Do you know who you just beat’ and I was like ‘No who was it?’ And they were like ‘That guy has been around for years.’ I would go up again and the crowd would be quiet again,” Mesi said. “I think I was successful because I didn’t know any better.” After each fight, his close-knit friend group would celebrate. Not knowing when Mesi would lose, they took advantage of every winning moment. “We were entourage before the show ‘Entourage,’” Bryniarski said. “He never lost so there was a lot of celebrating. When you go 36-0, there was at least 36 times we celebrated right there.” The celebrations included meeting celebrities and former and current presidents. The lifestyle of boxing consisted of being tough and charismatic. Mesi recalls the first time he met our current President Donald Trump fondly. “Meeting Trump was awesome,” Mesi said. “I was a little foggy after that fight, that was after Monte Barrett at Madison Square Garden. But he was great, he was fantastic. That was when Donald was Donald.” Mesi couldn’t believe his own stardom at times, going from a small town pudgy kid to a superstar promoted by “Sugar” Ray Leonard. His fight nights are still some of the best moments the city of Buffalo has had. And even though he was never able to ultimately compete for the heavyweight title, many believe he had what it took to be a champion. “He was really damn good, he was really good,” Bryniarski said. “His legs were big, he threw hard. He could hit you and he had the stamina to go a long way and box you, exciting boxing, the way it is supposed to be -- not just standing there throwing a punch here and there.” BOXER TO FAMILY MAN The overall transformation – from boxer to family man – has given Mesi many new challenges, including raising three children with his wife Michelle. For Mesi, becoming a father wasn’t the easiest transition, but it was a necessary one. Mesi said being a father is the “greatest job in the world.” “All of those hard times, confusion and learning experiences led him to where he is at today,” Michelle said. “Which, in my opinion, is right where the Universe intended him to be.” email: sports@ubspectrum.com