The Spectrum Volume 61 Issue 59

Live from CFA it’s Seth Meyers > Page 7

Vol. 61

NO. 59

ubspectrum.com

Monday, February 27, 2012

Don McGuire:

Bulls Wreck RedHawks

Nothing slows him down.

at Alumni Arena |Page 10|

The Million-Dollar Question

|Page 4|

SA Senate Extends InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s Deadline

SARA DINATALE Asst. News Editor

On Wednesday, The Spectrum published a story about over $1 million currently sitting in reserves for a North Campus health center that never came to fruition. The $1,075,000 reserve is an accumulation of a $3.50 fee added to the compressive fee in 2005, which continues to be included in every student’s tuition.

Barbara Ricotta – the head of the committee recently formed regarding the health center and the vice president of student affairs – spoke with The Spectrum on Friday to answer follow-up questions about the existence, history and future of this fee, and about the prospects for the North Campus health center.

The Spectrum first contacted Ricotta about the fee on Jan. 31, and a week later, Ricotta stated in an email that a committee was “just being formed.” On Tuesday, Ricotta supplied The Spectrum with a list of committee members.

Ricotta said the committee’s recent formation had nothing to do with The Spectrum’s questions.

The space currently being considered for the health center is what is now the Richmond cafeteria, which will be vacated once the Red Jacket dining hall is complete.

Ricotta said she was informed in December that the Richmond cafeteria might work because it hasn’t been reassigned.

Ricotta says Dennis Black, vice president for university life and services, asked her to move forward with a committee. Ricotta couldn’t recall an exact date and time she was asked to do this, but she said it was at one of her weekly meetings with Black in January.

Since the publication of Wednesday’s article, the committee has met and has plans to meet again after spring break, according to Ricotta.

Ricotta said the committee will examine if the Richmond space is large enough, how much it will cost to remodel the space, and if it is the “right location.”

“I’m going to say by the end of the semester we will have a sense if we are going to need to go out and hire an outside architect to design [the health care center], or whether the [Richmond cafeteria] space can be used,” Ricotta said.

“My hope is by the end of the semester we will have a good sense of whether square footage-wise and space-wise, we will be able to do it there.”

Students can expect to continue paying the $3.50 fee.

If the health center ends up targeted for Richmond, the fee will be used to pay off a loan Ricotta hopes to take from the campus. One million dollars is not nearly enough to rehab the Richmond area, according to Ricotta.

The Richmond cafeteria is now the fourth place considered for the health center in the last seven years. The Spectrum incorrectly reported that it was the first. When the fee was initially instated, it was to turn what is now the

The SA Senate deliberates on the fate of the IVCF.

Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum

LUKE HAMMILL Senior News Editor

last semester, when it gave the committee until the first meeting of the spring to arrive at a decision.

Just when it appeared that the Student Association Senate would finally take definitive action regarding the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, the Senate postponed its ultimate decision once again.

All the while, IVCF continues to function normally, because although the SA has frozen the club’s budget ($6,000 in student mandatory activity fee money at the beginning of the year), the club is receiving donations from churches, according to IVCF Outreach Coordinator Quinten Hall-Lochmann Van Bennekom.

The InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) had until Saturday to stop requiring its officers to subscribe to a Christian “basis of faith” – which a Senate committee announced on Jan. 29 to be in violation of university and SA anti-discrimination policy – by amending its constitution. IVCF did not do so, and instead of derecognizing the club, the Senate on Sunday extended IVCF’s deadline to April 4.

The Senate also postponed the process at the end of

listed derecognition as a possibility. A Senate resolution adopted on Sunday, though, stipulates that if the basis of faith is still not removed by April 4, senators will vote on whether to derecognize IVCF. “We were surprised to see [the deadline] extended,” Van Bennekom said. “We did not expect more time.”

The Senate began to investigate IVCF’s constitution after the club’s former treasurer, SA Assembly Speaker Steven Jackson, accused IVCF last semester of forcing him to resign because he is gay.

IVCF, the Buffalo chapter of the national InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, did not amend its constitution because the national organization’s lawyers do not believe IVCF violates UB or SA policy by requiring its leaders to subscribe to the basis of faith.

The Jan. 29 Senate mandate did not specify what action the body would take toward IVCF if the club failed to properly amend its constitution, as it only

“We deemed it necessary that [the basis of faith] be in there to ensure that our leaders for future generations…could represent adequately what IVCF Continued on page 2

Identity, Honesty, and Love On Her Arms VILONA TRACHTENBERG Asst. Arts Editor Addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicide.

These are problems some people are forced to face.

Some can’t. Some don’t know how.

Sometimes something has to happen before a person can face these problems, like carving the phrase “Fuck up” into your arm with a razorblade – that was the identity Renee gave herself, and the identity many others give themselves.

This is what happened to Renee. This is when she knew she needed help. Luckily she met Jamie Tworkowski.

Skylight – brought their passion for this organization to Canisius College’s Montante Cultural Center this past Thursday night. Although Tworkowski and James appeared together for a similar event at UB in 2009, they were back on the Buffalo college circuit to spread their message.

Tworkowski has spoken at many colleges, but he retold his story as if it were his first time. He enthralled the audience with the details and intimacies of what began the organization.

“People deserve to be honest [and] the right to say that they don’t have it all together, and that life is really hard at times,” Tworkowski said. “There are things we feel haunted by…lose in this life, and there are things we encounter in this life, and [people] deserve the right to be honest.”

Their connection led to something that would help people just like Renee.

He proclaimed that TWLOHA was jumpstarted in Florida when he met Renee.

At age 26, Tworkowski started a revolution. At age 32, the non-profit organization Tworkowski founded in 2006, To Write Love On Her Arms, has become a worldwide phenomenon. TWLOHA strives to change the self-inflicting path of behavior that people with addiction and depression face by using music as an outlet.

College events help to raise awareness, and Tworkowski – along with musical acts Eric James, Inlite, and Under The

Continued on page 6

an afflicted lifestyle and overcome her obstacles through rehab.

Tworkowski recalled that before she entered treatment, he spent time with Renee. Music was important to her, and a friend to her, as a source of strength when life was difficult. She spent her last days before entering treatment going to shows.

Although Tworkowski expected Renee to turn down the idea, she was intrigued at the notion that her pain and experiences could possibly help others. That someone else could relate to her life and find hope in her story.

Her story, penned by Tworkowski, was called To Write Love on Her Arms.

Tworkowski then took it upon himself to foot the financial burden to send Renee to treatment.

While at a Coldplay concert he was inspired to sell T-shirts to finance Renee’s treatment, with the title of her story written on them.

As Tworkowski got to know Renee better, he wanted to help her escape from

And soon, her story morphed from words on paper to words spread across the globe, both as encouragement for others and as the first steps to realizing the necessity for recovery.

Alexa Strudler /// The Spectrum To Write Love on Her Arms emphasizes self-love and music as a means of overcoming mental health issues.

Tworkowski enthusiastically shared the accomplishments from the past six years of the organization. The TWLOHA team has since responded to over 170,000 personal messages from people from over 100 different countries, and invested over $1 million in treatment and recovery.

Engineering Week Ends With a War LISA EPSTEIN Staff Writer

A Plexiglas box stands on a platform, separating two teams from total annihilation.

Hordes of students crowd onto bleachers or stand, peering over one another to try and get a glimpse of the fight. Shouts from the crowd echo through the Student Union as machines collide.

Nyeri Moulterie /// The Spectrum Engineering students take a week off of studies to compete in botwars and paper airplane races.

Weather for the Weekend:

Monday: Partly Cloudy/Wind- H: 41, L: 27 Tuesday: Mostly Sunny- H: 33, L: 31 Wednesday: Rain- H: 39, L: 35

One student from each team holds a remote control, moving a small robot around the box in attempt to destroy the opposing

team’s machine in a battle for glory, while off to the side, the teams work tirelessly to fix the glitches of their robots.

This is Botwars.

The Botwars competition capped off a week of events for UB’s Engineering Week. The various events highlight the different aspects of engineering, and each event is open for students to join, earning points for their various clubs and organizations.

Continued on page 2

The events ran all week, each day for approximately two hours.

Dan Pastuf, the SA’s Engineering Council Coordinator, thinks that the week is a good way to utilize some of the skills of an engineer, while doing so in a fun and exciting way.

“Engineer Week is a national celebration of how engineering contributes to society, and how engineering improves the lives of those around us, and it’s celebrated in a

I N S I D E

Continued on page 2

Opinion * 3 Life * 4 Arts * 7,8 Classifieds / Daily Delights * 9 Sports * 10

ubspectrum.com

Page 2

Continued from page 1: Engineering Week Ends With a War

Continued from page 1:Identity, Honesty, and Love On Her Arms Tworkowski noticed that the comments stacked up on the website, and saw that people realized they were not alone in their plights.

The main goal of TWLOHA is to simply communicate. Tworkowski has learned that most people who need help rarely take the first step toward getting it, and that two out of three people who struggle with depression never get help for it.

“What we do is really try to invite and encourage, and even challenge people to talk to someone, or to take that first step,” Tworkowski said.

Music has always been a part of spreading the word and is part of Renee’s story. The organization took off when lead singer of Switchfoot – and friend of Tworkowski’s – Jon Foreman sported a TWLOHA shirt and advocated the cause to the audience at one of the band’s concerts.

After the show, the Myspace page for the budding organization exploded with messages to Tworkowski about suicide attempts and soulful revelations – revealing that music was integral with the organization, and the story was larger than the individual narrative Tworkowski set out to tell.

Music has played a large collaborative effort in the TWLOHA events as well, with Switchfoot, Anberlin, Paramore, Thrice, Underoath, and many more bands advocating the organization’s goals. Many different musicians perform alongside Tworkowski at college events, and at this event, Eric James of The Last Royals performed along with local bands Inlite and Under The Skylight.

“We believe that music is powerful; music has this unique ability to remind us that we’re alive and that it’s OK to ask questions, it’s OK to feel things,” Tworkowski said. “Music’s allowed to be honest, and so we feel like there’s a lot of common ground with that and with what we’re trying to talk about.”

James has performed at many TWLOHA events with Tworkowski, and realizes the important presence of music to combine with the event, and was humbled to be able to perform and help others.

“Music is just so mysterious, it does something to our emotions,” James said. “It’s just a highly spiritual and mystical thing. So when [one is] talking about the deep, dark things of life – life, death, hurt, pain, and hope – there’s no better complement.”

Although Tworkowski performs with musicians at many colleges, others have their own chapters of TWLOHA or Active Minds to advocate for mental health issues, and UB is no different.

UB Active Minds spreads awareness for mental health issues on campus, and was founded in the spring semester of 2011. The club works to dispel mental health stigmas by hosting events and having general meetings to encourage students to seek therapy, according to Annie Monks, a junior Spanish major and first president of the club.

Just like TWLOHA helps facilitate the means for people to seek help, so does Active Minds, and the club points people in the direction of counseling services. According to Rachel Gaydosh, a junior psychology and theater major and former president of the club, Active Minds was inspired by TWLOHA. Looking into the audience while Tworkowski told his story– a room full of stories, and a room full of lives, were encouraged to tell theirs.

“Hope is real, and help is real – we’re able to believe these things,” Tworkowski said. “Not that it’s simple, not that it’s easy, and not that it’s a guarantee, but just that we believe that it’s possible and it’s worth fighting for. That it’s possible for lives to change, it’s possible for people to let go, it’s possible for people to start over.”

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com Continued from page 1: The Million-Dollar Question Wellness Center in the Student Union into an urgent care facility, according to Ricotta.

a stand-alone health center is the number one goal, even though it’s stated in the master plan.

The Student Union space didn’t work out – an ambulance would have trouble responding to that location.

Ricotta said she can understand the frustration students may have in regard to paying for a health center they will never see. In four years, each student will have paid $28 for the health center. Ricotta said she’s never heard anyone complain about that.

“We would have had to take people [in need of medical attention] through the Student Union, and outside to the ambulance.” Ricotta said.

“We didn’t feel like after we looked at it, that that would be the right thing to do.”

After multiple spaces didn’t work out, Ricotta said the university kept collecting the money because it always had planned on having a health center on the North Campus at some point in time.

UB 2020’s master plan accounts for the possibility of a health center, in combination with a recreation center. But Ricotta said building

Monday, February 27, 2012

It’s the reality of the budgeting process, according to Ricotta.

“I think students were always hoping, and are still hoping, to get a health center on the North Campus.” Ricotta said, “It’s unfortunate it didn’t happen in the time frame we had hoped for it, but the money will be used for exactly what we intended it to be used for.”

variety of ways here at UB,” Pastuf said.

The Society of Automotive Engineers took home this year’s top prize in the Botwars competition.

Continued from page 1: SA Senate Extends InterVarsity Christian Fellowship’s Deadline believes in…We felt that by taking that out, we over time dilute our leadership and essentially our identity as a club,” IVCF President Aaron Boucher told the SA Senate.

The debate centers largely on whether there is a difference between membership and leadership in a SA-funded Another of the week’s events was the club. The Senate committee deemed them to be one and Paper Airplane Competition, in which the same. IVCF members feel differently – the club is students attempting to fly various models open to anyone, but they think they should be able to of paper airplanes through a cardboard require their leaders to adhere to Christian beliefs. cutout with holes of different sizes and heights. People from all majors and groups were encouraged to join in on the IVCF supporters have argued that a club such as the Muslim Student Association (MSA) wouldn’t want a festivities.

Christian student to be its president, just like IVCF wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t subscribe to the Andrew Koonce, a senior mechanical enclub’s beliefs in a position of authority. But a Christian gineering major, thought that the paper could be president of MSA if he were elected by the club’s airplane activity would be a good way to membership, as unlikely as that might be. relax and enjoy Engineering Week.

“You have to calculate the center of gravity of the plane, so there is a bit of engineering involved in making the airplanes,” Koonce said. “I don’t think it’s as involved as some of the other events during E-week, but it’s a fun way to relax and take a break from tests.”

Throughout the week, other events were held around campus, like the Mr. and Ms. Engineer, the Barbie bungee jump competition, and the egg-drop event.

The Engineering Ball, sponsored by the SA’s academic council, ends Engineering Week. The winners of the events are announced at the event. UB has held the ball since the 1950s.

Pastuf noted that this year’s ball was the most successful they’ve seen – the event received a huge turnout and was close to selling out.

“The engineering ball is the capstone event [of Engineering week],” Pastuf said. “It’s a fun, safe event for everyone.”

Pastuf also believes that this year’s Engineering Week was the most successful to date; this year’s events boasted the most club and student participation and also the highest scores at the end of the week.

Jackson was elected as treasurer by IVCF’s membership, but since his homosexuality clashed with certain verses in the Bible (which the IVCF’s basis of faith holds as a supreme authority), he felt like he was forced to resign.

A letter from IVCF appears in today’s Opinion section, fully explaining the club’s position on the matter.

Almost all of the Senate’s deliberation about IVCF on Sunday happened in a closed-to-the-public “executive session.” It was the second executive session of the Senate meeting. Not everyone present agreed with the Senate’s tactics.

“The Senate is essentially putting a club on trial, and the club at least has the right to be there while decisions are being made about it,” said SA Environmental Affairs Director Paul Stephan, who also served as a proxy at the very end of the meeting. “These are our leaders. They were chosen to make these decisions; they should make these decisions out in the open and be very clear about why the decisions were made.”

SA Senate Chair Darwinson Valdez agreed with Stephan, but he explained that there were legal issues.

“As the Senate chair, I’m not in favor of executive session at all,” Valdez said. “But in this situation, we wanted to speak to our lawyer [to make sure we were making the right decision]. But from my side of the point, I always like open meetings, so I don’t really like executive session.”

Email: news@ubspectrum.com

“I love engineering week,” said Tom Heyden, a senior mechanical engineering major who competed in the Botwars competition. “The events that we get to compete in are a lot of fun, and it’s fun when we get to compete against each other, I really enjoy it.”

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Opinion ubspectrum.com

Monday, February 27, 2012

Feet to the Fire

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR IN CHIEF Matthew Parrino SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR James Twigg MANAGING EDITOR Edward Benoit EDITORIAL EDITOR James Bowe NEWS EDITORS Luke Hammill, senior Rebecca Bratek Sara DiNatale, asst.

Lisa Khoury, asst.

ARTS EDITORS Nick Pino, senior Vanessa Frith, senior Brian Josephs Elva Aguilar, asst.

Vilona Tranchtenberg, asst.

LIFE EDITORS Aaron Mansfield, senior Keren Baruch Lyzi White Rachel Kramer, asst.

SPORTS EDITORS Tyler Cady, senior Bryan Feiler Nathaniel Smith PHOTO EDITORS Meg Kinsley, senior Alexa Strudler Satsuki Aoi WEB EDITOR Matthew Parrino James Twigg GRAPHICS DESIGNER Haider Alidina

PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley

Corporations should be liable for human rights violations By this time, all of us remember the landmark Supreme Court case Citizens United, where it was determined by a 5-4 vote that a corporation is considered a person when donating money to political campaigns, and that unlimited amounts could be donated to super PACs. Now, a kind of test is coming to the highest court in the land.

In the past 20 years, there have been 120 lawsuits against corporations on a very specific issue: human rights violations. While many were unsuccessful, some have still hung on to be dragged out through the massive legal process.

Among those suits include an instance where Indonesian villagers accused Exxon Mobil’s security forces of murdering and torturing civilians and a case accusing the Firestone tire company of using child labor.

The case brought in front of the Supreme Court involves an appeal by a group of Nigerians who claim that the Shell oil company helped the Nigerian government destroy protests against oil exploration. Justices are not going to be determining whether or not the company actually did violate human rights, but whether or not they can be

CREATIVE DESIGNERS Nicole Manzo Aline Kobayashi

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.

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for what they’ve done.

Corporations and foreign governments are arguing against the case on the basis that they might be opened up to a number of frivolous lawsuits. Lawyers argue that even a completely baseless argument could take years to resolve and might end up costing the company exorbitant sums of money.

Frivolous lawsuits are not a reason to give companies civil immunity for helping atrocities. People filing lawsuits without merit will always be a problem, and that needs to be tackled separately.

They argue that the individuals involved should be held accountable and not the corporations.

So as far as buying the democratic process and dumping money into political campaigns, corporations want to be considered people and protected under the first amendment so they can give as much as they want to super PACS. Once they have the responsibility to not commit human rights violations and stop using child labor or support a brutal crackdown on free protests, however, suddenly they don’t want to be people any more.

Well that sucks, but it’s too bad. They asked for this, they got it, and now they have to pay for it. Corporations have been implicated in some horrible things, and should be held accountable

Justices have two clear paths to put this country down in front of them.

One holds corporations’ feet to the fire when they’ve violated U.S. and International law by violating human rights.

The other path is one of immunity. It sends the message that not only is a corporation a person, but that they’re a level above citizen. They’ll get the message that they can do whatever they want with impunity. Exploit child labor, crush opposition through dictators, or kill civilians to ensure complacency: it doesn’t matter. They can’t get sued for what they did.

We need an amendment to the Constitution that ensures that only individual people are citizens, not multinational corporations.

This will probably never happen, but we can always dream.

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sued at all for it.

Rights can’t be put to a vote Elected officials in this nation are supposed to be the representatives of the citizens in their constituency. The laws they put through are intended to be for the benefit of the people of their state or area.

Many times, laws go through that don’t exactly do that, but New Jersey’s legislature passed a law that would finally give equality and fairness to the state’s gay community by allowing them to get married just like straight couples.

The moment was considered huge for the gay community, as more and more states are turning around and standing up for the rights of all of it’s citizens and not just the straight ones.

Sadly, vindication was delayed for LBGT people in New Jersey. Chris Christie, the state governor, vetoed the bill and sent it back for an even harder vote to override it. The first vote only had 60 percent support, not enough to override a veto.

Christie publicly had a simple reason behind the veto. He told the Asbury Park Press that the citizens of New Jersey should vote on an issue of this magnitude on directly, and that the legislature is scared of what that decision might be.

Most will remember this issue as sounding exactly like Prop-8 in California, where the notoriously blue state actually voted to illegalize gay marriage, which is partly why Christie wants the vote to go to the people.

He knows it has a strong possibility to turn out in his favor for a number of reasons. Young people have a much weaker turnout at the polls, and they tend to be the biggest supporters of gay marriage rights.

It might sounds like a wonderful, egalitarian model for democracy that allows the people of the state to decide their own fate, but it’s a bulls*** ruse.

You don’t get to vote away equality for an entire group of citizens because the majority wants it.

Our nation is predicated on protecting the rights of the minority from the will of the majority. That’s the whole point behind the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. The government is supposed to treat people equally no matter what.

Let’s put this into perspective. Imagine a vote that gave citizens the right to decide whether or not blacks should be subject to segregation again. Would that be right? Do the people have the

right to force their bigotry on others?

To whom it may concern: Due to the suspension of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship under non-discrimination policies and the subsequent request for a constitutional revision, we are writing to inform you of the intent and opinion of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) regarding this matter.

We have decided to retain our current constitution. This course of action was agreed to by a large majority of our members. Our constitution contains provisions that require current and future leaders to subscribe to our doctrinal basis and purpose statement. We believe these provisions allow us to select leaders who best uphold the integrity and identity of our club. By holding standards about the leaders who will represent our club, we can distinguish our club from other clubs. It is by the same token that all other clubs are able to maintain their identity and uniqueness. We simply wish to reserve the right to ask our leaders to maintain our standards. This will ensure that IVCF remains IVCF in the years to come and that the core of our beliefs, as well as the tenacity to which we hold them, does not disappear.

We strongly agree that college campuses should be places of competing ideas. In fact, our desire to maintain the right to choose leaders who hold distinctly Christian beliefs is compatible with this

notion. For many years university campuses in the U.S. have made space for opposing viewpoints and lively discourse on a variety of ideas. This freedom has birthed incredible creativity and new culturechanging ideas.

If clubs wish to maintain their identity, they elect leaders that reflect the prevailing opinion of the club, which often is the opinion that distinguishes that club from similar clubs. Opinions become the basis of belief, and if one is to consider the maintenance of belief a vice, it will stifle the prominence of opinion and differentiation. The Student Association may not think that it is asking the IVCF chapter to change its beliefs, but that is precisely what it is doing by asking us to stop using religious criteria to select our leaders. The consequences of imposing this kind of mandate on any club or group will be an inevitable weakening of that group.

It is not our desire to forcibly oppose the Student Association and we hope that you can understand our perspective on this matter. It is our hope to continue our relationship with SA in order to become a more involved group on this campus. We love being a part of student life and the reason for IVCF’s presence on campus is to share the Jesus Christ.

Being a part of the Student Association enriches our club, and allows us to be a part of student government, allowing us to in turn contribute to the diversity and wellness of the campus.

IVCF will continue to operate whatever manner we can, but it is our firm belief that we should be

#FreshmanProblems RACHEL KRAMER Asst. Life Editor

You wake up at 7 a.m. and shut off your alarm clock as fast as possible so it doesn’t wake up your roommate. Dealing with her in the morning is not what you need before going to her 8 a.m.

Chemistry 101 class where English is the professor’s third or fourth language.

Deciding what to wear for the day is always a problem. All of your clothes are crammed in the small space that passes for a closet and your selection is limited because you have been putting off doing laundry for three days. As much as you don’t want to look like a slob in class, the warm UB sweatpants are just so tempting. After deciding on a respectable outfit involving some form of oversized shirt, leggings, and a pair of cozy Uggs, you run to catch the bus and realize it’s a lot colder outside than you had originally thought. Too bad it’s too late to turn back now.

After checking with the bus driver that the bus is actually heading to the Union, you plug in your iPod in and look at your phone to avoid looking awkward.

Sitting in lecture, you have a question, but don’t dare raise your hand and be that kid in class.

After a morning packed with Gen Eds, you want to get lunch and so you stand in line at Pistachios to get your favorite pasta dish because it is “the best food on campus.” However, when you go to pay, you realize that if you want a soda or a water bottle, it goes above the allotted money for the meal plan and you will have to use your dining dollars.

You make sure to go downstairs to Putnam’s to double-swipe on water bottles, cereal, or almonds because it’s Friday afternoon and you have four leftover meals that you won’t spend. Even though you switched from the 19-meal plan to the 14-meal plan, you end up with extra meals every week.

It’s raining outside and since you did not bring a rain coat, you have to navigate the tunnel system to get from the Union to Park Hall. You get lost three times, but won’t ask for directions because you don’t want people to know you’re a freshman.

Of course not, we know that treating people like second class citizens is wrong and that our ultimate set of laws dictates that no matter what we can’t do that to people. So why is it OK Once you are done with class, you realfor anyone to continually deny gays ize that you have to do laundry because equality? you are going out tonight and don’t The answer is scarily simple: votes.

Christie hasn’t been a champion for the anti-gay idiocy before, but now that a future presidential campaign looks eminent, he wants to start building up his turbo-conservative credentials. Kind of like when John McCain went from being a reasonable, moderate Republican to a hyperknight of Reagan during his presidential campaign in 2008.

Most of us don’t care what other people do with their lives. It doesn’t affect a straight person when a gay person gets married, and so many are simply apathetic about the whole situation.

That needs to stop. It might not have a direct effect on you, but everyone in this nation deserves equality, and we should be a part of the solution that brings fairness and true freedom to everyone.

Letter to the Editor

February 25, 2012

Page 3

allowed to remain in SA under the standards of religious liberty on which our country’s laws are based. All clubs need the ability to ensure that they elect leaders who reflect the prevailing beliefs of the club, and who meet the standards of leadership set down by the club. Clubs need standards of leadership in order to maintain their individuality and identity. We simply wish to protect the ability to maintain standards of leadership in our constitution. Furthermore, it is our desire that every student club on campus be enabled to maintain their individuality and identity by requiring leaders to be in line with the core beliefs and purpose of that group. This will allow for a truly diverse, pluralistic campus environment.

Our hope is that our constitution upholds both our own standards, as well as those of SA. However, we will not remove the article which requires leaders to adhere to the InterVarsity doctrinal basis and purpose statement.

We look forward to your thoughtful response. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us for clarification and further conversation.

We desire continued dialogue and ultimately, continued partnership and presence on campus. Thank you for your time.

In faith, The InterVarsity Christian Fellowship Buffalo Chapter executive board

have any underwear left. Dragging your hamper down three flights of stairs, you find that only one machine is open.

It takes you two and a half hours to get your clothes clean.

You eat dinner in the dining hall, after complaining to your friends that the dining hall food is always terrible. You sit with your group of friends as they complain about how they’re gaining the freshman 15 and really should go to the gym tomorrow.

Once back at the dorm, you start your Friday night ritual. Since you and your friends decided to go out tonight – even though it is only 15 degrees outside – you pick out your outfit assuming you will be too drunk to feel the cold.

Because your fake ID hasn’t arrived yet, you get alcohol from that friend who looks like he is 21 and who is best friends with the owner of the liquor store. Pregaming is always challenging because it’s a dry dorm, so the RA is always on the prowl looking to write someone up for underage drinking.

You get completely drunk because you don’t know where you will find alcohol again during the night.

You shove your way onto the drunk bus – but not fast enough to secure a seat.

You ride the whole way swaying and in danger of falling into the lap of the person sitting down next to you.

You arrive at a frat house. You shove your way to the “bar” and get a red solo cup full of “juice” even though everybody has warned you against it by saying: “you don’t know what’s in that.”

You don’t care; it tastes fruity and you know you will stay drunk.

Once the frat gets lame, you head out to Northside Bar hoping to find someone to hook up with. But both your hands are marked with X’s, acknowledging you aren’t yet 21. That’s okay, though, because you already blacked out from the amount of alcohol you drank earlier.

At around 2 a.m. you are hungry and Just Pizza seems like such a good decision.

Then you get tired and decide it’s time to head home but you still have to fight your way onto the bus. This time you get a seat. Good thing, too, because the nausea is building and it takes all of your self-control not to throw up on the bus – you want to be classy.

After walking up three flights of stairs, stumbling down the hall, and struggling to put your key in the door, you realize your roommate has sexiled you and you need to find another place to sleep.

All you want to do is sleep in your own bed, but you stumble down the hall to your friend’s room and crash on the floor.

You wake up hungover Saturday morning ready to do it again.

Disclaimer: I am a freshman.

Email: rachel.kramer@ubspectrum.com

Page 4

Life ubspectrum.com

Monday, February 27, 2012

McGuire Scoots to Recovery

A Lawful Opportunity For the Underrepresented

MAX CRINNIN Staff Writer

DUANE OWENS Staff Writer

Fourteen months ago, Dr. Donald T. McGuire Jr. was unsure if he would ever stand in front of a classroom again. This year he’s back – on a scooter.

Students are starting to pack their summer suitcases – they’re busy deciding whether to take their blue or red swimsuit, whether they want to drink mojitos in Bermuda or Bud Lite Lime at the Jersey Shore. One group of students, on the other hand, is packing up their notebooks and pens to spend their summer in Buffalo.

McGuire owns a handful of titles: adjunct associate professor of the UB Classics Department, coordinator for undergraduate initiatives for the college of arts and sciences, father, husband, scholar, world traveler, “Dead Head,” and more.

When he was diagnosed with diabetes, his life and identity were both in jeopardy.

In November of last year, McGuire went to a doctor for treatment on what he thought was an unusual infection on his foot. The test results were shocking: doctors discovered that the infection was, in fact, a toxic reaction to diabetes.

McGuire didn’t know he had had diabetes.

Reimon Bhuyan /// The Spectrum Professor Donald T. McGuire is known for scooting around campus, but his students know him as a world traveler and history aficionado.

He needed surgery as soon as possible.

What started as a routine doctor’s appointment turned into a lengthy ordeal and several operations. After his big toe on his left foot was amputated, he was hospitalized for three and a half weeks and faced a two-and-a-half month rehab process afterward.

Honors College and wondered: “What is that guy smiling about?” McGuire is just happy to be back in the classroom.

Although his health was in shambles, McGuire never questioned his return to teaching – his true passion.

“At times I worried I might not have a leg and I wondered what that would be like, but I don’t think I ever thought it would stop me from teaching,” McGuire said. “I don’t see how I could not teach at UB...I would have a hard time accepting that. A lot of my identity is wrapped in being a teacher and being a good teacher. That’s at the heart of everything.”

While hospitalized, McGuire put his normal life on hold, to go into “survival mode,” hoping that the worst had passed. His teaching assistants finished his World Civilizations classes, and he wasn’t able to go on the study abroad trip he had planned.

No amount of healing could stop the infection from returning due to problems with the original procedure, but McGuire overcame the infection once again and things are finally looking up. McGuire made a return to teaching this year with the help of his special boot, cane, and scooter – all designed to keep weight off his foot.

Students have probably seen him pushing his scooter around in the

Sometimes he uses a hand-carved cane to help him get around. The cane – carved in Tijuana, Mexico – displays old, colorful scenes from everyday Mexican life of past and present Mexican culture.

The widow of legendary UB Professor and poet Mac Hammond passed it down to him.

“I should be slowly throwing aside my tools of medical convenience,” McGuire said. “I expect to ski again. I expect to walk around ruins for 10 hours a day. I expect to just walk around a classroom.

The diabetes is there, and I live my life these days taking some care to make sure it’s as small of an issue as it can be.

It’s simply a part of my reality now.”

For McGuire, teaching takes its roots in a lifetime of dedicated study in his field.

He began studying Latin in high school, and then majored in Latin and Greek at Brown University for his undergraduate degree, before continuing on to Cornell for his Ph.D. McGuire said his teaching style was formed from the influence of many of his own teachers.

“My first ever Latin teacher made it clear to me that teaching was a gift and a craft,” McGuire said. “You bring different traits from different teachers and I’ve always had good teachers.

That’s part of my luck. I’m always thinking what my teachers would have done in certain situations.”

McGuire also credits his world travels as formative experiences that paved the

way for him becoming a professor. Much of his identity lies in the many experiences he had as a student of classics.

He travelled to Rome his junior year of college, and that trip changed his life.

He decided to get a Ph.D. in Latin and Greek because he enjoyed the languages so much.

McGuire strives to provide students with travel opportunities similar to the ones he had as a student. Although he has sat out of the last two trips he planned, due to his illnesses, McGuire looks forward to an opportunity to bring students abroad to the Mediterranean region again as soon as possible.

“I think travel is a learning experience.

I think everybody agrees with that,” McGuire said. “My impressions of Italy and Turkey are my own…I want to shape the experience so that the students not only get my take, but also develop their own opinions and make their own reads on what's going in the culture and what’s going on with history and what they see of what I show them.”

McGuire began taking students abroad as a professor at the University of Southern California. He moved to Los Angeles from Cornell right after graduation, as both he and his wife were offered jobs at USC teaching in the classics department.

As the two lovebirds had met in college studying classics, an opportunity to teach at the same university was a dream come true for the newlyweds.

Continued on page 6

This summer, SUNY Buffalo Law School is collaborating with the Minority Bar Association of Western New York and the University at Buffalo’s Millard Fillmore College to create an undergraduate Summers Scholars Program for underrepresented minorities. This program aims to diversify the pool of law students and aspiring practitioners while increasing the number of minorities in law – a number that has statistically dropped through the years.

“If we want to increase the number of minorities in law school and in the attorney profession, we have to target them early on, and we have to develop an interest and prepare them,” said Jessica Lazarin, member of the Minority Bar Association.

The program isn’t just about increasing the statistics of minorities in law school.

The UB Scholars Program is creating an opportunity for 20 freshmen and sophomores from many different backgrounds – they may be first-generation college students, have financial or family issues, and/or have children to care for.

The four-week program begins June 2 and lasts until the end of the month. Students will have a set regimen, beginning with early morning check-in, law topic lecture, a schedule block dedicated to the practice of writing and research skills, strategies, and ethnography. Monday through Friday carries a full workload, with Saturdays, Sundays, and any extra free time set aside for extra preparation.

The students don’t have to worry about how this is getting paid for or how they’ll be able to keep an extra couple dollars in their pocket. All program costs are covered and each participant will be receiving a $900 stipend. With focus being solely on the program, the students enrolled are expected to be stimulated.

Minorities are frequently underrepresented in the legal field. Most students of law and attorneys have fellow law graduates in their family. That’s a factor that makes a great difference in familiarity, according to Academic Support and Student Services Manager Francine Nicholas.

“Those students who do have lawyers in their family have a better understanding of what lawyers do and what law school requires,” Nicholas said. “Someone

who didn’t have that circle of influence may have not even of thought about law school, even though they could be perfectly able to go to law school and succeed. It just never would’ve occurred to them.”

Academically, students are required to have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above to participate in the program. This requirement is not exactly set in stone; there’s some leniency depending on the circumstances of the applicant, according to Lazarin.

“That’s kind of just a bench mark, but it’s certainly not a cut off,” Nicholas said.

“We’ll look at…their life experience, any challenges that they’ve had to confront, any economic hardships that existed that they needed to overcome, work experience, did you finance your education, any special talents…like leadership skills or communication skills.”

From 1992 to 2005, minority enrollment in law school declined 8.6 percent, with an even greater decline after 2005, according to Lazarin.

Theories that attempt to determine the reason for this drop of minorities in law have cited exams, standardized tests, and lack of confidence as core reasons.

Because of this, the UB Scholars Program has administered practice tests to eliminate anxiety and plans to show that applicants are capable.

The Scholars Program has also gained the attention of UB Law professors James Wooten, Michael Halberstam, Charles Patrick Ewing, and David Engel.

Each professor will be teaching in their own specific schedule block to increase the skills of students and prepare them for tasks ahead.

The professors involved chose to do so on their own accord.

“I think it’s a really valuable program that serves a good purpose,” Wooten said. “[It’ll be fun to] give them some skills that’ll help them succeed if they decide to pursue law as a career.”

This opportunity can dramatically increase the level of minorities in law. With such low numbers, each applicant could make up 10 percent of a minority class.

The program could also serve to create role models that can influence other minorities. With the deadline for applications being March 16, there’s plenty of time to make a difference.

“It’s our job as minority attorneys to encourage and to show them that I’m just like you,” Lazarin said.

This recognition of similarities aims to build a comfort zone and hopes to help minorities create a splash in the field of law.

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

Mon. February 27 — Fri. March 9, 2012

w w w. c o m p f e e . b u f f a l o. e d u UB’s Comprehensive Fee is a consolidation of campus-required fees that supports several university services.

UB students pay the fee each year, unless you qualify for fee waivers.

Every year, UB asks students for feedback about the coming year’s plans for the Comprehensive Fee.

We N e e d Yo u r F e e d b a c k 

Learn about the fee, how it is allocated, proposed increases, programs and initiatives, etc.



Hear what your peers think



Participate in the MyOpinion Survey



Join the CompFee Listserv to send us your feedback or questions

Our goal is to get as much feedback from students as possible before the fee is finalized.

Any time during the Consultation Process (2/27-3/9/12), visit the website above to leave your feedback or learn more.

Monday, February 27, 2012

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ubspectrum.com

The

Graduate Center The City University of New York

Continued from page 4: McGuire Scoots to Recovery

Continued from page 10:

Women Sparkle in MAC Championships

“We met in grad school as a part of an amazing group of grad students at Cornell, and things worked,” McGuire said. “We travel a lot together and enjoy a lot similar movies and materials. We cook together. We have fun.”

and Rachel in seventh. It’s not a surprise that she won because her consistency is her strength.”

McGuire and his wife taught at USC until he moved to Buffalo in 1992.

“The student body here is palpably different,” McGuire said. “It’s a much more populist feeling here at a big state university versus an elite private university in the center of Los Angeles.

There’s a much wider variety of students here from all economic backgrounds and all different experiences, whether it’s kids from farms or kids from Queens or Long Island.

There’s a really interesting international feel to the atmosphere here, as well.”

The “diverse and less privileged” community of students here at UB makes a significant difference in the classroom environment, according to McGuire, as far as the students’ attitudes toward learning.

“I feel as though there’s a bigger population of students here who really want to make their way and are actively engaged in their education,” McGuire said. “The stereotype about LA students and USC students especially is that they’re spoiled, and that’s not fair. USC had boatloads of great students.”

Overall, McGuire feels this makes teaching at UB better than at USC due to interest in learning – that’s what makes teaching worthwhile, according to McGuire.

McGuire typically teaches two classes a semester at UB – one upper level class within the classics department and one section of World Civilizations. Students in his classes sense his passion for subject matter and are stimulated by his lectures and classroom conduct.

“He jumps around a lot, but I like that,” said Allison Edwards, a sophomore biomedical sciences major who traveled to Italy this past winter break on the trip McGuire planned for the Honors College. “He has really interesting stories and it’s not a typical class where the professor is dry and lists facts.

McGuire always adds interesting things to the course material from his own experiences traveling in Italy and Turkey.”

Students also admire McGuire for his true mastery of the material and his ability to serve as a constant source for help and information in subjects other than what he teaches. They feel that he really cares for them as well as their education.

Public Education to a Higher Degree Master’s degree students at the Graduate Center regularly take the same classes as doctoral students, taught by the school’s renowned doctoral faculty.

The Graduate Center’s innovative and flexible Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) has eighteen interdisciplinary specializations, providing an advanced degree applicable to a wide range of fields in the arts and sciences.

The specializations are: � Africana Studies � American Studies � Approaches to Modernity � Archaeology of the Classical, Late Antique, and Islamic Worlds � Bioethics, Science, and Society � Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir � Digital Humanities � Fashion Studies � Film Studies � International Studies � Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies � Law and Society � New York Studies

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Master’s degree students may attend school full time or part time and most can begin their studies in either fall or spring semester.

Please visit http://liberalstudies.gc.cuny.edu to learn more about the Master’s Program in Liberal Studies.

Monday, February 27, 2012

“You can tell that he loves what he’s doing and he tries to get you to love it as well,” said Paul Glenn, a sophomore mathematical psychics major. “Also, his memory is ridiculous. It sometimes seems inhuman with all the people and places he remembers.”

McGuire incorporates his other loves in life to the class by sharing video and audio clips from favorite movies and musicians in his lectures along with his famous stories.

McGuire’s office is a shrine to his many travels and cultural influences in life. A collection of knick-knacks from overseas and posters adorn the room along with his packed bookshelves.

Included in his display is a bottle of Turkish ketchup, a small Japanese alarm clock, several family photos and posters of his home of New England. His favorites include an original concert flier for The Who and another of the Birdkillers and The McGuires. McGuire was not a member of the band himself, but his sister spotted the poster on a telephone pole in Manhattan and stole it for him.

Family is the topic that McGuire speaks of with the biggest smile on his face. His daughter is currently a senior at Cornell and a member of the varsity crew team there. His son is a senior at a local Buffalo high school and is getting ready to choose a college from a list of potential best fits.

McGuire has been lucky enough to work alongside his wife throughout his teaching career. Although they don’t often collaborate, a passion in Latin and classical study is one of the many things they share in common.

A man of many titles, McGuire looks forward to a long awaited full recovery full of new and exciting travel – and more students eager to learn about history in modern life.

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

In an unfortunate and surprising twist, the momentum couldn’t carry over to the men’s side.

Senior Rob Golabek failed to place in the men’s shot put.

The defending champion and favorite to win the event failed to make it out of the first round, as he fouled on all three of his attempts, which was a big blow to the men’s chances.

Despite only winning two championships between the two teams, there were many other stellar performances over the weekend.

One of the more exciting events on the track was the women’s 4x400 meter relay.

The foursome of junior Jamiee McClary, sophomore Donna Jeanty, junior Brooklynn Ventura, and sophomore Asia Henry finished in a close second behind Western Michigan.

It was a finish that Mitchell was very proud of.

“That 4x4 relay with those four women was one of the most impressive events that I have watched in a conference championship,” Mitchell said.

“All four women had no less than two races under their belt, and they just finished their finals in other events.

They were tired, they were sore, they were beat up and they had one goal – to do it for the team.”

A couple of male athletes made season bests in their respective events, highlighted by junior Tomarris Bell’s finish of second in the triple jump. His jump of 48 feet and 6.25 inches was the highest for him this season, over two feet more than his previous mark.

Despite not having a winner in the men’s shot put, senior Corey Knox posted a seasonbest throw of 57 feet-10.5 inches, putting him at second place overall.

Next, for the select few, comes the NCAA Championships that will take place March 9 and 10 in Nampa, Idaho.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 10:

Bulls Tame Bobcats on Senior Day in time.”

On the next possession, Baccas and Hedderson hooked up again with duplicate results. Hedderson beat her defender and scored despite being fouled. It was a 6-2 run that gave Buffalo a one-point lead that it never relinquished despite several pushes by Ohio.

Ohio was able to keep pace with the Bulls because of its work on the offensive glass; the Bobcats grabbed 17 offensive rebounds leading to 15 second chance points. The Bobcats did well against Buffalo’s half-court offense, but their fouling and turnovers that led to their undoing.

Semalulu terrorized the Bobcats the entire game.

She had 15 points – one shy of her career high – six rebounds, and five steals.

None more impressive than her theft of Ohio sophomore guard Shavon Robinson.

Semalulu deftly stripped Robinson of the ball near midcourt and sprinted toward the basket. On her

layup attempt she was fouled in mid-flight. She absorbed the contact, made the adjustment, and finished the andone scoring play.

What made her inspiring effort even more impressive was the fact she was nowhere near 100 percent after suffering a severe ankle injury in Tuesday’s win over Kent State. She left the arena on crutches that day but said that there was no way she was missing Saturday’s contest.

“I knew I was going to play,” Semalulu said. “Unless it was broken, that was the only thing that was going to stop me”.

The Bulls have won consecutive games for the third time this season and will travel to Akron on Feb. 28 for their last regular season game.

The game is scheduled to tipoff at 7 p.m.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Continued from page 10:

Women’s Swimming and Diving Sets Records

at MAC Championship team put in this weekend and excited to enjoy the success.

“We’re going to enjoy this – we definitely deserve it.

Then we will start looking toward next year,” Bashor said.

The season is not yet over for the entirety of the women’s team. Some of the swimmers will look to make the cut at the NCAA sectionals meet for the NCAA National Championship meet. Kuras in particular has a good shot at qualifying for the NCAA meet and even possibly placing there given her most recent performances.

The rest of the team will get a few weeks off before setting its sights for next season’s MAC championship meet. Bashor stressed the importance of enjoying the victories that his team has achieved this season before it can begin to train again.

The team only graduates four swimmers this year and returns some of the teams’ best swimmers as it looks to build off its strongest season ever. Bashor is also hoping that some key recruits will help to replace the graduating seniors and give more depth in some of the Bulls’ weaker events.

For now, the Bulls can enjoy their most successful MAC championship meet ever that put the cap on their most successful season ever.

“We had everybody step up and perform awesome. This is how you want to end the season,” Bashor said.

NCAA Zone A Qualifying will start March 9 for the swimmers that qualified, with the NCAA Championship meet starting the week after.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Arts ubspectrum.com

Monday, February 27, 2012

Meyers, Live on Saturday Night VILONA TRACHTENBERG Asst. Arts Editor

ing at the White House Correspondents Dinner and speaking alongside President Barack Obama.

SNL star Seth Meyers put new spins on everything from Vegas hotels to chicken fingers to politics Saturday night, live.

Obama went into a situation room to take away the spotlight from Meyers, and that’s when he got the idea to kill Osama bin Laden, which incited the loudest applause of the night.

Head writer of Saturday Night Live and Weekend Update news anchor Seth Meyers took a break from scripted comedy and performed standup Saturday night at the CFA. The performance was an extension of his Weekend Update persona, but was also geared toward his life experiences.

He focused on the irony of how Osama and Obama have similar names and what would happen if this situation happened during WWII. “[It would be like] in 1944 if FDR lost to Stalin Bitler,” Meyers said.

As Meyers casually strolled on stage his cool and confident demeanor radiated into the full audience and incited an uproarious applause.

An audience member directly responded to that with humorous haste and noted that the American people are smarter than that, and Meyers joked and responded directly to the audience member.

He immediately began his set and threw his characteristic punches at current events and the faces of the media.

Meyers humored the audience with his typical Weekend Update style, telling jokes primarily about politics and not hesitating to hit the GOP debates hard. “[It is] by far the best show on television this year,” Meyers said.

The GOP primary candidates – Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Herman Cain, and Rick Santorum – gave Meyers a lot of material to work with, but Rick Perry was Meyers’ primary victim, taking the place of former President George W. Bush.

“If you thought George Bush was too book smart, try Rick Perry,” Meyers said.

“No one here has a love for terrorists, we’re smarter than that,” Meyers said.

Courtesy of David Shankbone Saturday Night Live’s Seth Meyers brought his humor to UB’s Center for the Arts on Saturday.

Meyers also lambasted the sex scandals that many politicians have been cornered in. Elliot Spitzer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and David Patterson were the butt of his jokes.

However, Meyers realized that although the American political system is scrutinized, it is better than the European political system, and is incomparable to the difficulties that Europe faces in compromising and making decisions.

“I can’t imagine how hard it would be if all of us spoke a different language and all our [grandparents] killed each MEDIA MATE LLC One of his best political jokes was other in WWII,” Meyers said. about Donald Trump running for the 10.625 x 9.56” GOP, hinting at the fact that many Throughout his standup he told a Americans thought Trump running rv/ae/rv wide variety of jokes and quips that was a joke in the first place. anyone could understand. He appealed to the masses with his insults “Trump frequently appears on Fox and punch lines, but spoke about his News, which is ironic since a fox often own comical life experiences as well. appears on Donald Trump’s head,” Meyers said.

Staying true to one of his most nota-

“He was a lot more relaxed and just his reaction to somebody who said something in the audience, he just picked it up and he kept going with it and used it in his act, it was really funny; he was really witty about it,” said Emily Biniewski, a freshman nursing major. “I liked that he was a lot more comfortable because he wasn’t on TV and he didn’t have to be censored.”

Meyers made relevant and timely jokes, but didn’t overstep boundaries with his witticism. He touched his subject matter enough to interest people and make a quick joke, but not to offend people.

He concluded the night with his Weekend Update quick joke persona, and told jokesCH045090B not allowed on air. 3This gave a familiar air of comfort, with the audience knowing that the man on stage is the man they have seen and appreciated for years on SNL. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

ble anecdotes, he described perform-

Page 7

Who Runs The World?

didn’t accentuate any of her physical features, and was portrayed as a big eater who wasn’t afraid to show it.

ELVA AGUILAR Asst. Arts Editor

On the other hand, McCarthy also served as the breakout actress of the film. Her execution of Megan’s unapologetic, sometimes naïve but caring persona can most easily be compared to Zach Galifianakis’ role in The Hangover.

Galifianakis was the butt of nearly every joke in the film, but his career has only progressed since the 2009 movie premiered. If history serves correct, McCarthy might be on the fast track to super stardom.

It’s refreshing to finally see female celebrities being heralded for their talents and not insulted for their size in a world that values physical appearance.

Octavia Spencer, similar to McCarthy, has also been a diamond in the rough throughout the years. She had countless supporting roles and is the undisputed favorite for this year’s Best Supporting Actress.

Adele dominated the Grammys’ by taking home six awards for her sophomore project, 21. This year’s Oscars are buzzing with excitement for two other women, actresses Octavia Spencer, for her role in The Help, and Melissa McCarthy for her role in Bridesmaids.

What makes women like Adele, Melissa McCarthy, and Octavia Spencer amazing is their ability to allow their talents to represent who they are.

None of them claim to be the face or personality behind full-figured women everywhere, nor do they constantly make it a point to bring up their size as an obstacle or marketing scheme.

Recently, designer Karl Lagerfeld was caught in controversy for claiming Adele was “too fat.” After the backlash from fans and colleagues alike, Lagerfeld apologized and was left with his tail between his legs as Adele publicly brushed the dirt off her shoulder in an interview with People magazine.

The debate whether these women are healthy or not is not what I’m arguing. This is about women who aren’t going to let something as trivial as what clothing size they are get in the way of their success.

As a woman who wasn’t blessed with the “body of a goddess,” I know the road to self-acceptance is not an easy one. At 21, I can say that although I know I need to work on my physical appearance, my self-worth will never be based solely off those attributes nor what I see in other women.

Women like Adele, Melissa McCarthy, Octavia Spencer, and even Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez, have given the term “natural beauty” new meanings over the years.

2/27/2012 Expectations for up-and-coming celebrities will never change, but as long “I’ve never wanted to look like models ALDI000016 SALVAREZ as more women learn that self-accepon the cover of magazines,” Adele tance is more important than looking said. “I represent the majority of Grocery like Angelina Jolie, then the human women and I’m very proud of that.” race might actually have a shot.

Melissa McCarthy played the role of the stereotypical plus-sized woman in Bridesmaids as Megan. Megan’s character was masculine, put in clothes that

Email: elva.aguilar@ubspectrum.com

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Page 8

Funless Family Guy BRIAN JOSEPHS Arts Editor The numbers from Family Guy’s last few season premiers have a very unfortunate, but understandable trend.

Season 10’s premier, “Lottery Fever,” had only 7.69 million U.S. viewers when the episode aired last September. This was the lowest audience it had since the show was revived from cancelation, despite the fact that these numbers have been continually dropping in the last three seasons.

Ratings don’t always correlate with quality, but I’d have to argue that’s the case for Family Guy. Other critics would argue that Family Guy’s quality has been low since its revival in 2005. That’s false, as there are some classic moments to be found in the later seasons – the critique of the FCC (“PTV”), Stewie beating down Brian for his money (“Patriot Games”), and the excellent “Road to…” episodes.

However, those highlights are from seasons four through six. The truly brilliant moments that made Family Guy one of the best animated series of all time become scarce as it gets to the later seasons.

Perhaps the decline can be placed on the show’s new emphasis on plot and social commentary. The focus would’ve been all well and good if it was actually well-executed. Instead, we get unoriginal, predictable episodes.

Let’s take “Lottery Fever,” for instance. The episode has Peter winning the lottery and losing his fortune after bouts of binge spending and obnoxious behavior.

Sounds familiar? Peter was in a very similar situation in Season two’s “Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater,” where his family inherits a mansion and, of course, loses it all due Peter’s typical buffoonery.

It’s clear that “Lottery Fever’s” plot was derivative, but it’s important to note that it was executed much better in season two. “Peter, Peter, Caviar Eater” had some genuinely funny moments (the “This House is Freakin’ Sweet” musical segment is a classic) while “Lottery Fever” was just stale. The effects of Quagmire’s penis enlargement pump are far more grotesque than actually humorous.

Plus, as soon as Peter got the lottery jackpot, the audience should already know what Peter’s foolish characteristics would get him. This brings about another problem with the current Family Guy – the

Lucky There’s a Family Guy

characterization.

Seth McFarlane’s creation has been on air for more than 10 years, so America already knows what to expect from these characters. Consequently, when the show starts to rely on character-based jokes, it always falls flat.

Meg, the butt of all the family’s jokes, is a prime example. The series constantly reiterates how much of the outcast she is. But the constant Meg jokes just do not get any funnier. When she finally retaliates in this season’s “Seahorse Seashell Party,” you get the mundane “it’s about time” feeling rather than the shock the scene was supposed to invoke.

Then there’s Stewie’s transformation from a murderous child to a slightly violent homosexual. The character change was one of the main criticisms for pre-cancelation fans, but it works in some cases (season eight’s “Brian & Stewie” and season nine’s “The Big Bang Theory”).

But at the same time, the shift in Stewie’s character provides some of the series’ most wasteful moments. The Stewie-centric “Baby Not on Board” is one of Family Guy’s worst episodes because it ruins an opportunity to put one of the series’ most recognized character in some truly funny moments and shows 22 minutes of senseless, unimaginative dialogue.

However, the biggest problem with Family Guy is its humor. There are some laughs to be had here and there, but a number of the jokes are uninspired.

There used to be a time where the jokes would be joyfully discussed the day after the airing of each episode, but those days are gone.

Maybe Family Guy has passed its prime after 10 seasons, much like other shows (The Simpsons) have done in the past. I doubt this is the case.

There are more avenues this series can explore.

It’s just a matter of exploring the right ones.

Monday, February 27, 2012

FELICIA HUNT Staff Writer

God, who are they making fun of now?”

With nine seasons completed and season 10 currently airing, Family Guy is not an unknown TV show. The show has undergone criticism for its constant cutaway scenes, political incorrectness, and underdeveloped plots. However, this has not stopped the show from receiving millions of views every week on Fox. Now the show is criticized for “not being funny” – that the jokes are getting old, that the setup is the same every week, and it can never live up to The Simpsons.

I believe Family Guy is still a funny show. Watching the Griffin family and their neighbors every week gives me 30 minutes to just laugh, to take a step back from stress.

Seth MacFarlane, the show’s creator, has no problem bringing up recent pop culture references as well as problems in the world. He infuses humor in these issues. Sometimes the risqué humor makes me think twice about laughing. I start to laugh and think – am I a horrible person for laughing?

The answer to that is no. Sometimes laughing at yourself is good. For example, when the show attacks Italian Americans like my family, we all cannot help but laugh. We don’t take offense to our background being attacked.

Family Guy pokes fun at all sorts of groups. The Amish, Italians, Asians, Muslims, and the handicapped are all joked about at least three times per season. No group is safe from the humor.

I think that the cutaway scenes are so random it’s funny.

These scenes are what the show is known for. You can always feel when these scenes are coming and you just say, “Oh

Email: brian.josephs@ ubspectrum. com

If you take those scenes away, will Family Guy still be relevant? Will the weekly views plummet? This is not a risk that should be taken. I don’t think the show would keep its viewership if these scenes were taken away, especially with younger age groups becoming interested in the show.

Honestly, I watch the show for Stewie and Peter.

Peter is the clueless family man with an attraction to idiotic tendencies. In one episode, I remember Peter made a waterslide down the stairs and I had to watch it again for pure enjoyment. Stewie is the standout character – an evil talking baby who often raises questions about his sexuality. His personality makes him a fan-favorite and his character is very quotable.

Sure, the show has immature parts like farting jokes and sexual humor, but it’s done in a way that is still funny. A little bit of immaturity is good anyways, right?

Also, Family Guy does have some deep-rooted lessons within the hilarity. In the most recent episode, a talking dolphin took refuge in the Griffin house after a fight with his wife. Peter ends up helping the dolphin get his wife back after a heartfelt monologue. Most of the Family Guy episodes do have “morals” at the end, although they are never taken seriously.

Family Guy remains a huge part in American pop culture even after competing against greats such as South Park and The Simpsons. The show has faithful viewers even among controversy of political correctness. I think that today, people should be able to laugh at politically incorrect jokes and not feel bad about it. A joke is a joke – don’t take them seriously.

If you’re disgusted at the show, you don’t have to watch it. There are plenty of other shows out there for your enjoyment.

But I am going to embrace my slight streak of immaturity that keeps me sane and continue watching the show. Besides, quoting Herbert the Pervert and Quagmire with my friends is fun.

Giggity.

Email: feliciah@buffalo.edu

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Crossword of the Day

MONDay, FEBRUARY 27 FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You can avoid conflict today by avoiding situations about which you know little -- or less. Stick to what you know at this time.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You can trust your inner circle to do what is necessary to see you through a difficult time -- and it may actually end today.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You've been fooling yourself for quite some time, and today events will show you just where you've been and what you're facing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Your memories today will inspire you to do something that a loved one has been waiting for you to do for some time.

You'll feel good!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Any recklessness on your part can only result in putting undue strain on one or two key relationships today.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- A few mishaps during the day may result in a late-night excursion for you and a partner. There is fun to be had, however.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You may be unusually sensitive today, especially where family members are concerned. You're in no mood to hear it like it is.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- You may not be able to complete a certain task today until someone else has completed his or hers first.

37 Like an unflipped fried egg 40 Did a blacksmith's job 42 Kickoff gadget 43 Holiday's yesterday 44 Common Market monogram 45 Clues 47 Some swords have two 51 Some arm muscles 53 "To thine ___ self ..."

55 "The Murders in the ___ Morgue" 56 Buoyant wood 57 Baroque chamber instrument 58 Bygone Turkish title 59 "Ali ___ and the Forty Thieves" 60 Overly romantic 63 Citrus fruit variety 64 Distinct musical sounds 65 Silver State tourist destination 66 Make a judgement 67 Earliest stage 68 "Brady Bunch" name

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You may not have a sure grasp of the timing involved in a certain endeavor today. A friend tries to give you the low-down.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -Things come to you piecemeal today, but you can put it all together and use it all to your advantage when the time comes.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- You may have the feeling that someone close to you is trying to hide something from you -- and it may not be something you can overlook.

Sudoku

Edited by Timothy E. Parker February 27, 2012 SPACE ODYSSEY By Kathy George ACROSS 1 Mickey and Mighty 5 Garnish unit 10 A flat, thick piece 14 Scandinavian capital 15 Desire desperately 16 Became tattered 17 Revenuer's quarry 19 "All ___ being equal ..."

20 Bird related to the cassowary 21 Boot out of office 22 Flooring wood 24 "Deliverance" actor Beatty 25 "Kiss my grits" lady of TV 26 "Last Judgment" chapel 28 Covert get-together 30 Civil Rights org.

32 Links statistic 33 Pod plant 35 Snow runner 36 7-Up alternative

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- There's no need to apologize for something for which you were not responsible -- though you are certainly involved in some way.

DOWN 1 Brief period of time 2 Chemical "twin" 3 Overcast 4 A billion years, in astronomy 5 Bar mitzvah site (Var.) 6 Attica or Leavenworth 7 Angry monologue 8 "Now ___ seen everything!"

9 Disinfectant 10 Cleaned, as a driveway 11 Sweet sucker 12 Ammo depot 13 Apiary occupant 18 Start to melt 23 Adder relative 26 "The Chronicles of Clovis" writer 27 Time of importance 29 Eyed tuber 31 Balance sheet listing

34 Restaurant order 36 Gave a stage signal 37 Friendly and pleasant 38 Urgent cravings 39 In a balanced manner 40 "On your mark, get ___, go!"

41 Non-woody vegetation 45 " ___ dead, Jim." 46 Evening get-together 48 Showing more age, in a way 49 "Desire Under the Elms" playwright O'Neill 50 Seasoned sailor 52 Forty-niner's stake 54 Best's opposite 59 Begin blooming 61 About 907 kilos 62 Physics unit

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Page 10

Monday, February 27, 2012

Senior Catapults Bulls Out of Slump

Braun-ded Guilty

Mitchell Watt: man on a mission

AARON MANSFIELD Senior Life Editor On Wednesday night, after the men’s basketball team suffered its third-straight loss, senior forward Mitchell Watt called his team out.

“I don’t think we’ve raised our desire up to a level that matches what time of year it is,” Watt said.

On Saturday, he answered his own challenge.

Watt pieced together a memorable 28-point performance in his second to last game ever at Alumni Arena, willing the Bulls (17-9, 10-4 Mid-American Conference) to an 84-74 victory over visiting Miami (Ohio) (9-18, 5-9 MAC) and sling-shotting his team out of a three-game losing streak. The Bulls maintained pace in the frantic battle for second place in the conference.

“It’s good to see us get a little bit of a spark back – a little energy back,” said head coach Reggie Witherspoon.

Watt – who set the mark for most games played in a career in school history (123) – said on Wednesday night that he’s working to leave his mark like the seniors did when he was a freshman. That night, he was disgusted with his team’s performance (an 88-77 home loss to Ohio, one of two teams tied with Buffalo for second in the MAC).

“Each game has a little bit more meaning,” Watt said. “This game had a lot of meaning to the guys because of our last performance.

The fans that came out to that game spent their hard-earned money, and we didn’t do them justice. We wanted to play hard and with enthusiasm [today].

It was a special win for [the seniors].”

Watt wasn’t the only veteran to step up. Senior guard Zach Filzen – who has struggled mightily to find his stroke the past few games – knocked down several timely jumpers en route to 16 points.

“If I’m open I’m still going to shoot it – I don’t care if I’ve missed 30 in a row,” Filzen said.

“I think I’ve earned that with the time I’ve put in. It’s easy to get frustrated, but you’ve always got to think the next one is going in.”

For the most part, the first half belonged to Miami, as the hot-shooting RedHawks shot 52.2 percent from the floor and connected on six consecutive 3-pointers. Buffalo fought back to knot it up at 33 at the half and then pulled away with 9:20 to go as Filzen, senior forward Dave Barnett, and then Filzen again, hit three straight 3-pointers to give Buffalo a 60-53 lead – one the Bulls would not relinquish.

Watt and Filzen led a team that looked desperate for a W. Though Buffalo sits in the upper-echelon of the conference standings, the squad needed this game first for confidence, and second to keep pace with Ohio (23-6, 10-4 MAC) and Kent State (19-8, 9-5 MAC). The Bulls lost both meetings with Ohio this year and split the series with Kent State.

“They had great energy, and you could tell they were a team that was fighting,” said Miami associate head coach Jermaine Henderson, who coached in place of ill head coach Charlie Coles. “You could tell they were ready to get back on the winning side. Watt was outstanding.”

Henderson said he thinks Watt is certainly in the discussion

for MAC Player of the Year, and after Saturday’s performance, it’d be hard for anyone to argue.

Watt knocked down jumpers – shooting 11-for-16 from the floor – blocked three shots, distributed four dimes, and snared five boards, but perhaps his biggest accomplishment on the day was outshining Miami forward Julian Mavunga.

The two have gone head-to-head for four years, and this particular battle was exhilarating to watch. Mavunga racked up 20 points, but he turned the ball over six times and went 0-for-4 from 3-point land as Watt stayed glued to him all game.

Buffalo entered the game averaging 41 rebounds per game, good for third in the nation. The Bulls, however, had struggled in that category in their last two games, getting bullied by South Dakota State and Ohio. They got back on the right track in this one, out-rebounding Miami, 36 to 28. The Bulls gave up 21 offensive rebounds to Ohio, but limited Miami to just six while Buffalo corralled 12. The Bulls scored 17 second-chance points to Miami’s one.

That different enthusiasm was evident from the opening tip to the final horn, as Watt dove on the floor for a loose ball with just eight seconds left.

JOE KONZE JR Staff Writer

For those who haven’t followed the story closely, Ryan Braun failed two separate drug tests that were administered in late October this past year. The results of his test revealed that his testosterone levels were a 30:1 ratio - a 4:1 ratio triggers a positive test.

“I thought they played as well as a Buffalo team has played in the past couple years,” Henderson said.

Buffalo will look to continue that strong play at conference-leading Akron (20-9, 12-2 MAC) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Akron’s only conference loss at Buffalo on Jan. 18, 82-70, right after the Bulls’ loss to Miami (Ohio).

As soon as Major League Baseball officials found out, they automatically suspended Braun for 50 games, the correct follow up to any player testing positive. However, Braun did not feel he was treated fairly.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Braun appealed the 50 game suspension, stating “the proper protocol had not been followed.”

I feel Major League Baseball has a hard time testing players for performance enhancing drugs. It is the league’s fault things like this occur. The system for testing is a joke and needs to be reconsidered.

The Bulls finished the first half strong thanks in part to a rejuvenating influx of youth, as sophomore forward Cameron Downing and freshman forward Xavier Ford energetically helped the Bulls get back in it.

Taking a urine sample, placing it in the hands of a person who then has to drive to FedEx and then ship it to Montreal, Quebec for testing just seems disorganized and wrong.

This win comes to a team that looked entirely exhausted and depressed after its loss to Ohio.

“We got away from what we normally do both on the defensive glass and offensively with our rhythm,” Watt said. “We watched some film and really did some soul searching and came back with different enthusiasm from everybody.”

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum The men’s basketball team ended its three game losing streak in a big way over Miami (Ohio) behind a 28-point performance from Mitchell Watt (21).

Women Bulls Tame Bobcats on Senior Day Sparkle in MAC Championships let off.”

BRANDON BARNES Staff Writer

NATHANIEL SMITH Sports Editor It was a record-setting year for both the men’s and the women’s track teams, however the trend only continued on the women’s side into the Mid-American Conference Championships.

The Bulls descended to Stile Fieldhouse in Akron, Ohio for the MAC Indoor Championships over the weekend. The women set a new record, finishing fourth out of the 12-team field in what is the best finish in school history. The young men’s team finished fifth.

There were two individual MAC championships won, both won by the women.

Freshman Emma Siuciak had a weekend to remember. After finishing second in the women’s pentathlon on Friday, she saved her best efforts for Saturday, capping off the weekend in what was a surprising victory in the high jump.

“She had an amazing meet,” said women’s head coach Vicki Mitchell. “For a freshman to compete in her first conference championship, she competed with nerves of steel. She just got out there and held her own; she was confident, controlled and composed. It’s just an incredible performance for a freshman to just go out to that level and to compete that well.”

In a more expected result, senior Becky O’Brien obliterated her competition in the shot put, winning her third MAC title with a throw of 54 feet. She never trailed in the event, as her winning throw came on the first try. Junior Kristy Woods finished third, with a throw of 49 feet-8.25 inches, and sophomore Rachel Roberts’ throw of 46 feet-7.25 inches put her in seventh place. “[O’Brien] was focused,” Mitchell said. “She had one goal, and that was to win. She did just that – her intensity got her teammates fired up, with Kristy finishing third

The entire team mirrored its leading scorer’s sentiment, playing significantly better in the second half, scoring 23 more points than it did in the first. Senior forward Beth Christensen reached double figure rebounding for the 18th time this season, leading the Bulls with 10. She also had three blocks and the game-sealing steal.

The women’s basketball team celebrated its four seniors on Saturday.

But, the decisive moment of the game would fall on the shoulders of a true freshman.

With 13 seconds remaining in the game Alumni Arena was silent. The Bulls (9-20, 4-11 Mid-American Conference) clung to a one-point lead with freshmen forward Christa Baccas at the foul line. Her first attempt touched every part of the rim before eventually finding the bottom of the net. Her second attempt was less dramatic, swishing through effortlessly. The Bulls stole the ball on a futile offensive attempt by Ohio (13-16, 6-9 MAC) and held on for 61-56 victory.

Second half letdowns and poor situational free throw shooting have been crippling issues for the Bulls this season – there was no sign of either on Saturday. The Bulls came out of the second half with an infectious energy and focus.

After trailing by three points at the break, the Bulls – led by senior guards Brittany Hedderson, and Teresa Semalulu – stormed back and took control of the game with an offensive surge that was keyed by an opportunistic defense. The Bulls forced Ohio into 20 turnovers and held it to 33 percent shooting from the field. Buffalo dominated the paint, outscoring Ohio by 16 while connecting on 16-of-19 second period free throws.

Before the game, the seniors were presented with a framed jersey

Senior guard Ephesia Holmes started for the third consecutive game and tied Buffalo for the leader in assists with two. Hedderson led the team in scoring with game high of 18, her most crucial points came early in the second half.

Spectrum File Photo The women’s basketball team won its second straight game Saturday. The team’s four seniors all contributed in a big way in their final contest at Alumni Arena.

and an honorary rose at center court with their close friends and family. Senior days are always emotional and the Bulls may have been playing with a little too much of it in the first half, committing 12 turnovers.

“I think it was just learning how to settle in [during] the first half,” Hedderson said. “The past couple of games I have [been] coming out too intense in the first half, and by the time the second half rolls around I feel as if the pressure has been

Continued on page 6

Buffalo trailed 34-31 with over 11 minutes remaining when the momentum of the game would swing indefinitely in its favor.

Ohio played ball denial defense on Hedderson, attempting to keep her from getting the ball where she preferred. She eventually caught her defender zealously overplaying the passing lane and cut to the rim and Baccas hit her in stride on the backdoor cut and Hedderson finished strong at the rim while being fouled on the shot, completing an and-one play. That play is something that Buffalo has been working on.

“I feel like that happens a lot and we really don’t take advantage of it as much as we could,” Hedderson said. “I really noticed that she was denying me the passing lane.

[Baccas] was doing a great job finding the open gap. It was perfect passes too. It’s really the connection that we have all been working on together and we’re clicking just

The messenger assumed that FedEx would be closed at the time he received the sample. Even though his specific instructions were to leave the sample at FedEx regardless of the hour. He even took it home for 24 hours and left it in a cool place in a Rubbermaid container.

So Braun is accused because of a person’s incapability of following guidelines for his job.

The process is just unbelievable. Regardless of whether Braun tested positive or not, how do we know the evidence wasn’t altered? It is possible that someone with the brains and motivation to tamper with such a sample could raise the testosterone levels.

I love Ryan Braun. I feel like he is the face of Major League Baseball and the Milwaukee Brewers franchise. This whole ordeal is a shame. Due to the inability for someone to do his or her job, Braun’s career will now have this episode attached to it.

Each player should be treated fairly in the process. Here’s he funny thing: How can a player be treated fairly if the process itself is not fair?

Major League Baseball should be embarrassed with the way it handle its league policies and player conduct. How can anyone take the league seriously? Braun even elected to take a DNA test to prove his innocence. Major League Baseball denied this.

A big thanks to a Major League Baseball arbitrator Shyam Das for showing society how imbalanced this professional organization is. He understands where the mistake was being made.

Major League Baseball is a culprit that won’t admit its mistake. It can’t even explain what went wrong. Clearly someone is guilty. I find Major League Baseball guilty, and sentence it to find a new way to test its players.

Email: sports@ubspectrum.com

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Women’s Swimming and Diving Sets Records at MAC Championship BEN TARHAN Staff Reporter The women’s swimming and diving team has had one of its most successful seasons this year. From its season-opening upset against Pittsburgh to its third place finish at the Akron invite, the Bulls were primed to have a great performance at this weekends MAC Championship meet.

Buffalo (7-2, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) added an exclamation point to its record-breaking season at Akron this weekend. The Bulls finished fourth, their highest finish in school history, and scored more points than any other Buffalo team ever has.

In their most successful MAC championship appearance ever, the Bulls set eight school records, scored 448 points, and won six races.

Junior sprinter Brittney Kuras set a school record every time she swam. She won three individual MAC titles in the 200-yard Individual Medley, 200-yard freestyle, and 100-yard freestyle to compliment two relay titles in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay.

“Brittney has been doing this all year. She is one of the most competitive swimmers that I have ever coached,” said head coach Andy Bashor. “In this type of meet that’s what you want. You want people that can go out there and race and hate to lose. I’m so proud of her.”

The foursome of Kuras, sophomore Marissa Murphy, freshman Taylor Steffl and junior Mallory Morrell swam some of the fastest times in school and MAC history. The relay team finished the 200-yard free relay in 1:30.45, out touching the second place Ohio relay by 38 hundredths of a second. They also set a MAC record in the 400-yard relay finishing in 3:19.83. Morrell also won an individual MAC championship in the 50-yard freestyle, finishing in a time of 22.59, which was also a school record.

Steffl had a strong performance in her first MAC championships, placing seventh in the 50-yard freestyle and finishing sixth in the 100-yard butterfly while lowering her own personal record in the event.

Bashor lauded his team for stepping up and performing its best at an important meet. He was elated at the swims his Continued on page 6

Spectrum File Photo The women’s swim team had its most successful performance in the Mid-American Conference Championship over the weekend.