The Spectrum Volume 61 Issue 46 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

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Vol. 61 NO. 46

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Editorial: UB Should Address Collins Scandal UB Receives Students and community members need to start paying attention $1 Million

Has anybody been reading this newspaper over the past few months? Did anyone happen to notice that UB illegally donated to former Erie County Executive Chris Collins in 2010? Does anyone care that there have been no consequences for anybody involved? In October, we reported that The Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE, the “business arm” of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences) attended breakfast and dinner fundraisers for Collins’ campaign. Collins, a Republican, was then campaigning for re-election (he lost to Democrat Mark Poloncarz in November). TCIE’s $2,560 payment to Collins – which officials said was comprised of funds the TCIE generates for itself – was made via the tax-exempt, notfor-profit UB Foundation and thus was illegal. The UB Foundation is a private corporation that is immune to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) despite being inextricably tied to a public university and its money. Since those involved made their initial statements, UB officials close to the situation grew quiet. A FOIL request for information surrounding the “breakfast and dinner events” was submitted, denied, appealed, and ultimately denied again. Both UB and a FOIL appeals officer said UB has no documents with any information regarding the matter.

We also found out that the TCIE had a detailed history with Collins. It was TCIE that installed a business strategy called “Lean Six Sigma” into Collins’ administration to help him fulfill his promise of “running county government like a business.” The TCIE received a modest $449,250.10 over two years for its services. A TCIE document obtained by The Spectrum reads like a campaign pamphlet for Collins. At the time, the dean of TCIE’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences was Harvey Stenger. He served on the county’s Lean Six Sigma Advisory Committee while TCIE worked with Collins’ administration. Not only has Stenger not had to answer for his role in the TCIE-Collins relationship, but he has advanced in the academic world. He is now the president of Binghamton University after spending last semester as interim provost. On his way out the

door, his office dodged an interview he had with The Spectrum. The denial of the FOIL appeal has likely put this matter to rest, for the moment. We’re left with writing this editorial, hoping to inspire others to demand more information. There are many questions left unanswered, including: TCIE Executive Director Tim Leyh said TCIE’s attendance at the Collins fundraisers was strictly for networking purposes. He said they didn’t realize they were political fundraisers, and he described the incident as an “honest mistake.” How could they have not realized this? A whopping $2,560 for breakfast and dinner? Was it at the Chophouse? They won’t say. Is the TCIE public or private? It claims to be a part of the School of Engineering (public), but it does its accounting with the UB Foundation (private). And it either keeps no records of its transactions or hides them all at the UB Foundation (private). Where was The Buffalo News during all

of this? We broke the story when the race between Collins and Poloncarz was at fever pitch. It was an illegal campaign donation involving the region’s largest employer and the county executive. We hereby call on the UB administration, the UB Foundation, the TCIE, and all other parties involved in the TCIE-Collins mess to answer for what happened and to provide evidence in support of any statements made. It is clear that at the very least, bad decisions were made. At the very worst, this was pay-toplay. It is time for someone to own up and explain. We also call on all members of the UB and Buffalo community to pay attention to these matters and make their voices heard. Since the campaign contributions were exposed, UB officials have remained almost totally silent on the matter, and so far, it has worked. Feel free to write in to The Spectrum, get a petition signed, contact the Student Association (which has contact with the administration), or send an email to Buffalo News reporters and UB officials. And answer the poll in the online version of this article. Or all of the above. If you think the silence should be broken, be the one to break it, because UB certainly won’t.

Anonymous Donation MARK DAVIS Staff Writer

On Monday, UB announced another anonymous donation – just four months after an anonymous medical school alumnus donated a record-breaking $40 million to the university. This new $1 million donation comes from an anonymous faculty member, and will be used to set up the Bruce Holm Memorial Catalyst Fund. The fund is named after Bruce Holm, a UB senior vice provost who died in February 2011. The goal of the new foundation will be to bridge the gap between academic research and the private capital required to commercialize certain medical technologies. In 2004, Holm became the executive director of the UB New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences. He served as a UB faculty member in the School of Medical and Biomedical Sciences since 1989 and was a UB Distinguished Professor for two years before falling ill to kidney cancer. President Satish K. Tripathi even described Holm as “the exemplification of researcher, educator, collaborator, and entrepreneur,” according to a statement Continued on page 2

Baggin(z) an Opening Act

is one of the coolest feelings ever.”

BRIAN JOSEPHS Arts Editor

Bagginz’s upcoming performance isn’t the first one he had for UB. Eckman rapped at the UB Homecoming Carnival two years ago in the University Bookstore lot.

It’s been a long road, but it seems that Bagginz is about to make his dreams a reality. Trevor Eckman, a senior communication major, has been struggling for years to gain credibility as a legitimate rapper. The Student Association recognized his talent and decided to pen him in as the opening act for the upcoming SA Small Concert, which is headlined by hip-hop duo Chiddy Bang.

Eckman was grateful for having a chance to perform, but he was even more appreciative of the crowd he attracted at the concert. “I didn’t know what to expect, but a lot of people came out and showed love,” Eckman said. “It was cool because at that time I didn’t know I had such a big fan base.”

Years ago, Eckman posted a status saying that he dreamt of playing in front of 18,000 UB students. He was laughed at – a Caucasian male rapper from Rochester is unheard of.

Two years later, Bagginz is still looking to increase his fan base. He believes that he has the potential to become the next Mac Miller. The comparisons between the two aren’t farfetched – both are Caucasian rappers and have garnered acclaim with their independent releases.

Bagginz has silenced his critics, as his upcoming performance at the SA Small Concert is sure to attract UB Students. “It feels amazing,” Eckman said. “It’s a dream come true. The best chance that I have [to make it as an artist] is if I could get the whole campus to rally around me, because since UB is such a big campus, [my name] will spread.” His concert appearance follows a string of big opening performances. Last March, he opened for rapper Mac Miller at Club Infinity. Then in December, he opened for popular artist Lupe Fiasco at a concert at SUNY Brockport. Bagginz

LISA DE LA TORRE Staff Writer

Meg Kinsley /// The Spectrum Trevor Eckman will perform for his fellow students again as the opening act for the SA Small Concert.

believes the performance with Fiasco put him in higher consideration to be an opening act. Eckman thought highly of both artists, and was happy about the fact that he had a chance to share the stage with them.

“It’s just so fun and surreal,” Eckman said. “It’s really cool because these are the people that before I started taking rap seriously, used to hang up on my wall. These are my role models…Just hanging out with them as a peer now backstage

Bagginz’s most recent mixtape, It’s Only A Matter of Time, currently has 1,523 streams and 554 downloads on the popular mixtape site, Datpiff. com. Although the numbers are modest, the comments on the site show mostly positive responses. Bagginz is mainly concerned about getting more support and further increasing his reputation. He reasons that if he could get the large student body to rally around him, he can get a

If the Scrubs Fit

Empty coffee cups litter the floor of Health Sciences Library as people overcrowd a small table cluttered with books on anatomy, physiology, and nursing. They have virtually no time to hang out with their friends. Their only time to relax is the constant bathroom breaks forced on them by the extreme amount of liquid caffeine running their system. Welcome to the life of a UB nursing student.

the nation, the UB School of Nursing was founded in 1936 and has since been a popular stop on the career paths of many. According to nursing students, though, that success requires a lot of hard work and the sacrifice of most of their free time.

“My Mom is a nurse, so I was always interested in it, and I used to always want to do something in the medical field,” Boker said. “I started out wanting to be a doctor and then I realized it wasn’t for me. I like nursing and working closely with people.”

However, in 2009 there were 4,888 undergraduates in the Nursing program alone, which demonstrates that many students aren’t concerned with just being recognized.

The ability to form more intimate bonds with patients is a distinct characteristic of being a nurse.

For Elissa Boker, a junior nursing student, it was something that appealed to her before college began.

Known as one of the top nursing schools in

Weather for the Weekend: Friday: AM Rain/Snow- H: 38, L: 31 Saturday: Rain/Snow/Wind- H: 38, L: 28 Sunday: Few Snow Showers/Wind- H: 34, L: 21

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Dana D’Aconti, a junior nursing major, recalls her most memorable studying days thus far as those she actually worked in a hospital. She spent those days relating with patients alongside fellow students and worked directly under the guidance of the hospital nurses. Continued on page 2

Continued on page 2

I N S I D E

Courtesy of Nursing Board Nursing students at UB try to find the perfect balance between their sometimes overwhelming schoolwork and their personal lives.

Opinion * 3 Life * 5 Prodigal Sun * 6,7 Classifieds / Daily Delights * 9 Sports * 10

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Page 2

Continued from page 1: UB Receives $1 Million Anonymous Donation Continued from page 1: If the Scrubs Fit in UB News. The scientific research projects of UB students and faculty are funded and administered through UB’s Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR). Robert Genco, senior vice provost for STOR, announced that the Bruce Holm Memorial Catalyst fund would be included in UB’s STOR program. Genco explained that STOR works to bridge research done in labs with applied commercial development; this makes solutions to the “most pressing” challenges of the 21stcentury more available, according to Genco. He added that the Holm Fund will be critical in supporting studies needed to advance inventions to commercialization. “We will send out the request for applications for grants,” Genco said. “The next step is the committee of experts to review them and grade them. The top grades will be funded, we will monitor progress on a quarterly basis, and report the results to an advisory council on a regular basis.” The Holm Fund will work through a dollar-for-dollar match program, according to Genco. The initial donation by the anonymous faculty member is currently set at $250,000, but the donor has agreed to match every dollar made between $10,000 and $1 million – leading to a potential $2 million donation determined by the single benefactor. Genco estimates the $1 million goal will be reached in approximately two years. Such an endowment will

Continued from page 3: Tripathi Didn’t Get JCOPE Approval To Join BNP

work toward research in the same fields in which Holm himself was accomplished.

“[I like] knowing that you get to hang out with one patient all day, and forming one bond throughout the day,” D’Aconti said. “They don’t want you to In 2004, Holm, along with UB colleave. They talk to you and tell league Edmund Egan, received the you things, because sometimes UB Faculty Entrepreneur Award the other nurses are busy, but for their development of Infasurf, a [nursing students] are only with medicine administered to premature them.” infants who are at high risk for Respiratory Distress Syndrome. The The work that nursing students medical and professional success of face extends beyond the hours the Infasurf is similar to the goals they spend in the hospital. For envisioned for the new Holm Fund. younger students who are still completing prerequisites, the payoff may seem further away Prototype development and design because their time is spent more treatments for patients will be the in lecture halls and the library main objective of the Holm Fund. than out in the field. But Boker The donation comes at a time believes the hard work is made when UB is seeking to broaden its easier by having friends in the strength and support for its medical Nursing department. school and research capabilities. As part of the UB 2020 plan, the Medical and Biomedical facilities will move entirely downtown by 2018. In accordance with UB 2020 estimates, Western New York could see approximately 1,700 new jobs created by the schools investment in research activities. Approximately 10 companies involved in scientific and medical research are expected to start up directly from UB 2020 program. The fund will also help generate revenue for any start-up companies it supports. Genco and the rest of the STOR staff are grateful to the anonymous faculty member and hope to see the gift help translate faculty inventions into tangible products.

Friday, January 27, 2012

“Having a lot of friends in the program helps because they understand what you’re going through,” Boker said. “It’s comforting knowing that everyone is going through it together.” This is reassuring news to those who still are unsure about applying to the School of Nursing, or those who have already been accepted but have reservations. There is a lot of dedication and determination required to be accepted into the Nursing program and to flourish as well. But for those students, the extreme workload will be well worth it one day, and it’s much easier with friends in the department. Email: features@ubspectrum.com

regulations/rules regarding board memberships for policy-makers that are stricter than the Public Officers Law and its implementing regulations.” It hasn’t? Read the SUNY policy again. I’m no lawyer, but I would think that a regulation applying to both for-profits and not-for-profits (SUNY’s) is more restrictive than a regulation applying to only for-profits (JCOPE’s). Della Contrada continued: “In addition, I don’t think SUNY has legal authority to impose on JCOPE additional duties from those prescribed by law (in other words, the job of approving board memberships that are not required by law to be approved by the Commission). Further, uncompensated membership on a not-for-profit board is not ‘outside employment’ within the meaning of the regulations, and this section would not apply to the situation here.” I’m not as convinced. I took the issue to SUNY headquarters in Albany and to a lawyer from the Student Press Law Center (SPLC). I asked SUNY and SPLC if UB’s interpretation of SUNY and JCOPE regulations is valid. I’m waiting to see what both say. The people at SUNY headquarters told me they’d get back to me on Thursday, but they didn’t. And remember what I said in Wednesday’s column: JCOPE officials won’t tell me anything, because JCOPE (the state ethics board) is inexplicably immune to the Freedom of Information Law.

private employment, business or other activity for more than $4,000 annually.” Tripathi got the approval he needed from the SUNY chancellor, not JCOPE. Friday, but January 27, 2012 The UB Foundation – despite its inseparable attachment to a public institution – has maintained its immunity to the Freedom of Information Law and its status as a private, not-for-profit corporation, so, logically, being listed as an employee who makes $150,000 per year at such an agency would count as “private employment.” Della Contrada provided the following argument for why Tripathi doesn’t need JCOPE approval: “JCOPE approval is not required for non-State compensation that is part of the President’s employment agreement, which is negotiated and approved by the Chancellor and the SUNY Board of Trustees. The President’s compensation is required to be reported in his annual financial disclosure statement to JCOPE.” For that explanation, Della Contrada didn’t cite any laws, codes, rules, or regulations. UB’s says Tripathi didn’t need JCOPE’s approval to join BNP or receive gobs of private money. It’s unclear whether that is true. If it isn’t true, then Tripathi and UB broke the rules.

Tripathi’s private compensation

If it is true, then there are two possibilities:

Here’s the part of the SUNY policy relating to Tripathi’s private salary:

Either SUNY’s rules are “inaccurate,” or Tripathi and UB are above the rules.

“All presidents must obtain the prior approval of the Chancellor (or designee) and [JCOPE] before…engaging in any

Email: luke.hammill@ubspectrum.com

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Continued from page 1: Baggin(z) an Opening Act better shot at being UB’s own Mac Miller and break into the mainstream. “This definitely improves my credibility,” Eckman said. “A goal of mine is to go on tour with a bigger artist [in the summer]. For me to prove that I can perform at an arena in front of thousands of people not only improves my credibility, but gives me bigger chances in the future.” SA president JoAnna Datz said

that Bagginz has reached out to the SA multiple times for a chance to perform at one of its concerts. The SA gave him his shot after his recent success. “We have already had a positive response from students [about the Homecoming Concert],” Datz said. “We hope that students will continue to respond well to Bagginz at the SA Small Concert ft. Chiddy Bang, not just because of his artistic talent, but also because he is a UB student. It is excit-

ing to have one of our own to perform on our campus in such a large venue.” The SA Small Concert will be held on Feb. 4 in Alumni Arena, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Bagginz’s next release will be titled God Bless the Internet. Its release date has yet to be announced.

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Friday, January 27, 2012

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 Trachtenberg, asst. LIFE EDITORS Aaron Mansfield, senior Keren Baruch Lyzi White Rachel Kramer, asst. SPORTS EDITORS Tyler Cady, senior Brian Feller Nathaniel Smith, asst. 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 ADVERTISING MANAGER Mark Kurtz CREATIVE DESIGNERS Nicole Manzo Aline Kobayashi ADVERTISING DESIGNER Aline Kobayashi Liam Gangloff, asst. 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. The Spectrum is provided free in part by the Undergraduate Mandatory Activity Fee. January 27, 2012 VOLUME 61 NUMBER 46 CIRCULATION: 7,000 The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by both Alloy Media and Marketing, and MediaMate. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum visit www.ubspectrum. com/ads or call us directly. The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100 Telephone: (716) 645-2468 Fax: (716) 645-2766 Copyright 2011 Buffalo, N.Y. The Spectrum is printed by The Buffalo News 1 News Plaza Buffalo, N.Y. 14240 email any submissions to info@ubspectrum.com

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State of the Taxes Buffet Rule is a fair plan

It was Benjamin Franklin that penned the now infamous quote “… nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Had Franklin lived to see modern politics, he probably would have amended his original statement to add fighting over taxes to his miniscule list. The tradition is centuries old in American history, from the Boston Tea Party to the Whiskey Rebellion to the modern day Tea Parties, these United States have been battling over taxes since the inception. Pissed off old people may not be as radical as an actual insurrection, but that hyper-American theme of debating taxes seems like it will always stick around. President Obama’s state of the union address proved to keep the torch alight by arguing for fairer tax rules. His timing couldn’t have been more perfect; or rather Mitt Romney’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect for Obama. Hours before, Romney released his tax returns to the public. Buried within was a startling revelation: he paid a measly 14 percent tax rate on over $21 million in income. Romney became a walking argument for tax reform, and free ammunition for Obama.

Romney’s name wasn’t on the president’s lips, but Warren Buffet was. The billionaire investor admitted last year that he paid less in taxes than his secretary did, and Obama’s prospective tax rule is named after him. The so-called Buffet Rule would close a loophole in the tax code that allows for millionaires to get away with paying very low rates. Capital gains, which are the difference between purchase prices and sell prices on things like stocks and real estate, are taxed at a much lower rate than regular income. With Obama’s new rule, millionaires would pay a tax rate of 30 percent on income whether or not it comes from stocks. Opponents immediately began to toot the same old horn. Volleys of “job killer” and class warfare and claims that Obama was trying to divide the country were tossed around like candy. A claim of class warfare is the final fortress of a bankrupt ideology. Republicans want to continue to hold fast to the idea that dumping money on people like Romney will magically grow jobs from nothingness, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Handing out unreasonable tax breaks will only continue to cripple a government that is actively working to repair the damage that massive banks and corporations have done to the economy. The skyrocketing national debt needs to be taken care of, and making sure that millionaires and billionaires pay taxes at a rate as high as their secretaries is not only a way to help, it’s a way to ensure taxes be fair to everyone of every class. Fairness is not class warfare. Spending cuts, however, are also necessary. Both sides need to find a way to agree, rather than trying to flex their political muscles, on a reasonable budget proposal. Removing reckless government subsidies for the top two percent of earners is not unreasonable, and when mitigated by cuts the deficit will quickly become manageable. Or, of course, we could drive the nation into the ground by being more concerned about being re-elected than what’s good for the people. Some men just want to watch the world burn, but it doesn’t have to.

It’s a Small World

Beware of what you post on social media High School antics used to be very local. The old super-glue the locks trick, or the classic release-livestockin-the-school gag are all well known but had little impact on anyone other than the kids who got caught and the janitors left to clean up. Twitter, however, has begun to change even how pranks are pulled and the possible consequences that can come from them. Such is the case at Lawrence North High School, located in Indianapolis. Several students created three fake Twitter accounts as the school’s principal, football coach, and basketball coach. According to the Indianapolis Star, the tweets contained quite a few sexually and racially charged comments. One, from the fake account for the basketball coach, read “I love it when girls wear those black yoga pants.” Another, from the faux football coach, suggests that he would prefer black athletes to white. The accounts were only up for a little longer than a day, but they’ve caused quite a stir. Not only were three of the students involved suspended, two are facing expulsion and another is facing extended suspension.

Lawrence North says that Twitter wasn’t blocked because it wasn’t supposed to be. The school often uses the site to tell students about functions and scholarship the school is hosting. Normally, sites run through a filter and a firewall. Oddly enough, there are even legal ramifications. Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines ruled in favor of students protesting the Vietnam War by wearing armbands, stating that student speech may not be punished as long as it is not disruptive to school activity or invades other people’s privacy. There was a sharp divide on our editorial board in how this should be handled. On one hand, we all agree that there should be some sort of punishment for using school computers for something other than schoolwork, but that’s mostly where we divide. Some of us believe strongly that the students should be expelled. In a way, we believe that it is defamation of character to go on a public forum posing as another person and post lewd comments. Parents could take it the wrong way and demand action from police and

officials, which could severely disrupt school activity. Others believe that the twitter pages were obviously parody. Each account wasn’t intended as a serious attempt to impersonate the teachers; they were jokes for other students. Although they were undeniably crass and inappropriate, they were harmless teenage jokes. What everyone agrees on, however, is that kids need to be educated on not only the value of using social media, but also the possible consequences to using it. It’s unlikely that the students had started a secret conspiracy to damage the credibility of school officials, but not all parents fully understand how sites like Twitter work. Lessons from Lawrence North can also be applied to our own use of the Internet, as well. Remember that what you’re posting isn’t going to just be seen by the people you intend it to if you are not careful, and once people see what you’re posting it can be held in cyberspace for almost an infinite amount of time. Watch out the next time you put up a red Solo cup photo on your Facebook.

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Tripathi Didn’t Get JCOPE Approval To Join BNP UB says he didn’t need it, calls SUNY policy “inaccurate” LUKE HAMMILL Senior News Editor

Wednesday’s column asked if President Satish K. Tripathi had followed SUNY policy when he joined the board of directors of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and accepted $265,000 in private salary from the UB Foundation and the SUNY Research Foundation on top of his $385,000 state salary. SUNY regulations stipulate that Tripathi would have had to get approval from the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) before doing either of those things. He didn’t. But UB’s position is that he didn’t have to because SUNY’s policy is “inaccurate.” Buffalo Niagara Partnership Here’s the SUNY policy (from “Summary of Presidential Compensation, Benefits And Other Terms of Employment”) establishing that Tripathi needed JCOPE’s approval to join the not-forprofit Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s board of directors: “It is hereby agreed that you may serve on up to two corporate boards of directors for compensation, and an unlimited number of not-for-profit boards without compensation, so long as approval is first obtained from [JCOPE].” Tripathi doesn’t get paid to serve at the Buffalo Niagara Partnership (BNP), but the above excerpt clearly indicates that you still need approval if you don’t get paid. Not according to university spokesman John Della Contrada, who referenced the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations (NYCRR) in Tripathi’s defense: “The JCOPE regulations on ‘Outside Activities’ (Title 19 NYCRR Part 932) require JCOPE approval only for a policy-maker seeking to serve as a director or officer of a for-profit corporation or institution. This does not apply to BNP, a not-for-profit corporation. JCOPE approval is not needed to serve on the BNP board.” But, Mr. Della Contrada, the SUNY “Summary of Presidential Compensation” specifically says he needs JCOPE approval to sit on not-forprofit boards. It doesn’t matter, because he said the SUNY policy is incorrect: “The language you refer to in the SUNY ‘Summary of Presidential Compensation’ is inaccurate to the extent that it infers that JCOPE approval is required for membership on a not-for-profit board.” The way I read it, the SUNY policy doesn’t “infer” anything; it states quite plainly that you need the approval for not-for-profits. And did you just say SUNY policy is inaccurate? He clarified: “The language in the SUNY document could be interpreted in two ways. Either the phrase ‘so long as approval is first obtained from [JCOPE]’ is intended to mean that approval is sought as necessary, i.e., only for the compensated for-profit board positions. Or it could be interpreted to apply to both the for-profit and not-for-profit board positions. The second interpretation would be wrong, as it is contrary to the regulations.” Well, to me, it looks like Della Contrada’s “second interpretation” is not really an interpretation. It’s exactly what the policy says (see the second paragraph of this section). His first interpretation requires a certain leap of faith. If the policy doesn’t apply to notfor-profit boards, how come it says that it does? Della Contrada was right about the JCOPE regulations in NYCRR Part 932 – they don’t require JCOPE approval for membership on a not-for-profit board such as the BNP. But the SUNY policy does require it. And NYCRR Part 932 also says this: “Nothing contained in this Part shall prohibit any State agency from adopting or implementing its own rules, regulations or procedures with regard to outside employment which are more restrictive than the requirements of this Part.” So SUNY, a state agency, would be allowed to require JCOPE approval for membership on a not-for-profit board, since that regulation would be more restrictive than NYCRR Part 932, right? Not according to Della Contrada: “SUNY has not in fact adopted any Continued on page 2

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Friday, January 27, 2012

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Life

Friday, January 27, 2012

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Page 5

Staff Picks for the Weekend AARON MANSFIELD

Senior Life Editor

Restaurant Review: Lake Effect Diner

Album to Listen to this Weekend:

Go See a Movie:

Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Courtesy of flickr user jbcurio Lake Effect Diner, conveniently located on Main Street, offers students a great place to grab a bite to eat.

LYZI WHITE

Just keep in mind that Tom’s received a two and a half plate approval rating, while Lake Effect got three and a half, according to Tripadvisor.com.

Life Editor 3165 Main Street, Buffalo, New York, 14214

Like many diners that still keep their old-fashioned (716) 833-1952 ’50s feel, Lake Effect is home to hand-dipped milkAll over UB, students have embarked on a quest shakes, malts, and floats. The restaurant offers over around Buffalo to find their favorite spot to grab a bite. 25 different flavors of milkshakes – from classic flavors Well look no further than Main Street and stop in to like vanilla and chocolate to more Buffalo-inspired The Lake Effect Diner. flavors like Loganberry. The best part? If you’re really craving a milkshake, Lake Effect offers a two-for-one The Curtin family, which owns the diner, also owns The Tuesday milkshake deal. All you need to do is purchase Steer – the popular bar located right next door – Dug’s one menu item and you get two large milkshakes for only $5. Dive, and Woody’s Beach Club and Taqueria. All the Curtin’s eateries are located in Buffalo. A great thing about Lake Effect is that if what you want isn’t on the menu, it’s no problem. If the cooks can About a 10-minute walk from South Campus, right down Main Street – in between Northup and Highgate find whatever you’re looking for in the kitchen, they’ll make it. For someone with a cheesy mashed potato – and around a 10-minute drive from North Campus, obsession, all you have to do is ask for some extra Lake Effect Diner is a convenient place to grab a bite cheese on top. They place in front of you some delicious, for college students and all Buffalo residents alike. cheesy mashed potatoes smothered in gravy, seasoned just enough to make your mouth water before you start Whatever you’re in the mood for, the Lake Effect Diner devouring. probably makes it. Fish? Haddock is a specialty, featured on Diners, Driveins, and Dives. Breakfast? Try the French toast with some homemade sausage on the side.

And here’s a fun fact about the Diner: It’s television famous. Ever seen Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives with Guy Fieri on the Food Network? The bleach blonde reality star took a trip up to Buffalo to visit the diner and see how the Curtins work their magic.

If you’re one of those people that pick a meal and stick Finger foods? You can’t go wrong with chili cheese fries. with it, the employee’s got you. After visiting the diner often enough and ordering the same thing – special requests or not – they already know it when you walk All of the restaurant’s meat – sausage, turkey, and ham in the door. – is home-cooked, all products are locally bought in the Buffalo area (specifically from local farms), and the It gives the diner that personal, welcoming feel. In diner even has its own orange juice dispenser. many students’ hometown, they have that one place they go to where everyone knows their name. Lake One of the fan-favorites is the 3-3-3 Breakfast – three Effect is a great replacement when those students are eggs, three pancakes, and three slices of bacon. It’s missing their favorite hometown diner. perfect for when you can’t decide whether you’re in the mood for sweet or salty. The most common complaint about the Diner is its prices, which are not very diner-like at all. It’s a bit One problem with the diner: the sign is quite mislead- pricey, but if it’s quality you’re looking for, the slightly ing. Although it says the diner is open 24 hours, don’t expensive meals are worth it. And hey, at least they be fooled. The diner is open seven days a week, from accept Campus Cash, right? 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. So if you’re looking for a late night Email: features@ubspectrum.com snack, head to Tom’s Family Restaurant on Sheridan instead.

Courtesy of Capitol Records

our generation.

When it comes to discussing Coldplay, everyone seems to quote an infamous line from The 40 Year Old Virgin: “You want to know how I know you’re gay? You listen to Coldplay.” Whether you like the band or not, Chris Martin and his cast of characters are arguably the most popular group of

Their latest effort – Myloto Xyloto – can’t compete with its predecessor, Viva la Vida, but what really could? The new album is known for its most popular song, “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall,” but quite honestly, that song is probably the worst on the album. Give Myloto Xyloto a listen this weekend and decide for yourself.

Speak Up!

Make a difference!

Don’t feel like spending a bunch of money? Check out Movieland 8 Theatres in Cheektowaga. This theatre shows old movies (right now you could see Moneyball, The Muppets, etc.), but you can get a ticket, popcorn, and drink for just $6 bucks.

Weekend Event: If you’re looking for something to do this Friday night, LateNight UB has two events planned in the Student Union. First, a poker tournament will be hosted in the flag room at 9 p.m. First place will win $50 dollars in campus cash, and there will also be prizes for second and third place.

If that’s not your thing, Niagara Falls hypnotist Cris Johnson will be wowing students in the Student Union theatre at 10 p.m. LateNight UB boasts that this event is “an encore of last semester’s best late night event.”

Email: aaron.mansfield@ubspectrum.com

Creeping through College DUANE OWENS Staff Writer Facebook: the new haven for creepers, stalkers, and those who would rather get to know a person online than in-person. What started out as a social network with the intentions of connecting the students of Harvard University, has evolved into so much more. First, Facebook became a place where people could find long-lost friends stay in touch. Recently, it has become an excuse to peer into the lives of the acquaintances that Facebook labels as “friends,” and UB students have gone with the trend. “Ultimately, people use Facebook as a platform to compete for attention,” said Michael Stefanone, an assistant professor of communication. Facebook is vital for socialization on college campuses in some circumstances. Met someone in class or at a party? That’s an immediate excuse to become Facebook friends. Maybe that friendship will grow; maybe the request is as far as it all goes. It all depends on the people in the situation.

Writing Contest

Courtesy of Warner Bros.

To be honest, I never saw the original Sherlock Holmes movie, but if you’re into wit and drama, check out Robert Downey Jr.’s latest venture in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Am I recommending it solely because it’s the only movie I’ve seen in theatres in last month? Yup, but it was really good!

“The creepiest thing [I’ve ever done] was looking up this girl’s number that I didn’t remember from the night before,” said Shawn Kobetz, a freshman business major. Students don’t seem to mind the stalking aspect as much as the subsequent drama. Things get creepy when a guy likes a random picture, status, or post, according to Katie Bailey, a sophomore speech and hearing major. Profiles are public so people have the right to

go through someone’s page, or check out mutual friends. But some students believe that when a viewer is clicking through someone else’s pictures from 2007, things are quickly becoming less than innocent. “I use it every day, all day for everything,” Bailey said. “You could use it socially or you could use it for so many things; that’s my way of finding people in my classes and stuff. I’m afraid to stalk people in class because you never know who’s watching.” All across UB, students are frequently seen steadily scrolling through someone else’s profile, trying to see who they’re talking to, what they’re surfing on the web, or how well they’re doing in Words with Friends. “It’s more of an addiction than a website,” Kobetz said. “Every day, the first thing you do is go on Facebook. All day [you’re] on your phone, you’re on Facebook in class, [in the] library you’re still on Facebook.” Ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends that haven’t let go are Facebook stalker all-stars. Several students admitted to receiving wild messages from their exes like: “Who’s this? Why are you dating this person?” That’s why privacy settings are essential. Problems like these have led people to move from Facebook to Twitter so they can avoid the unwanted attention of fellow social networkers. Curiosity seems to only be normal at a moderate level, but anything more extreme throws a Facebook user into the categorical phenomena of creepers and stalkers.

Email: features@ubspectrum.com

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Page 6

A Lethal Double-Dose ADRIEN D’ANGELO Staff Writer

Tim McGraw’s Emotional Hybrid

Artist: Tim McGraw

Album: Vodka & Ayahuasca

“Dump Truck” exemplifies this with the lines, “Don’t let the humble attitude fool you/ crack open your fruit, spill out the prune juice.” The most enjoyable features about the album include the emphasis of organic instruments – guitar, piano, and bass – that twist-in with synthesized accompaniment and vocal samples. Styles like hard rock and jazz accent the classic thick-kick structure rather well. While the album is entertaining, it lacks some of the trippiness expected from the title and joining cover art. Listeners anticipating trip-hop or Central American influence should be warned that Vodka & Ayahuasca has neither. The title is purely a symbol of the amalgam created by these two hip-hop heads, and with this in mind, it fits quite well.

Artist: Ingrid Michaelson

Artist: You Me At Six

Album: Human Again

Album: Sinners Never Sleep Release Date: Jan. 24 Label: Virgin Grade: B

Grade: C+

Grade: B+ In many ways, country music has become a parody of itself, allowing thematic conventions of lost love and the simple man’s plight to dominate the genre’s oeuvre. The 11th studio album from country music veteran Tim McGraw attempts to unify the genre’s down-home reputation with more universally relatable themes. Emotional Traffic delivers a provocative reinterpretation of country music’s evolving role in the music industry. The album is a refreshing blend of inspiring power ballads such as “I Will Not Fall Down,” and quirky, catchy love songs like “The One.” The familiar country twang still exists, and is indeed dominant throughout most of the album, especially in the happy-go-lucky track, “One Part, Two Part.” However, the extensive use of electric guitar, which is not only featured in each track but also well done in most, gives the album an inherent rock feel. For those who are traditionalists looking for a run-of-the-mill country music experience, McGraw remains loyal to genre conventions in the song “Touchdown Jesus,” which celebrates divine intervention in small-town believers’ lives. Tradition comes into play once more in “Better Than I Used To Be,” which is musically and stylistically akin to country duo Montgomery Gentry’s 2006 release, “Lucky Man.” However, the strongest track on the album seems to be “Felt Good On My Lips.” An energetic beat and an adventurous storyline combine to create a youthful, catchy tune with a touch of stylistic innovation and a punch of nostalgia. Despite its strengths, the album lacks cohesion, an aspect that might leave some listeners feeling unfulfilled. As the title suggests, the emotional tone of the record is mixed and jumpy: the whole album is not evocative of one emotional experience, nor is it a logical emotional progression. Regardless, Emotional Traffic, with its hybrid of stylistic elements, is a refreshing alternative to traditional rock or country albums.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

Courtesy of Astralwerks

Courtesy of Cabin 24/ Mom + Pop

Label: Cabin 24 Records

Label: Curb Records

Grade: B+

Vodka & Ayahuasca, the second LP release from this super-group, swells with cruel, hard-hitting, and despotic lyrics. Tracks like “Flame Throwers” and “Livers for Sale” reek of malevolent references such as arson, selling body parts, drug production, and death by helicopter blades. They are the kind of lines you would expect to come from a metal band, but tucked into the threatening persona of this pseudo death rap group are some surprisingly clever uses of phrases.

FELICIA HUNT Staff Writer

Release Date: Jan. 24

Label: Decon Inc.

Together the two hip-hop veterans become Gangrene: a group identified by gritty, gory, and psychosomatic flow, these masterminds co-produce and rap over each other’s work creating an integrated mix of their varying styles. However, there is one uniting characteristic: this is not club music, this is drug music.

DELANEY MARSCO Staff Writer

Album: Emotional Traffic

Release Date: Jan. 24

Oh No is the brother of hip hop artist Madlib, son of session musician and singer Otis Jackson, and nephew of Carnegie Hall jazz trumpeter Jon Faddis. Continuing the family lineage of music, Oh No has produced under hip-hop icons De La Soul, Mos Def, and his brother Madlib.

Sinners Never Succeed

Courtesy of Curb Records

Artist: Gangrene

The Alchemist, one half of Gangrene, is a California-based producer and rapper who has worked with the likes of Dilated Peoples and Mobb Deep as well as legendary rappers such as Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Nas, and Eminem.

Ingrid Michaelson is Human

DELANEY MARSCO Staff Writer

Courtesy of Decon Inc.

If you think vodka goes well with juice, wait until you try it with ayahuasca – one of the strongest psychedelic drugs on the planet. An album so deeply enclosed in hardcore drug culture, Vodka & Ayahuasca would only drop off the sinister producer/rapper duo known as Gangrene.

Friday, January 27, 2012

When Ingrid Michaelson appeared on the mainstream music radar with her 2007 single “The Way I Am,” many fell in love with her sweet lyrics that oozed naïveté and her quirky yet chilling vocals. In Michaelson’s fifth studio album, Human Again, these elements are noticeably absent, with a few affecting exceptions. The album lacks stylistic coherence, a weakness that is evident from the first songs. Human Again opens with “Fire,” which, at the outset, sounds like a promising pop/classical crossover, but quickly turns into a strange and unsettling combination of Vanessa Carlton circa 2002 and Journey’s 1983 single “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart).” Immediately following is the echoing, breathy “This Is War,” the sound of which could also be associated with numerous mediocre songs of years past. The point is, however, that the album sets the tone for such mediocrity from the start and fails to show original style – a skill Michaelson undoubtedly possesses but does not employ. “I’ll always know you were the one/ to rip me from the ground/ it’s all because of you that I’m through,” sings Michaelson on “I’m Through,” the fourth track and vocal high note of the album. Showing incredible vocal range and her adeptness at conveying true emotion through a narrative ballad, Michaelson uses “I’m Through” to give a unique account of love lost. The eighth track on the album, “How We Love,” is the first glimpse of Michaelson’s lighthearted musicality shrouding weightier themes – precisely the type of musical irony that made her so loveable in the first place. Just a guitar and some distant horns accompany Michaelson’s haunting voice, the composition of which has the ability to draw the listener away from reality and into the song. The latter half of the album is puzzling. Jumping from quasi-ballads, to heavily-drummed quasi-anthems, Michaelson loses touch with any tangible tone set forth by the rest of the album. While Human Again gives some repeatable gems, the album lacks cohesion and the style that made Michaelson a commercial success.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

Catchy choruses with guitar riffs swirl among lyrics about bad breakups as British pop-punkers You Me At Six strive to exemplify their genre in their third full-length release, Sinners Never Sleep. Although kazoos can be heard blending with drums on the latest release, lead singer Josh Franceschi and company attempt to break their previous stereotype and opted for heavier sounding songs, an approach that is a success at times. “Loverboy,” the first single, opens the album with the slack, carefree gang vocals before the drums kick in, a typical opening for a pop-punk group. As the intro concludes, it becomes clear Franceschi’s vocals have grown from the last album, developing a harder, grittier sound. However, the second track, “Jaws on the Floor” fails to impress, particularly as Franceschi curses with no conviction, as if his parents might catch him. The slight miss of the early track can be redeemed as Sinners Never Sleep boasts two standout numbers in the form of “Bite My Tongue” and “Little Death.” Teaming up with Oli Sykes of hardcore band Bring Me the Horizon, You Me At Six hones its heavier sound. Franceschi’s coarse vocals and angst-laden lyrics mix with Sykes’ determined and impassioned cursing, bringing the lyrics to life. “Little Death” has just the right mix of pop and rock mixed together like peanut butter and chocolate. However, the lyrics taste more like cotton candy mixed with pickle juice in a drunken stupor with only one repeating verse and a powerless chorus. The remainder of the album is full of forgettable ballads. “Crash” falls short of expectations while the band fails to reinvent themselves. “Time is Money,” featuring Winston McCall of metalcore band Parkway Drive, shows that You Me At Six simply cannot mix with a metalcore sound, particularly since its fan base is mainly teenaged girls. Sinners Never Sleep seems to be a well-conceived effort to change You Me At Six’s image in the music industry. There are a handful of solid tracks among forgettable ones, typical of most albums bands put out to twist their style. Finally releasing this album in the United States after three months of release in the U.K. will most likely expand their fan base and put them on the mainstream map.

Weekend in Buffalo

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

Who: Nick Pino What: Buffalo Comedy Sportz When: Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. Where: 4476 Main St. Amherst, NY 14226 Why: A fun night of improv and guaranteed laughs is a great way to start a weekend and take your mind off of the stress of the week. With two teams competing and playing various improv games, this one-ofa-kind “sporting match” is a unique and memorable experience.

Who: Vilona Trachtenberg

Who: Elva Aguilar

What: The Return of Alec Baldwin

What: Tony N Tina’s Wedding When: Friday or Saturday at 7 p.m.

When: Friday at 8 p.m.

Where: 6161 Genesee Street, Lancaster, NY 14086

Where: CFA Mainstage Theatre Why: Seeing Baldwin reading Clifford Odets’ play The Big Knife and in his element is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Maybe Baldwin’s temper will explode on the audience like he did on the American Airlines flight. Either way, it’s worth seeing him in person.

Why: Tony N Tina’s Wedding is a hands-on theatrical experience for people of all ages. People in the audience are considered guests at the wedding and have the chance to interact with the bride and groom as well as scarf down some Italian food from the dinner buffet, which comes complete with a wedding cake. What the public seems to love about Tony N Tina’s Wedding Tour are the antics that take place in between all the food. So come down, sit back and celebrate with Tony N Tina this weekend.

ubspectrum.com

Friday, January 27, 2012

Page 7

What a Warped World VILONA TRACHTENBERG Asst. Arts Editor

Soderbergh Goes Haywire

Checkered Vans slip-on shoes, band tees, and large hordes of excited people along with a potpourri of bands provides one of the summer’s most anticipated music tours.

Courtesy of Relativity Media

Explosive and action packed, 2012 opens with Soderbergh’s Haywire.

JAKE KNOTT Staff Writer

A well-executed opening scene promptly proves Kane’s expertise in hand-to-hand combat. Her confidence is untouchable, showing that Soderbergh knew what he was doing casting a real-life martial artist as the heroine. While Carano is obviously not actually annihilating her male costars, she does a great job convincing the audience otherwise.

Film: Haywire Release Date: Jan. 20 Studio: Relativity Media Grade: B+ It’s official – Steven Soderbergh can hire anybody he wants to star in his movies. From films packed with A-list starts to the ordinary citizens featured in Bubble, Soderbergh has now combined his two formulas in his latest action frenzy: Haywire. Featuring an inexperienced protagonist and an all-star supporting cast, Haywire follows in the trend of previous Soderbergh movies like Contagion and the Ocean’s franchise. The plot structure has been recycled throughout Hollywood like scrap metal, but Soderbergh – being the wise veteran director that he is – took a gamble and struck gold. Former female MMA fighter Gina Carano (Blood and Bone) fronts as covert operative Mallory Kane. She’s a hard-hitting, high-kicking, roof-jumping, wall-climbing, beautiful sensation, bringing a faint aura of Lara Croft to the action as she strikes down her male opponents with a single swing.

Sex Drugs Alcohol Explosions! EDWARD BENOIT Managing Editor

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re doing so for one of the following reasons: 1) You recognize my genius, and read everything I write; 2) You’re extremely attracted to headshots of bearded men (can’t blame you); or, and this is by far the most likely, 3) You read the title and thought “Whoa, I love sex/drugs/alcohol/explosions!” I hate to disappoint you, especially now that you’ve made the commitment of actually starting to read, but the contents of this article will only tangentially deal with the words in the title. Specifically, how every college student on the continent seems at all times preoccupied with one or more of those things, how various media entities

It’s slowly discovered through a slideshow of flashbacks that Kane was somehow betrayed by the agency she fought for. The majority of her screentime entails a person-by-person quest to unearth the origins of her betrayal. Despite the possible redundancy of this plot, through the camera of Soderbergh, the journey becomes surprisingly compelling. His framework productively captures the essence of Kane’s emotions, instead of providing a dull 90-minute chase scene through impossible scenario after impossible scenario. Carano persuades the audience that she is more than just another deceived vigilante. Her moves are unique: it’s possible to make sense of what she’s doing and when, meaning she’s able to brutally damage people and simultaneously show how she’s doing it. It’s nice to know how an action star fights, because it aids with the connection to the character. As mentioned before, Carano is well supported in the film by an onslaught of talented male stars. There’s Kane’s ex-partner, Aaron (Channing Tatum, The Son of No One), as well as her concerned

know and exploit that fact, how said use of those topics by said media entities cheapens and/or ruins cultural discourse, the role of search engines in all this, and why I resent it all. First off, though, let’s talk titles. Level with me (or, rather, yourself) for a moment: you started reading this because of the title. Even if you’re utterly intrigued by what I’m going to talk about and completely agree, you’d have been a lot less likely to read this column if it was called something along the lines of “Why I Resent the Tastes of a Collegiate Readership, and, to a Lesser Extent, Search Engines.” I can’t blame you, though, because I wouldn’t want to read something called that either. As a writer/editor/general literarytype person, I really appreciate a good title. Incidentally, I can’t help but resent the impact search engines have had on the fine art of writing titles. The monster that is search engine optimization turns gems like “Check Yourself Before You Shrek Yourself” (courtesy of James Twigg and Nick Pino) to “Shrek the Musical Review,” and transforms informative hard news headlines into tabloid sensationalism. Keywording has ruined everything. The logic that informs this process reaches its apex when media entities not only search-engine-opti-

father (Bill Paxton, Big Love). Ewan McGregor (Beginners) plays the shifty-eyed Kenneth, who’s in charge of Kane’s firm. They eventually meet Agent Coblenz (Michael Douglas, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps) who strangely hires Kenneth for his operations. Coblenz’s foreign contact is Rodrigo (Antonio Banderas, Puss In Boots), whose silence gives a mystifying tone to his character. This line of talent was probably meant to either balance the inexperience of Carano’s acting or to aid with box office profits. It mostly feels like the latter, but that’s not important. The cast simply fills their respective roles well, but more time should have been spent structuring these secondary characters with more back-story and motives.

The Vans Warped Tour, an annual summer music festival, features many punk rock, pop punk, metalcore, and post-hardcore bands, and hones the metamorphosis in the life cycle of a band from support artist to headliner. Warped Tour features many bands that have played support for headliners on recent tours, and helps them gain exposure to break out and be their own entity, and this year is no different. Warped Tour is part of the life cycle of a band. With bands still being added to the lineup, the mix of bands is a summation of some of the biggest tours of 2011.

But in a full-swing action flick, motives are not really expected – numerous casualties, preposterous chase scenes, and iconic dialogue like, “Now I’m coming for you!” are. Haywire does all of this while honing the audience’s attention and providing overall fairly well done filmmaking.

Some of the longstanding bands, which always assure memorable shows on the lineup, are punk-rock group Bayside, and metalcore outfit Every Time I Die. At an Every Time I Die show it is guaranteed to see broken noses, security guards everywhere, blood and sweat dripping, and a general mosh pit of energy and camaraderie. Hopefully, the band’s performance at Warped Tour will not be any different.

Haywire is not a fantastic film, but it certainly healed the gigantic gash left in the 2012 movie lineup from previous catastrophes like The Devil Inside, Contraband, or the overhyped and slightly disappointing Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Soderbergh should be considered for the 2012 Cinematic Medal of Honor.

Besides those more established acts, the majority of the bands on the lineup have the chance to connect to their own crowds by their own means, not just crowds who came to see headlining acts that they have been support for.

Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

Post-hardcore group Polar Bear Club is one of those bands.

mize the s*** out of all their content, but also produce content that panders to the most-searched keywords (thus the preponderance of stuff dealing with sex, drugs, and explosions). (There are also those annoying people/entities who/that will insert misleading, often-searched keywords into content in a shameless attempt to increase traffic. Like, for instance, putting things like “Inception download” or “boobs” or “Justin Bieber rocks” or “Kim Kardashian wedding” or “meth lab instructions” or “hot lesbian scissor action” or “Justin Bieber sucks” or “weed legalization” or “sex” into, say, the middle of an article for no reason.) This search-term pandering isn’t just annoying, it’s dangerous, from a cultural-discourse standpoint, because its logical conclusion is a society that discusses nothing but getting laid, high, drunk, or exploded. Not that there’s anything wrong with those various states of being, but what is there left to say about them? Are there really that many more insights to be made about how and why weed should be legalized, or the circumstances under which you should and shouldn’t stick your poptart into her toaster (or whatever)? Short answer: no. But in a media system whose very nature encourages repeatedly cover-

ing those same topics, discourse about them (instead of, say, real issues) won’t only continue, but increase. The Spectrum of twenty years hence, I predict, will be nothing but sex columns, sports coverage, and opinion pieces about how marijuana should be legalized because it still won’t be legalized because those in the position to legalize it 1) don’t care about what you, the common citizen, think, and 2) don’t base laws on logic, but how much campaign money a certain position gets from corporate lobbyists. If you really want to get marijuana legalized (or anything else done, if you don’t happen to be a corporate lobbyist), you’ve got to start by addressing this fundamental problem, instead of rehashing 40-year-old arguments and listing all the cool things that can be done with hemp. And, ultimately, if we as a society ever intend on addressing those sorts of fundamental issues, we’ve got to start by not talking about sex and drugs and partying (or at least not as often), and start encouraging serious discourse, even if doing so isn’t as keyword-conducive.

Email: eabenoit@buffalo.edu

This past year was a big year for Polar Bear Club with their spot on the Take Action Tour as support band for Bayside and Silverstein. The band’s energetic presence along with frontman Jimmy Stadt’s ability to connect with the audience gained a larger fan base for the band. A few short months after the tour, the band went from being a support band to headlining their own tour, as well as coming out with their new album Clash Battle Guilt Pride, and the unity the band instills within the crowd is an experience worth being a part of. Although they were Bayside’s opener during the Take Action Tour, now they are playing alongside Bayside on the Warped circuit. Man Overboard is another standout band, and was one of the support bands in this past fall’s Pop Punks Not Dead tour with headliner New Found Glory and some of the biggest bands in the pop-punk music industry. Man Overboard’s catchy instrumentals and upbeat songs will have the audience dancing and singing along. Some other bands that will leave lasting musical impressions are Make Do and Mend, A Loss For Words, and Title Fight. As always, Warped Tour will provide a good sunburn, all the free band stickers one could want, and of course, a diverse taste on one’s own musical palette of bands that will soon be their new favorites.

Email: vilona.trachtenberg@ubspectrum.com

*We now accept campus cash!*

ubspectrum.com

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APARTMENT FOR RENT 1 TO 8 BEDROOM HOUSES AND APARTMENTS at UB South: dozens in prime locations on Winspear, Northrup, Englewood, Merrimac, Highgate, and more! Most have large bedrooms, hardwood floors, off street parking, laundry. Local, responsible landlord with maintenance staff. Call, text, or email Jeremy Dunn, (585) 261-6609 1,3,4,5,6,7&8 BEDROOM homes and apartments available June 1, 2012. To view go to www. daveburnette.net or call Dave at 716-445-2514. CALL FOR AVAILABILITY: some spots remain for the spring semester. www.cvbuffalo.com 716-833-3700. 1,2&3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS. Walking distance UB South campus. Tom- 716-570-4776. CANISIUS UB APARTMENTS available now. 1-Bdrm $500+ electric, includes other utilities. Please call Frank at 716-374-0464. EVERYTHING YOU NEED for the 2012 academic year. Great 1 to 8 bedroom houses & apartments. Near South Campus. Off-street parking, laundry, dishwashers, & much more! Please call: Andy to schedule a showing 716-308-4881. OUR NICEST APARTMENTS Rent Now! Newly remodeled 1-4 person apartments on W. Winspear, Englewood, Tyler, Heath, & Merrimac. Amenities include O/S Parking, Whirlpool Baths, W/W Carpeting, New SS Appliances, Free

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Daily Delights STEVEN WROBEL Life Editor It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a…weather balloon. While many students spend their weekends partying, studying, and hanging out with their friends, one club at UB spent its weekend studying the outer realms of Earth’s atmosphere. UB Students for the Exploration and Development Space (UB-SEDS) is a club that sets its ambitions skyward to generate interest and activism in the community for any and all space-related topics, according to Sean Lyons, a senior aerospace engineering major. Lyons was the project manager of the Edited by Timothy E. Parker January 27, 2012 club’s High-Altitude Weather Balloon By Jerry Olander AQUATIC REVELATIONS Project (HAWB). The project’s goal ACROSS 47 Council of Trent, e.g. was to send a weather balloon into 1 Letters on a PC key 49 Dada co-founder Jean the sky to measure temperature and 4 Make a mistake 50 Supplements atmospheric pressure. In addition, the 10 All set for slumbering 52 "Morning Train" singer Easton team wanted to capture pictures and 14 Hemingway title word 53 American elk video footage to document the trip and 15 Philippine capital 55 Male versions of 53-Across measure the atmospheric boundary 16 Rich or elegant 56 Bibliography notation layers. 17 Wallet holders 57 Closing, as a crime scene 19 Mine entrance 62 Three hours before noon 20 Screwball “This project is one of the most chal- 63 Rhythmic, as a drumbeat 21 Pitcher part lenging yet rewarding feats of my 64 Ready for a commitment? 23 Shenanigans undergraduate career,” Lyons said. 65 Comic's stock in trade 25 Steel-mill refuse “The lessons I have learned and [the] 66 Cool' sopposite 27 "___ hopes ..."given (songme lyric) success of got thishigh project have 67 Timeline portion Carryall bags an28 inspiration no course offered at this 29 "Do you getever it?" provide.” university could DOWN 30 Rake over the coals 1 Fireplace remains 32 Candid conclusion? 2 Hawaiian welcome token The launching of the balloon last 33 It may be held in battle 3 Cheap Perrier alternative Saturday, Oct.for 22,interlocking was the culmina35 It's used looped stitches 4 Art class garb tion many 40ofField forhours Cubsof planning. The 5 Is deficient in group had for to not only raise the funds 41 Sash a kimono 6 One "Pac-Man" ghost to 43 take on this project, but it also had Saint in Brazil? 7 Lemon meringue, for one to 46 develop the means by which to Bard's"always" 8 Farthest or highest (Abbr.) perform all the desirable functions. UB-SEDS procured $1,100 in funding from sponsorships from local companies and from Sub Board I Inc.

“The idea for this came about in either October or November of last year, when we saw a video of a father-andson team that sent an iPhone aboard a balloon and recovered it, becom-

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