Check out PSUN on Page 6 & 7
Vol. 61 NO. 46
ubspectrum.com
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.
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