The Spectrum Vol. 67 No. 36

THE SPECTRUM THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

INTERNATIONAL ISSUE

RETROSPEC TIVE On this day THE SPECTRUM reported…

MARCH 1, 1971 - A judge heard the Student Association’s suit against UB administration after its refusal to establish a “bail fund” using student fees.

SA argued the money was for “educational purposes” and therefore was fair use for the fees.

VOLUME 67 NO. 36

issue

Berlin series: Trump’s reputation in Germany

Susan Rice speaks at UB Distinguished Speakers Series

Why it’s important to trace back your roots

Ex-pats and foreign correspondents discuss the Trump phenomenon

24th National Security Adviser discusses politics and the future

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International student enrollment declines at UB

International love Dating culture from international students’ home countries

GRAPHIC | PIERCE STRUDLER

A Korean-American’s first trip to Korea

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International student breakdown International UB TOP 14 COUNTRIES THAT UB INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS COME FROM community weighs in INDIA CHINA on U.S. gun culture

The U.S. faces growing competition in attracting international students, experts say

1637

1604

Students and staff share their thoughts on recent shootings and gun control HARUKA KOSUGI ASST. NEWS EDITOR

SARAH CROWLEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Rising costs in education, gun violence and growing competition from countries like Canada, Australia, Germany and the U.K. are just a few reasons administrators and students point to for the decline in new international enrollment UB saw this year.

UB’s drop in new international enrollment reflects national trends –– UB international students said it’s not just the Trump administration or gun violence steering the decision. The trends are reflective of a growing worldwide desire to attract international students. Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education, said the university is optimistic about its ability to recruit, despite the increasing competition.

“UB’s efforts to recruit and support international students are considered a best practice for other institutions to emulate,” Dunnett said. “The advantage that UB has is that we have a long and excellent reputation for hosting international students.”

International students, on the other hand, say they expect other countries to continue to catch up with the U.S., and the U.S. will have to adapt to compete.

“It’s not just Trump. You also have to consider that Indian institutions are getting better day-by-day,” said Celaster Denisraj, an industrial engineering graduate student. “Fifteen years ago, the U.S. was the only global place for education. But now, you can find countries with better scholarship programs who are trying to make their admissions more accessible to international students, because they do want to compete with the United States. It’s not just the U.S. anymore at the top. You have Germany, you have Australia, Canada. They want diversity, they want culture.”

American institutions are also among the most expensive, compared to countries like Germany, which offers free tuition. Still, every country has its drawbacks, Denisraj said.

“In Germany, it’s tuition-free, but it’s very difficult for international students to get jobs. They’re really reluctant.”

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ubspectrum.com

IRAN 113

SAUDI ARABIA

363

TAIWAN

63

TURKEY

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

79

MALAYSIA

88

NIGERIA

SOUTH KOREA

61

24

BANGLADESH

VIETNAM

42

43

CANADA 93

JAPAN 40

SINGAPORE 30

KEY:

=

20 STUDENTS

GRAPHIC | PIERCE STRUDLER All statistics based on Fall 2017 data from the Office of International Education. Disclaimer: It does not include OPT students, who enroll at UB for a one-year work experience.

State comptroller’s report raises questions about UBF spending Auditors recommend SUNY officials tighten up oversight of campus foundations SARAH CROWLEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

SUNY officials failed to provide adequate financial oversight of the system’s 30 campus foundations –– whose combined assets total more than $2.1 billion –– state watchdogs concluded in a report released Tuesday by New York Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

The report details a number of questionable expenditures at the UB Founda-

@ubspectrum

Givary Muhammad was shocked by the stash of guns in his Californian host-family’s home.

“I’d never seen such a number of guns owned by civilians,” Muhammad said.

“My instant reaction was, ‘Why?’” Muhammad, a sophomore finance major, came to the U.S. from Indonesia at 15-years-old and knew nothing about the constitution’s Second Amendment prior to his visit. Muhammad said he was shocked by what he had learned through his research into gun control laws in the United States.

tion in particular, including salaries paid to individuals also earning a state salary and contract awards handed out without competitive bidding.

Among the comptroller’s findings: SUNY has not audited 16 of the 30 campus foundations –– private, nonprofit entities that control fundraising, property management and other capital investments for the universities –– in at least a decade.

The report also found UBF, the largest campus foundation in the SUNY system with more than $1 billion in assets, was one of 10 SUNY foundations operating without an active contract. The university’s contract with UBF expired more than three years ago.

ubspectrum

‘#ENDWOMENSRIGHTS’ fliers found throughout North Campus Students upset over fliers with misoginistic language BENJAMIN BLANCHET ERIK TINGUE FEATURES EDITORS

Across the academic complex on Wednesday mornings, many students were concerned to see fliers posted with text like “#ENDWOMENSRIGHTS.” The fliers, which advertised campus political group Young Americans for Freedom, asked questions like “Have your women been speaking out of turn lately?” YAF’s UB chapter said the fliers weren’t produced or distributed by any of its members.

On Wednesday morning, “#ENDWOMENSRIGHTS” fliers were posted on bulletin boards throughout halls like Norton, Knox and the Student Union. The fliers advertised “actual conversation, between other straight white men” in YAF. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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Page 2 | The Spectrum

International UB community weighs in on U.S. gun culture

Students from around the world David Schmid ENGLAND English Professor

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Debate over gun control in the U.S. was ramped up in the wake of the Feb. 14 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, which left 17 people dead and injured 14 others in Parkland, Florida. Many students and staff who chose to leave their native countries reflect on the differences in gun culture back home. International students shared their views on gun control and their hopes for the future.

Gun culture back home Many international students said guns are generally considered for the military or law enforcement in their country.

“My country’s perspective toward guns is that only the police or army should have guns. But civilians should not have the right to carry a gun,” said Rathin Sarker, a sophomore electrical engineering major from Bangladesh.

In Greece, many citizens’ first experience with guns is during their mandatory term in the military, said Georgio Tseropoulos, a chemical engineering Ph.D student.

“Civilians are allowed to have guns for hunting, but it’s a foreign concept for civilians, especially in cities, to have a fire-

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Fei Tang CHINA Accounting junior

Sifat Zico BANGLADESH Economics junior Georgio Tresropoulos GREECE Chemical Engineering PhD student

Poorvi Thigale INDIA Economics senior

Nofisat Adekunle NIGERIA Educational Studies graduate student

Rathin Sarker BANGLADESH Electrical Engineering sophomore

Givary Muhammad INDONESIA Finance sophomore COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS | GRAPHIC BY PIERCE STRUDLER

arm,” Tseropolous said.

Other international students and staff said their daily lives were devoid of firearms in their home countries. The U.S. government’s inaction after a gun-related tragedy seems foreign to them.

David Schmid, an English professor from the U.K. who specializes in popular culture and crime, shared the sentiment. He said British citizens never really think about guns, while in the U.S. there’s an “imminent presence.” After the U.K.’s Dunblane massacre, British citizens expected their government to take action, Schmid said.

“The response to [the shooting] was to pass more laws. It made it not only difficult to get guns, but almost impossible,” Schmid

said. “It was considered as a logical response.”

Home countries’ perspective on American gun culture Muhammad said whenever he goes back to Indonesia, his friends and relatives ask him why Americans are obsessed with guns.

“I often times feel overwhelmed by their curiosity, so I tell them because it’s their right to bear firearms,” Muhammad said.

Others expressed their lack of understanding about gun culture in the U.S. before coming to the country.

Sifat Zico from Bangladesh, a junior economics and business major, said it is strange that the drinking age is higher than the legal age to own a gun.

The international students were also against the idea of arming educators in the classroom, which is gaining momentum in the U.S. after the Parkland shooting.

“Suppose you have a child who’s 4 or 5 years old and you are taking them to school. Are you going to feel safe when teachers are carrying guns?” Zico said.

“Because you never know when he or she is going to take out the gun and start shooting.”

Others said they felt it wasn’t the responsibility of educators to carry firearms.

“Teachers don’t become teachers to put their life on the line,” said Poorvi Thigale, a senior economics major from India. “Training every teacher and professor in the country to shoot a gun correctly, I don’t know, I think that’s just a silly idea and impossible to execute.”

It seems as if the opinion of other countries on the issue of gun control would not sway pro-gun Americans at all, according to Schmid.

“There is a perverse, I would say almost pride [Americans have] in the inability of the rest of the world to understand the U.S. on this issue,” Schmid said.

Gun control, post-Parkland Most of the international students and staff are skeptical about change happening in the near future.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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issue

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF

Hannah Stein

MANAGING EDITOR

David Tunis-Garcia EDITORIAL EDITOR

Maddy Fowler

Administration and students can still do more for international students UB can’t change national cultural issues, can change campus culture

COPY EDITORS

Dan McKeon, Chief Emma Medina Cassie Enderly, Asst.

Lauryn King, Asst.

Savanna Caldwell, Asst.

NEWS EDITORS

Sarah Crowley, Senior Max Kalnitz Haruka Lucas Kosugi, Asst.

Anna Savchenko, Asst.

FEATURES EDITORS

Benjamin Blanchet, Senior Erik Tingue, Asst.

Wanly Chen, Asst.

ARTS EDITORS

Brenton Blanchet, Senior Brian Evans, Asst.

SPORTS EDITORS

Thomas Zafonte, Senior Daniel Petruccelli

EDITORIAL BOARD

New international student enrollment is down this year, according to Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education at UB. While cultural and economic factors are a big component in dwindling international student enrollment, UB could still do more to attract new international students and integrate existing international students.

A recent report from the Institute of International Education found the number of new international students, or those enrolled at a U.S. institution for the

first time in fall 2016, declined by nearly 10,000 students to about 291,000. This is a three percent decrease from the previous year.

Dunnett said this decrease has less to do with UB specifically and more broadly relates to general cultural and economic issues in the U.S. The cost of education is a huge factor. When students can get a free education in European countries such as Germany, it is understandable they would choose to study elsewhere. Currently, the cost of attendance for international students at UB is $38,562, according to the UB Student Accounts website. While this figure is significantly less than students would pay at a private university, it is still tens of thousands of dollars more than

tuition in other countries.

Other cultural factors include concerns about gun violence.

Americans are 10 times more likely to be killed by gun violence compared to other countries, according to a study by the American Journal of Medicine. And these fears are heightened by recent national tragedies such as Parkland, Vegas and the Pulse shootings. While this likely would not be a deciding factor, it certainly weighs on the psyche of potential international students.

Concerns about the Trump administration and potential changes in immigration policy as well as fears about Islamophobia in the wake of last year’s travel ban also play a role.

Dunnett said UB cannot do anything to change these nation-

The Spectrum | Page 3

al cultural issues that deter international students from applying to American universities like UB. While he is right, UB could certainly do more to both draw in and integrate international students. Last year, we reported international students — who make up 17 percent of UB’s student population — do not feel integrated.

UB is making efforts to alleviate the issue. International Student and Scholar Services offers BRIDGES and InFocus, programs that bring domestic and international students together. The Intercultural and Diversity Center also offers International Tea Time every Monday to attempt to bridge the divide. The forthcoming Global Market Café, set to open in 2020, will boast a variety of international cuisines in an effort to help international students feel at home and expose domestic students to diverse cultures.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

MULTIMEDIA EDITORS

Allison Staebell, Senior Elijah Pike, Asst.

Jack Li, Asst.

A Korean-American’s first trip to Korea

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Pierce Strudler CARTOONIST

Ardi Digap

Why it’s important to trace back your roots SENOCHI KANG

Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Helene Polley

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Ayesha Kazi GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGERS

Stephen Jean-Pierre JuYung Hong, Asst.

THE SPECTRUM Thursday, March 1, 2018 Volume 67 Number 36 Circulation 4,000

The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length.

If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address.

For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at 716-645-2152

Paying a visit to my roots is something I’ve wished for my whole life. I always daydreamed about experiencing the culture my ancestors were brought up in.

As a first generation Korean-American, the trip gave me a sense of pride that couldn’t be broken. Growing up in a predominately white neighborhood, I loved the fact we were one of the few families who added diversity to our community. The only slight discouragement was that I was a bit detached from Korean culture.

After transferring to UB, I was surprised by the number of Koreans I saw. They dressed in Korea’s latest fashion trends, spoke the language and hung out with fellow Koreans.

How did I compare to them?

In that moment, I realized something groundbreaking: I wasn’t as

Letter to the editor

SPECTRUM

The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100

STAFF WRITER

This letter appears in the same condition as Veloz sent it to The Spectrum.

JOIN the longest running student publication on campus

Dear Editors, It is widely inappropriate and unethical for a newspaper to print opinions and portray it as truth. Not only has the Spectrum’s writing been biased, but with the latest opinion piece, the Spectrum has chosen to misinform the student body. I’d like to start by setting the record straight on some of the falsehoods that have been printed.

The Spectrum reported that I, as President, have not “been logging enough office hours” and that is false. I have clocked in over 580 hours since I took office. To put into context, despite my 12 scheduled office hours, I have the most office hours held amongst the executive board this semester. The Spectrum reported that I am supposed to have 17 to 21 scheduled office hours and that is incorrect.

There is no required amount

TO WRITE? TAKE PHOTOS? DESIGN?

CONTACT: hannah.stein@ ubspectrum.com

HE

Do you like

“Korean” as I thought.

Initially, my study abroad choices were to visit either Berlin or London. After applying, I remember walking out of the Study Abroad office and passing an ad for Korea University in Seoul. I feel like everything happens for a reason, and I felt as if the universe was calling me to go there.

I arrived in my motherland after a month of preparing. I was visiting my native country where generations of my family had lived. I was going to have the opportunity to fully immerse myself into this culture I called my own.

Like most experiences abroad, I remember going through pretty intense culture shock because I was only used to Korean-American food. I only knew American etiquette, and I was brought up with American traditions and values.

It was difficult to tell if I was really enjoying being there at first. The outspoken and selfassured person I thought I was curled up into a shell.

One of the most terrifying feelings is going to a country where you don’t understand the language. You don’t know anyone or how to do anything.

Overcoming this barrier was cru-

cial to having a good experience.

Walking around campus and in my classes, I was lucky enough to befriend other UB students who were also studying there.

We came to realize all of us were experiencing the same, nervewracking feeling. It was ironic how we were comforted by one another’s discomfort.

About a week later, we eventually began to find our sense of belonging. Fear drove us away from trying new things. Realizing this was the first step in truly enjoying our time in this foreign country. After all, when does the average person get the chance to travel to Asia?

As time went on, we spoke the little Korean we knew with confidence, met other foreigners who could relate and even got drunk with the local students.

We started exploring historical villages, being more open to more choices on the menu and building up the courage to talk to locals.

We even found ourselves starting to dress like everyone else.

I slowly noticed that as we became more open-minded to the culture, the culture reciprocated that energy back to us. Turns out, Koreans love Americans.

One night in our college town

of hours that I need to be in the office. The Spectrum printed that I have not been able to be in the office for 12 hours and that is false. There is not a single week since school has started where I have worked anything less than 14 hours. The spectrum reported that my “work performance is suffering” because of my lack of office hours and I do not find that allegation to be true. My timesheets reflect that I work well over 12 hours a week.

On average, I work 21 hours a week. The Spectrum reported that my campaign “lacked concrete initiatives” and that is false.

My former Vice President and I campaigned on tangible initiatives that we have since accomplished. This includes but is not limited to making homecoming larger, student talent being showcased at the fests, introducing the life hack series, sending studentwide emails, conducting surveys to assess the needs and interests of students and more. The last thing that I think is important to address is that the Spectrum reported that I nominated an unqualified friend for the office of Vice President. Samirra Felix has

held over 5 executive board positions for the largest minority club on campus and has been involved with clubs her entire career at UB. She is nothing less than a qualified candidate.

With that being said, what is important to consider, is the work being completed and the efficiency in which SA is operating, not the scheduled office hours anyone may hold. My team and I work tirelessly to make sure that the events, programs, and activities by SA serve the student body. I hope no one is discouraged from running for office because they might not have experience in SA. Everything in life has a learning curve and SA is no exception. It saddens me that the Spectrum believes that the student body is incapable of electing someone fit for the office of President.

It takes a lot more than just “popularity” for someone to be elected to this office. I sincerely hope that anyone who has read the Spectrum lately isn’t discouraged about the work that I or the Undergraduate Student Association is doing.

Moreover, as someone who strongly advocated for the need of student papers on campuses,

called Anam, a group of native Koreans walked up to us asking us for pictures.

“Huh? We aren’t famous,” we said.

“But you’re Americans! We are so happy to meet you,” they said.

So, we posed like models for the photos, ended up eating at Korean barbecue with them and drank soju until five in the morning.

They explained to us that in Korea, the younger generations adore our western culture and how they rarely have the chance to meet people from other countries because of Koreans’ timid and respectful nature.

It was crazy to think how I was raised so differently from these people, but our families come from the same place and share the same values.

Fast-forward four weeks later and I was in tears because I didn’t want to leave. I experienced a new kind of love I never knew existed: a love for my family, my heritage and my newfound sense of identity.

This trip wasn’t just about learning Korean culture. It was about broadening my horizons, taking risks and triumphing over life’s obstacles. email: features@ubspectrum.com

I now have serious concerns on the validity of any article written this year in light of now having been on the receiving end of the alternative facts the Spectrum has chosen to print. Reporters have the duty of informing the student body about things that are truthful. I sincerely hope that all future articles are fact-checked and backed by reliable sources.

The school year is not over and SA is constantly looking for constructive feedback on how we can continue to serve the student body and improve. Our offices have always been open and will continue to be. I look forward to continue serving as your student body President.

Sincerely, Leslie Editor’s note: The Spectrum stands by all of our reporting in the original piece that appeared on the front page on Feb. 22 and our opinions in our editorial on our opinion page on Feb. 26. In the above letter, Veloz conflates our news reporting with the content of the editorial. The Spectrum has verified the information in both pieces with multiple SA sources.

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Page 4 | The Spectrum

International student enrollment declines at UB CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Many of the current issues impacting international enrollment are beyond the university’s immediate control and have more to do with the perception of the U.S. in general, according to Dunnett.

Dunnett said one of the factors influencing enrollment is a perceived risk of gun violence. In 2017, the U.S. saw 346 mass shootings, according to ABC; the most recent at a high school in Parkland, Florida.

“However, in our marketing, messaging and conversations with international students, UB actively seeks to inform prospective and current students about how welcoming and safe UB and our surrounding communities are,” Dunnett said in an email. “Also, many members of the university faculty are very involved, through their research and scholarship, in responding to issues of school violence and gun laws.”

Dunnett also cited President Satish Tripathi’s support for “enlightened” immigration policy, like DACA. International students said gun violence in the U.S. is on the minds of international students when weighing one country over another, but usually, issues like postgraduate employment or availability of work visas are more important.

“There is always going to be a focus on [violence] in America. America is such a big country, with such a strong economy, everyone always is going to want to find its flaws, and they’re going to focus on what’s going wrong,” Denisraj said. “They don’t focus on that in India because something goes wrong every day. But when you think of America, despite all the hundreds of good things that are happening here, there’s a psychological tendency to focus on what’s going wrong.”

The decline in international enrollment predates the Trump administration, according to data from the Institute of International Education, despite the

ALLISON STAEBELL, THE SPECTRUM

Mithil Kadam, Celaster Denisraj and Arjun Sivaprakasam, graduate students in industrial and electrical engineering, respectively, sit in UB’s Intercultural and Diversity Center. The three weighed in on international student enrollment at UB, and offered input on the decline.

common thread that an “America-first” Trump presidency is deterring foreign students. Still, Dunnett said policies like the travel bans have had an impact.

Last year, Muslim students spoke with The Spectrum about their fears and concerns after Trump issued a travel ban toward a group of Muslim-majority countries, citing security concerns. The travel bans are currently stalled out in the courts, but students say the anti-immigrant “Trump brand” precedes matters of policy.

Some students say Trump’s rhetoric on immigration has had a psychological impact on prospective international students, one which individual universities aren’t likely to overcome.

Denisraj said in his experience, the concern is usually less over Trump’s policy, and more about the “feeling” international students have about the “Trump brand.”

Mithil Kadam, an industrial engineering student, said international students are highly attuned to American feelings toward immigrants, for better or for worse.

Take for example, in 2015, when Google appointed second-generation immigrant Sundar Pichai as its CEO, Kadam said.

“That gives Indians this positive feeling like, ‘Oh, the U.S. is very accepting and welcoming of immigrants,” Kadam said. “It’s just a psychological thing, but it can be very powerful. And obviously, like with Trump, a negative psychological impact is always more powerful than a positive one.”

While the U.S. is still the top-ranked country for international enrollment, other countries are catching up, reports from the Institute of International Education show.

The declines UB is experiencing are not entirely homogenous from country to country. Some follow long-term demographic shifts, while others are the result of more recent foreign and domestic policy, Dunnett said.

For instance, UB has had fewer students from Saudi Arabia and Brazil because of reductions in scholarship support from their governments, whereas countries like Japan and Taiwan –– both of which used to send considerably larger numbers of students to the U.S. and to UB –– now face serious demographic changes resulting in fewer college-age students nationally.

On the other hand, UB has seen an increase in students from countries like Iran

Thursday, March 1, 2018 and Vietnam, according to Dunnett.

More and more, traditional “sending” countries such as China are seeking to attract larger numbers of international students, Dunnett said.

Part of the university’s plan to compete with other countries comes on the heels of a two-year-long task force, which looked into the university’s struggle to integrate international students into campus and classroom life.

In 2016, a task force of professors and administrators released a 160-page report, with more than 50 recommendations for improving international student integration on-campus and in the classroom.

Following the 2016 report, Provost Charles Zukoski charged a committee, chaired by vice provost Sean Sullivan to develop an implementation plan. The task force convened under three broad headings: Barbara Ricotta led the task force implementation for Student Life and Support Services; Jeff Smith chaired the Recruitment and Communications branch and John Wood chaired the Educational Strategy board.

The committee will present its findings and recommended implementations to the Faculty Senate in March and will be put into action as soon as the new Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence is appointed, according to Dunnett.

In the meantime, Dunnett said schools have already started implementing some of the task force’s recommendations.

For example, both Dean Liesl Folks of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and Dean Robin Schulze of the College of Arts and Sciences recently appointed associate deans to specifically address the academic needs of their international students.

Other schools are considering such appointments as well, Dunnett said.

The Office of International Student and Scholar Services has also appointed a new position with expanded responsibilities for international student inclusion and engagement programs. email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com

issue

Thursday, March 1, 2018

The Spectrum | Page 5

On-campus food pantry proposal to tackle food insecurity at UB SBI proposes creation of on-campus food pantry to Student Life

ANNA SAVCHENKO ASST. NEWS EDITOR

UB students are partnering with Student Life to create an on-campus food pantry, after a National College Health Assessment report showed 25 percent of UB students experience some degree of food insecurity.

Sub-Board I, a non-profit corporation owned by the seven student governments, sent a proposal to Student Life on Feb. 25 to create a university-funded, oncampus food pantry. While the initial budget proposal of the pantry indicates an annual cost of $25,000, SBI officials said it will become self-sustainable in regard to food costs. A. Scott Weber, vice president for Student Life, said in an email he looks forward to meeting with students to understand how best to meet the need and to decide on an implementation timeline.

The Sub-Board is working with the Food Bank of Western New York to potentially open the food bank to the public, and not just UB ID-holders.

Kyle Murphy, SBI treasurer, has been working to create a partnership between SBI and Student Life to make the foodbank possible.

“Personally, I believe that previous UB administration did not address, and ultimately ignored, the food insecurity problem at UB. However, Dr. Weber has expressed his intent to support a student-led

CARTOON | ARDI DIGAP

initiative to address food insecurity,” Murphy said in an email. “Dr. Weber now has an actionable proposal on his desk.”

The initial proposal to address food insecurity on campus was spearheaded by Janice Cochran, a registered dietitian at UB Wellness Education Services. Cochran said the NCHA report indicated an “urgent need” to address the issue of food insecurity at UB, which is often unseen or hidden, and has grown nationally.

The NCHA report showed 26 percent of participants worried their food would run out before they had money for more, and 27 percent cut the size of or skipped meals. The report also included informa-

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tion suggesting a link between food insecurity and lower grades.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has recently proposed a $1 million initiative to require all SUNY and CUNY schools to have an on-campus food pantry as part of his executive budget.

UB currently provides students with access to an off-campus food pantry through its partnership with the Presbytery of Western New York. However, some students have expressed concerns over accessibility to the South Campus location and lack of advertisement.

Tanja Aho, graduate student association president, said she has experienced first-

hand how difficult it is to feed oneself as a graduate student at UB, and has heard too many stories of others being “desperately hungry.”

“As an international grad student who was not allowed to work off-campus, summers were especially difficult. I barely had enough money saved up for rent, but at least I didn’t have to pack up all of my belongings and move back home for three months like many of my international colleagues,” Aho said. “But in return, I chose not to eat. I would lose over 20 pounds each summer.”

Until Aho began advocating for students with food insecurity last summer, she said she did not know the off-campus food pantry existed. She said she feels it is so rarely advertised that most students do not know about it either.

Murphy said students have also expressed their discomfort over entering a food pantry operated by a religious institution that they are not a member of.

“Creating a stigma-free food pantry is our primary objective, and Sub-Board will take the appropriate action to make sure that all students feel comfortable in regularly accessing the food pantry,” Murphy said.

Aho said a student-led, university-funded, on-campus food pantry is a step in the right direction, but not enough to make the problem of food insecurity go away.

“Of course a food pantry is only a temporary fix for the real issue: graduate students need to be paid a living wage,” she said. “But as long as the university refuses to do what is right and what would make us competitive, graduate students go hungry, and the least we can do is feed them.

And feed all of the other UB community members –– undergraduate students, staff, and visitors –– who also experience food insecurity on a weekly basis.” email: anna.savchenko@ubspectrum.com

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Page 6 | The Spectrum

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Global gender and sexuality studies becomes independent department Faculty, students say independence is long overdue MADDY FOWLER EDITORIAL EDITOR

After being folded into the Transnational Studies Department for 10 years, Global Gender and Sexuality Studies is once again a standalone program.

Faculty Senate reinstated the Global Gender and Sexuality Studies Department’s independent status after a unanimous vote at the senate’s first meeting on Feb. 20.

Global Gender and Sexuality Studies became a part of the Transnational Studies Department in 2008 as a cost-saving measure, according to Gwynn Thomas, a professor in the Global Gender and Sexuality Studies Department.

UB’s Global Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, originally established as a result of student activism in the 1960s, was one of the first in the nation. The department boasted an “innovative curriculum” that “brought women into the picture,” according to Thomas.

UB Gender Institute Director Carrie Bramen said the reinstatement of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies as a standalone department is “long overdue.”

“Given that UB’s department was one of the first women’s studies programs and was really at the forefront nationally, its great to see it revitalized,” Bramen said.

The framework of Transnational Studies did not work well for Global Gender Studies, Thomas said, because it made it difficult for students to find the program and made the work of well-known gender studies scholars such as Susan Kahn less visible. She said being an independent department also lends itself more easily to interdisciplinary research.

In 2016, the Global Gender Studies faculty started meeting to discuss the future of the

JACK LI, THE SPECTRUM.

Gwynn Thomas and Marla Segol, professors in the newly reinstated standalone Department of Global Gender and Sexuality Studies, discuss the program’s return to independent status. Thomas and Segol feel the department’s standalone status will improve visibility of the program on campus.

program, and they determined that the program needed its own department structure.

“Being part of Transnational Studies basically became an institutional barrier to us flourishing and a barrier to the recognition of the depth of scholarship in women’s and gender studies,” Thomas said.

UB was the only graduate department among peer universities that didn’t have a standalone department, Thomas added.

“So we were basically totally out of step with the basic way women and gender studies is found in other universities,” Thomas said.

Thomas said becoming a standalone department will provide more academic opportunities for students interested in women and gender studies, sexuality studies and feminism. It will also enable the department to hire more tenured faculty. Thomas said hiring more diverse faculty is a priority as the department moves forward.

“You cannot have a conversation about

gender without also discussing things like race, class and homophobia because all of those things are connected,” she said.

“And this would provide us a way of really making those arguments.”

Thomas also discussed why UB’s gender studies department is called “global” gender and sexuality studies.

“One of the things that marked UB’s innovation in the ‘90s and 2000s was we always had faculty involved in the process of thinking more globally and not centering the U.S.,” Thomas said. “If we’re analyzing gender, this is a concept that doesn’t just apply to the U.S., and a global focus has always been important to UB’s department, so it made sense to include that in the name.”

Laura Aguilera, a senior global gender and sexuality studies and international studies major, is not as enthusiastic about the department’s move to standalone status. She is concerned that the shift will cause the program

to become less diverse and global in scope.

“I liked being related to African American Studies and American Studies under transnational studies,” she said. “I don’t want Global Gender Studies to turn into a focus on Western white feminism.”

The newly independent department is now called Global Gender and Sexuality Studies, which Thomas said reflects the faculty’s commitment to including sexuality studies in the curriculum. While the new name does not represent a change in coursework, the department hopes to add more courses in sexuality studies and eventually a certificate in sexuality studies to reflect the program’s “new strengths,” Thomas said.

“Gender doesn’t just include the differences between men and women or masculinity and femininity, but also how gender is constructed through issues of race, CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

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Thursday, March 1, 2018

The Spectrum | Page 7

State comptroller’s report raises questions about UBF spending CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

The lack of a current contract means UBF has not been subject to guidelines revised by SUNY in 2016 that added a whistleblower policy.

In a response to the report, SUNY officials said they were unable to perform regular audits because of competing priorities and a lack of resources, and they lacked mechanisms to enforce the contractual obligations between campuses and their foundations. They also said they tried to create and enforce interim contracts.

The comptroller’s office said SUNY officials should improve their risk assessment methods by using readily available information such as IRS 990 forms, which nonprofits are required to file with the federal government. The report identified several conflicts of interest involving foundation board members that were disclosed on tax forms but that SUNY auditors had failed to note, indicating deficiencies in SUNY’s oversight of the foundations.

The report also found UBF paid for services without competitive bidding, although it noted SUNY guidelines do not require foundations to use the practice.

Contracts were awarded based on referrals or “longstanding relationships,” the report said.

Many municipalities, public agencies

and other entities handling taxpayer dollars are required to competitively bid contracts to ensure public money is spent wisely. The foundation has argued its money, much of which comes from donors, is private.

State watchdogs received bid documents from UBF for four contracts in effect during the audit period, totaling $780,627 for audit, legal, real estate and investment services. The report found UBF did not have any criteria for selecting the legal services. UBF was also not able to provide actual bids for the four contracts, despite its own record retention policy requiring the foundation to hold the documents for at least seven years.

The audit sampled 50 employees paid by UBF in 2014-15 and found that in addition to earning a state salary, 20 employees made nearly $1.8 million from UBF. Four of the employees each received salaries of more than $100,000 from both UB and UBF. One person received a $351,438 from UB, while also receiving $308,453 from UBF. The foundation’s payroll policies did not include provisions that showed the compensation was justified or benefited the campus.

In one instance, the report looked at an individual who received a state pension of $76,192 while also receiving $118,696

in compensation from UBF for the same position.

The documentation UBF provided to support the compensation did not show any reasonable justification. It was an email from the employee expressing a desire to retire from state service, but continue in the position and be paid instead

by UBF. The employee was younger than 65 and should have been subject to a $30,000 Retirement and Social Security law limitation on annual compensation for retirees who return to public employment, the report found. But because the employee was compensated by UBF instead of the state, the employee was not subject to the pension cap.

The report also showed UBF provided nearly $40,000 in funding for retirement and graduation parties, a class reunion and a donor recognition party. UBF also reported nearly $6,380 toward travel and conference expenditures that did not have supporting documentation to show they were reasonable and justified.

“We question whether these types of expenses are consistent with the foundations’ mission to support approved programs and activities. … When expenditures are not fully supported, the person approving them may be unable to determine if the expenses are appropriate

and benefit the campus,” the report said.

“Therefore, alumni and other benefactors cannot be adequately assured their gifts and donations are used for approved programs and activities.”

The comptroller’s office recommended SUNY officials work with campuses to execute contracts on a timely basis and suggested routine evaluations of all relevant, available information like tax forms.

It further recommended SUNY review the questionable expenditures outlined in the audit to determine whether they are “justified and reasonable.”

In 2016, SUNY began auditing UBF for the first time in the 54 years since it was incorporated.

In March 2017, SUNY Auditor Michael Abbott told trustees the fieldwork for the UBF audit was completed and a report would be ready by that May or June.

Nearly a year later, Abbott still has not presented the much-anticipated report, and did not provide written findings for DiNapoli’s report.

SUNY press secretary Holly Liapis has not returned Spectrum requests for comment on the audit’s delay. UBF Director Ed Schneider did not respond to requests for comment. email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com twitter: @crowleyspectrum

Global gender and sexuality studies becomes independent department CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

class and sexuality,” Thomas explained.

Anne Marie Butler, a Ph.D. student in global gender and sexuality studies, feels like she is more “legitimized” now that UB has a specific, standalone gender studies department.

“So when I go on the job market, I’m going to have a degree that specifically says global gender and sexuality studies, so I feel like it’s really helping me,” Butler said.

She hopes the move to a standalone department will help to highlight diverse and “under-heard, underrepresented and erased” voices in academia.

Thomas is excited for the future of the department, and hopes its standalone status will emphasize the importance of gender studies, particularly for students interested in social justice and making a difference in society.

“If you want to understand how in-

equality has been constructed in our society, how power has been constructed in our society, how our institutions reflect those ideas, ... you can’t even engage in those questions if you don’t have a really good understanding of the role of gender in those constructions,” Thomas said Marla Segol, a professor in the Global Gender and Sexuality Studies Department, is excited about the future of the newly reestablished department.

“We are so excited to have autonomy and to have the opportunity to develop and grow,” Segol said. “There’s so much interest in gender studies, especially at this current moment in our national discourse. So we’re really excited to build a department that is timely and is of major concern to our students and to us, but will also build a platform for conversation and dialogue.” email: maddy.fowler@ubspectrum.com twitter: @mmfowler13

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issue

Page 8 | The Spectrum

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Susan Rice speaks at UB Distinguished Speakers Series 24th National Security Adviser discusses politics and the future BRENTON J. BLANCHET BRIAN EVANS ARTS EDITORS

Susan Rice has worked with U.S. presidents since 1993.

She spent four years working closely with President Obama as national security adviser, five years as a United Nations ambassador and four years as assistant secretary for African Affairs under President Clinton.

She shared some of her experience and viewpoints on current issues on Wednesday night at Alumni Arena.

Rice spoke and answered questions for UB’s 31st annual Distinguished Speaker Series, engaging students in conversations on the recent Florida school shooting, current social movements and UB’s controversial first president, Millard Fillmore among other subjects. She shared her experiences working as the national security adviser and other political positions as she engaged in relevant discussion topics.

The event, sponsored by the Student Association and Minority Faculty and Staff Association, was held not only for the Distinguished Speaker Series, but as UB’s 42nd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration and in honor of the 50th anniversary of King’s death.

Pastor L. Darnell Donalson took to the stage to emphasize King Jr.’s dream, setting up for UB President Satish Tripathi to do the same.

After Tripathi’s speech, Linwood Roberts Jr., President of UB’s Minority Faculty and Staff Association, introduced Rice as she entered the stage to whistles and cheering from the large crowd of mainly non-students.

Rice opened her portion of the event with a 10-minute speech in honor of King Jr.’s life, and what can be gained if we are

“faithful” to King’s legacy.

Rice said King’s idea of change may be “starting up again right now” with movements like the students in Parkland, Florida who took up the gun-control cause after the mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High on Feb. 14.

Throughout her speech, Rice emphasized what she believes can be done to preserve the dream of a “better America.” The crowd erupted as Rice touched on minimum wage, safe schools and equal treatment.

At the conclusion of Rice’s speech, the event transitioned into a question and answer session, moderated by Victoria Wolcott, chair of UB’s history department.

Rice gave lengthy responses to questions from the audience pertaining to young people’s involvement in the current political climate as a way to evoke change.

She emphasized the necessity for young men and women to participate in the election process, beyond the scope of criticism without action.

She referenced her pre-event interview with The Spectrum and shared her insight on young people getting involved in politics.

“Young people need to understand that they don’t get to take a pass on the issues of the day,” Rice said. “It’s not good enough to vent on Facebook or Twitter. They have to vote. They have to be engaged.”

Matthew Missico, a Buffalo resident, discussed the evening as well as the context of Rice’s speech.

“I like the fact that there was a lot of talk of unity and that there wasn’t really calling out of parties,” Missico said. “It was more focused on action and actual problems with specific solutions, or at least paths to solutions.”

Wolcott asked Rice about UB’s first president, Millard Fillmore, and the his-

torical review of some of his actions, such as signing into law the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850, a topic covered by The Spectrum in 2017.

“History, by definition, is not something we can change. It’s something we can learn from. ... I think we can’t seek to make the figures of the past into something that they weren’t,” Rice said. “We have to understand them and know them in their full complexity. President Fillmore did a great deal that was beneficial. He has some aspects of his record that, I’m sure if he were alive today, he wishes he could change.”

But, Rice added, we can’t paint Fillmore, or any other historical figure, in our image today. She said it is our responsibility to study, to learn and to know “the good, the bad and the ugly.”

The Q&A session also touched on the recent Parkland, Florida shooting, with Rice emphasizing the need for action in Washington D.C. outside of constant de-

bate. Rice asserted her view that little had been done in the past to curtail gun violence and sees a silver lining in the activism, “courage” and “bravery” of the student survivors.

“I think it’s extraordinary that young people who have come from such tragedy and trauma have had the presence, will and the guts to unite behind something they believe in deeply,” Rice said.

John O’Donnell, a Buffalo resident, was impressed by Rice’s presentation and looks forward to seeing what she does in the future.

“I’m thinking she’d make a nice candidate for president or vice president,” O’Donnell said. “She’s one sharp cookie who has a good sense of history certainly, and what’s going on in the world with a good way to resolve things.” email: arts@ubspectrum.com

ALLISON STAEBELL, THE SPECTRUM

(top) 24th National Security Adviser Susan Rice took to Alumni Arena for her Distinguished Speakers Series speech Wednesday night. (bottom)The Spectrum sat down with Ambassador Susan Rice for an exclusive interview before her Distinguished Speakers Series speech Wednesday night.

A conversation with Ambassador Susan Rice 24th National Security Adviser sits down with The Spectrum

BRENTON J. BLANCHET BRIAN EVANS ARTS EDITORS

As a force in the White House under two administrations, Susan Rice was present for some of the most combative times in modern politics.

Ahead of her Wednesday night appearance at this year’s Distinguished Speaker Series, the former National Security Adviser sat down with The Spectrum.

Q: Working for both the Clinton and Obama administrations, can you describe the transition? What differed most in terms of working with each president?

A: Well, my exposure to each was quite different. I was much more junior working for President Clinton, even though I did know him well and I did have interaction with him. But, working with President Obama as his National Security Advisor in particular was an experience where you’re meeting almost every day and you’re involved in some of the toughest decision making processes. President Obama is a massive consumer of written material. He reads everything. So, we would put a lot of effort not just into his daily briefing, but also every memo for information or decision that he received.

He could consume the memo, and he wouldn’t have to reprise what was in it. He would absorb it and then was asking a second and third order question and prob-

ing the weaknesses in your arguments.

The bottom line is, he is extremely smart, and therefore very hard to staff because he’s liable to be a couple steps ahead of even his smartest staffer. He’s also very thoughtful; he absorbs all of the information and asks difficult questions. For some of the more consequential decisions, he will often say “let me sleep on it,” and come back in the morning with a decision.

He’s also very interested in the views of experts, so he wasn’t just only wanting to know “what does my Secretary of State think?” or “what does my National Security Advisor think?” Rather, he wanted to know what the guys who wrote the memos think. He was challenging to staff because of the quality of his intellect, but very rewarding to do so. Temperamentally, what you see in public is what you get in private. He doesn’t fly off the handle or lose his temper if he’s unhappy, even angry; he’s very very calm. Almost too calm. President Clinton is also very smart.

A different kind of smart, but very smart.

I often wondered if President Clinton almost had a photographic memory. He had that kind of recall, and I have no basis for knowing that; it was just something that occurred to me when I was working with him. Again, not working as intimately with him as I did with President Obama, it’s a little bit hard to make comparisons. [President Clinton] would chew on issues longer and he might engage in extended discussion and debate about something. His style was maybe a little less buttoned down than President Obama’s, but they were both very smart people that challenged staff in a good way to produce.

Q: I saw that you recently became a contributing opinion writer at the New York Times. Do you feel sharing your voice is important today? What advice do you have for young people looking to participate and preserve democracy?

A: Yes, I feel that my voice and all voices of experience, whatever their background, are useful in a time of uncertainty and when I think people are concerned about the direction of U.S. foreign policy and the nature of our leadership in the world. In my case, I couldn’t just hide under a rock and not say anything. For young people what I urge, above all, is active engagement. Do not sit home and fail to vote. You’ve got to vote in midterms, you’ve got to vote in local elections, you’ve got to vote in presidential elections. You can’t just ebb on social media and comment or complain. I’m so admiring and proud of these students in Florida and the movement that they’ve galvanized nationally. I’m glad it’s around gun control, but it really could’ve been around anything that they were passionate about and it felt existential to them. To me, that

shows what young people can do when they’re motivated and organized. Three weeks ago, who saw this coming? Who would’ve thought that after enduring such an extraordinary trauma, their reaction would be to become very outspoken and public and effective using all the tools at their disposal. So I think it’s a great model. Not everybody needs to be on national television every day, but it shows you the power of young people when they’re organized and committed. You can’t just be there for the rallies and the marches and the protests and the commentary on Twitter. You’ve got to vote, and you’ve got to organize people to vote. When young people vote, it makes a difference and when they don’t, it makes a difference. For me, sitting in the job that I had ... it’s disappointing to do the kind of work that I did and then feel like, even though young people care about the outcomes, they’re not doing the basic things they need to do to affect the outcomes logistically.

For the full interview, visit ubspectrum.com. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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Thursday, March 1, 2018

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The Spectrum | Page 9

UB students took part in a foreign reporting in Berlin class in January as one of UB’s 13 winter study abroad options. During the three-and-a-halfweek class, students wrote and reported original stories from Berlin.

The Spectrum will showcase some of the work as part of a Berlin series.

S

Trump’s reputation in Germany Expats and foreign correspondents discuss the Trump phenomenon SYDNEY CAPOTE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BERLIN — At the January Women’s March in Berlin, one thing was clear: few who showed up liked U.S. President Donald Trump.

The event began with a modified version of the 1984 Wham! hit “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and the crowd of 1,000 chanted “Donald Trump you have to gogo; you’re a bigot, racist and homo-phoo-be.” The march, organized by Democrats Abroad, marked the anniversary of Trump’s first year in office and the anniversary of the original women’s protest march in Washington, D.C. It was designed to highlight gender inequality and to show many expatriates are not happy about the leadership in their country, organizers said.

Many Americans and Germans in Berlin echoed that uncertainty. In dozens of interviews with American foreign correspondents, U.S. and German professors and average Berliners, The Spectrum did not find much love for Trump in Berlin. In fact, not a single person openly supported him.

Alice Haefeli, a New Jersey native now living in Berlin, said she sometimes enjoys sparking arguments and the best way to do so now is to say, “I love our president.” People respond immediately –– usually to attack her –– and she said she loves to “see their reaction.” But, she said, the disappointment and embarrassment at Trump’s policies –– particularly his disdain for universal health care, his stance on immigrants and his America-first bravado –– is hard for her and many of her expat friends, who often have to explain their country to neighbors.

The anti-Trump trend extends beyond Europe. A June 2017 Pew Research study of people in 37 countries, shows only 22 percent believe Trump will make good decisions and “do the right thing” in international affairs.

By contrast, 64 percent expressed confidence in Barack Obama during his presidency. European polls regularly show Trump with approval ratings in the low teens.

The mainstream German press –– which is generally more low key than American newspapers –– tends not to opt for explosive headlines. But in January, as Michael Wolff ’s tell-all book, “Fire and Fury,” came out in Germany, the headline “Is Trump Still Sane?” appeared in the pages of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany’s most conservative and respected newspaper.

The Times of London also openly questioned the Trump’s mental health.

“Donald Trump’s right-hand man openly questioned his fitness to serve and predicted that he would resign to avoid being removed by his own cabinet, according to a book the U.S. president tried to block yesterday,” wrote The Times, which is owned by conservative media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Anne Wizorek, a lawyer and activist who spoke at the Berlin Women’s March, was in New York when Trump was elected and is one of many expats who use the phrase, “Not my president.” She believes Trump is anti-women and minorities and is out to undercut the rights of the Americans most in need. She said she wished even more Berliners had taken to the streets.

“In the future, we have to form better and stronger alliances and we have to work together,” Wizorek said. “We do not stand for Trump.”

Trump often insists the media does not treat him fairly and indeed, media coverage of Trump’s first 100 days was resoundingly more negative worldwide than that of any other U.S. president, according to a Harvard study. The German TV station ARD had 98 percent negative coverage of Trump, the study showed. But the study also showed Trump received three times more dometic media coverage than any other U.S. president during their first 100 days in office.

Edvard Koening, editor in chief of the European media platform EurActiv, is based in Berlin and said Trump dominates the European news cycles, even when the issues are small.

“I think there is no single day without news about Trump, because often times it’s funny,” Koening said during a meeting with UB and Stanford University students at the German press building. Koening, who is Austrian, said Trump has hijacked the dialogue, often because his comments and manners are so irreverent and unexpected for a European audience.

Freelance American journalist Thomas Rogers, who is based in Berlin, finds Europeans’ “amused” attitude about Trump and his administration irritating. German media coverage of Trump is “a little gleeful in terms of how f*cked up [America] is, which is kind of annoying,” he said, during a dinner with UB students. Rogers said he’s never read a single positive thing about Trump in German media, and he reads several newspapers and news websites every day.

Griff Witte, the Berlin bureau chief for the Washington Post, who also met with UB students, believes the negativity comes out of “genuine curiosity and concern” since the United States is so important to

COURTESY OF SYDNEY CAPOTE

Demonstrators in Berlin participated in a Women’s March at Brandenburg Gate in January. In dozens of interviews with American foreign correspondents, U.S. and German professors and average Berliners, The Spectrum found that President Donald Trump’s reputation among Germans is overwhelmingly negative.

Germany and the rest of the world.

Rogers agreed, saying Germans like stability and consistency in their leaders.

They also like leaders whose policies more closely mirror their own, which tend to be more liberal, particularly on issues like gun control, the death penalty and universal health care. Germans, Rogers and Witte said, adored Obama and came out in droves to hear him speak.

The correspondents pointed out that Germans — particularly those over 50 –– continue to feel a debt to the U.S. for liberating Germany from the Nazis, saving Berlin during the 1948-49 Berlin airlift and keeping the Soviets in check during the Cold War. During the airlift, Americans, British and other allies dropped close to 9,000 tons of food, clothing and medicine into West Berlin to prevent the Soviets from starving out residents. After World War II, the U.S. infused $13 billion to help Europe recover in the form of the Marshall Plan.

One issue that riles Berliners more than most is Trump’s plan to build a wall with Mexico. Berliners lived with the Berlin Wall, which from 1961-1989 divided their city and country. They also lived with the “Iron Curtain,” which divided Europe between westernized, capitalist nations and Soviet-influenced nations of Eastern Eu-

rope, including East Germany.

At the Women’s March, people held colorful and creative homemade signs with anti-Trump slogans. One 10-year-old boy held a sign he painted himself. It read: “Walls suck / Ask a Berliner.” Throughout the two-hour event, the crowd often broke into chants. One favorite was: “From Germany to Mexico, all the walls have got to go.”

Heinz Bruele, 64, an electrician and lifelong Berliner, said he grew up in awe of America and what the Americans did to help Germany recover. He will always respect its people, he said, but he and his wife are baffled by Trump and why Americans put him in office. While doing his laundry at a laundromat on the far west side of the city, he said Germans are transfixed by Trump and are enjoying joking about him and what his next provocation will be. He said Germans would never allow a politician to speak so vulgarly or disrupt the political status quo so overtly as Trump has done in America.

“We Germans will never forget what the Americans did for us after the war,” he said.

“We allow them a little bit of craziness.” email: news@ubspectrum.com

OPINION: Administration and students can still do more for international students CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

In a recent conversation with The Spectrum, President Satish Tripathi said the university is trying the best it can to provide programs for international students, but there is only so much the university can do –– especially when it is a struggle to even get domestic students to attend programming.

Part of the problem with current programming is that it’s poorly advertised and inconsistent. We need some kind of regular forum where students can have an open dialogue about making UB more inclusive for international students.

Difficult Conversations, or DifCon, is an annual event hosted by the Office of

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. It’s a platform for the UB community to discuss important issues. DifCon does a great job at engaging students in challenging conversations. Unlike other programming that is often poorly attended, students show up in large numbers to DifCon and engage in productive dialogue.

It doesn’t make sense that DifCon only takes place one week per year. Students should have a venue to discuss important issues throughout the year, and international student integration would be an ideal topic. Solutions should be collaborative and take into account the concerns of domestic and international students alike.

The Student Association should also play a role. They focus heavily on events like Robot Wars, Fall Fest and Spring Fest, when they could focus more efforts on events that will increase tolerance and diversity at UB. For example, hosting an event that would work toward making UB more inclusive and welcoming toward international students. The administration is making efforts to make UB more integrated, but ultimately any meaningful change is going to come from students.

The university should also seek feedback from past international students.

They should ask students what they wish they knew and what could have helped them and use this information to create

future programming.

There isn’t a simple answer to the dwindling international student numbers, and if UB hopes to attract and keep international students, efforts need to be made both on an administrative and student level. While it is true UB cannot change the broader American cultural issues that are leading international students to apply to universities elsewhere, the university can make efforts to change the culture here and make it more welcoming for international students. If UB hopes to remain competitive on an international stage, this cultural shift is essential. email: opinion@ubspectrum.com

issue

Page 10 | The Spectrum

International UB community weighs in on U.S. gun culture January 31: Benton, Kentucky 2 killed 16 injured

School shootings in 2018

February 1: Los Angeles, California 4 injured

January 22: Italy, Texas 1 injured

January 31: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1 killed

February 9: Nashville, Tennessee 1 injured

January 20: Winston-Salem, North Carolina 1 killed

Schmid cited the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, when a gunmen entered a Connecticut elementary school and fatally shot 20 six and seven-year-olds and six adult staff members, as the moment he realized U.S. gun laws wouldn’t change.

“I am not optimistic, and to me the turning point was Sandy Hook, because that was the last time thinking ‘this time something is going to be different,’” said Schmid.

“If [Sandy Hook] doesn’t change the conversation, I don’t think anything will.”

Nosifat Adekunle, an educational studies graduate student from Nigeria, compared the U.S.’s gun issue to a phenomenon in some African countries where an unstable electricity market has created a market for people to profit off selling gen-

‘#ENDWOMENSRIGHTS’ fliers found throughout North Campus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

February 5: Oxon Hill, Maryland 1 injured February 21: Parkland, Florida 17 killed 14 injured

COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS | GRAPHIC BY PIERCE STRUDLER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Thursday, March 1, 2018

erators. The profit from generators eliminates an incentive to stabilize electricity, much like gun lobbies in the U.S., Adekunle said.

“If you trace the origin of guns and ammunition in America, we can trace it to some of these people in power,” Adekunle said. “There is a market from guns. People make billions from selling these guns to individuals regardless of their mental ability or mental stability.”

Others were more optimistic and one student cited President Trump as a possible solution.

“All these protests going on, I think [Trump] will do something about it,” Teng said. “I really do hope.” emal: haruka.kosugi@ubspectrum.com twiter: @KosugiSpec

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The office of Student Life investigated the postings on Wednesday, according to UB spokesperson John Della Contrada. Student Life concluded the fliers didn’t originate from and were not posted by the group listed on the flier. Student Life is continuing to investigate the matter, according to UB. By noon, some fliers were still visible in the Student Union. By 5 p.m., fliers were removed from Norton, Knox and SU. Allison Boskat, a junior psychology major, was disgusted by the flier.

“This is not the 19th century and I do not understand how this is still happening,” Boskat said. “This is your typical ‘Make America Great Again’ agenda and I am concerned if this is serious and not a joke.”

Haley Blonsky, a sophomore political science and criminology major, is a co-founder and secretary of YAF. Blonsky said the fliers posted in the academic complex are not from YAF members and noted the club was created by three women, including herself.

“These posters attack me as well as my female colleagues by asserting a fundamentally incorrect claim that one cannot be both a conservative and a woman at the same time,” Blonsky said. “Leftists claim they stand for tolerance and inclusion while at the same trying to undermine our hard work in advancing our conservative ideas and educating our peers. It’s hypocrisy.”

YAF is a temporary-status club part of SA’s Special Interest council. Clubs and other individuals who are interested in posting fliers aren’t required to get fli-

er content approved, according to Mike Odojewski, associate director of Student Unions.

Rodney Payamps, a senior history, political science and international studies major, said he was upset after the fliers remained posted for several hours after they were discovered.

“I want to know who put this up and allowed for this to be here for so long,” Payamps said. “This is sexism and I am going to let my actions speak louder than words.”

After seeing one of the fliers, Payamps proceeded to take it down, rip it to pieces and throw it into the garbage.

Kyle Brazell, a junior electrical engineering major, is a member of UB’s YAF chapter.

“It’s definitely a fake sign. We’d absolutely not put something like this up,” Brazell said. “Half our club is women.

We would never do anything like this.

When I saw this, I started taking pictures and I was absolutely shocked.”

Brazell said the fliers give the club a bad image and that students may not understand the club’s aim based on the postings.

“We’ve never ever done anything like this. Our club is more of a dialogue to talk about politics openly,” Brazell said.

“If someone has an issue and you don’t understand our politics, come and debate with us. We’re very friendly people and will give you the time to speak. We’ve had people come before and I think we’ve changed minds and people’s politics, so come and speak to us.” email: features@ubspectrum.com

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Thursday, March 1, 2018

The Spectrum | Page 11

INTERNATIONAL LOVE Dating culture from international students’ home countries MAX KALNITZ NEWS EDITOR

Love is a universal language, but everyone views and forms relationships in different ways. UB’s international student body represents more than 110 countries, each with its own dating culture.

Many Asian countries have traditions and values when it comes to dating, marriage and sex and more often than not, domestic students have misconceptions about how international students date.

In some cases, Western views have influenced countries to move toward more progressive dating mores, while others countries hold onto traditional values around sex and dating.

Tinder, Bumble and Grindr have made it easier for young people to connect with potential partners looking for a quick hookup. But in China, that’s not the case.

Borui Zhu, a senior geographic information science major, and Xiangrui Peng, a junior business administration major, have dated for four years. They met in class during their senior year of high school and traveled to Buffalo together for college.

They’re both from China’s southwestern province Yunnan and compared to people in their hometowns, both said Americans have looser dating habits.

“Some of my friends have sex before they’re dating someone, but I don’t like that,” Peng said. “Borui’s my boyfriend and we’ve been together a long time, so I have sex with him. … Many people think Chinese people don’t like sex, but that’s not the case. We’re just selective.”

Tinder, along with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, is censored by the government and can’t be used without a virtual private network. This has stopped the wave of online dating from coming to big cities in China like Beijing and Shanghai.

Peng said this has helped Chinese people follow the more traditional route of committing to a long-term relationship.

The other reason why Chinese people prefer to date long-term instead of hooking up can be traced to strict parents with more traditional views.

Xuening Kong, a master’s student in the history department, studies Asian history. She discussed the trends of dating throughout the ‘80s until today and said Chinese parents aren’t as open and understanding as American parents.

“Chinese parents’ traditional mindset is troublesome because they can’t distinguish between dating and getting married,” Kong said. “Parents think that whoever you date will 90 percent be your husband or wife.”

In Japan, hookups are an integral part of the hustle of Tokyo’s nightlife. Hooking up with a random partner is still somewhat socially unacceptable, so many young Japanese people keep their love lives private from friends and social media.

Elle Machimoto, a junior physics major from Fukuoka, Japan, said that one of the biggest differences she’s noticed is how open Americans are about hooking up with one another.

“My roommate here at UB always brings her boyfriend to our room to spend the night or have sex, which would never happen in Japan,” Machimoto said. “Unlike dorms in America, Japanese dorms have single-sex floors which prohibit students and visitors of the other sex from entering. It’s really hard to try and [bring someone home] at Japanese schools.”

Machimoto said dating apps are starting to become popular in big cities like Tokyo.

However, she’s skeptical of the boys who use Tinder, who often times take advantage of international women looking to hook up.

“Japanese people do use Tinder, but very quietly. If I find out a friend is using Tin-

ALLISON STAEBELL, THE SPECTRUM

Japanese international student Elle Machomoto says that one of the biggest differences between how Japanese and Americans date is public displays of affection.

While Americans express affection openly with their partners, Japanese couples keep their relationships more private.

der, it’s a total shock,” Machimoto said.

Indian students have noticed an increase in the use of dating apps to hookup in big cities where there is a dense population of young singles.

Devashish Agarwal, a senior computer science major, said India is conforming to America’s dating culture. American dating apps are becoming more popular for young Indian people, and the traditional views on dating are becoming blurred.

“Dating in India is getting very similar to the American style,” Agarwal said. “In big cities like Bombay and Delhi, Tinder is being used frequently. Young Indians are going out and getting drunk more often, going to house parties. It’s all getting Americanized.”

In China, many view dating as a longterm commitment, according to Kong.

Once Chinese people do start dating, they’re much older than Americans and don’t have the same kind of experience, Kong said. Many Chinese people don’t know the usual stages of dating like in America and jump straight to commitment.

“In America, when you start dating you fool around for a bit, then you date, and eventually get engaged then married,” Kong said. “The trend we’ve seen in Chinese teenagers is that at the beginning of their dating it’s very easy to say ‘I love you’ and jump straight to the mindset that their

relationship is going to last for a long time.”

Similar to the viewpoint of the Chinese, Japanese people value commitment from their partners and need to feel confident that their partner is in it for the long haul.

For Machimoto, the biggest difference between Japanese and American dating is public displays of affection towards a partner. Japanese people tend to keep their relationships private and won’t display affection in public.

“American couples are open. I see couples making out on campus or snuggling on library benches, but we don’t behave like that,” Machimoto said.

India falls somewhere in between China and America’s dating scene.

Agarwal said one of the biggest misconceptions about Indian dating is all marriages are arranged. While arranged marriages do exist, Agarwal said Indians are transitioning into a more liberal form of dating.

“Unless you have an orthodox family in a small town it’s never arranged anymore,” Agarwal said. “It’s refreshing that the majority of Indians are moving away from that ideal. I have a girlfriend, but if I was single, my parents would be fine with me dating in America.” email: max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com twitter: @Max_Kalnitz

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Page 12 | The Spectrum

Thursday, March 1, 2018

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Page 14 | The Spectrum

Thursday, March 1, 2018

Cut down the nets Buffalo wins first MAC regular season championship in program history NATHANIEL MENDELSON STAFF WRITER

The Bulls are the Mid-American Conference regular season champions for the first time in school history.

Buffalo (22-8, 14-3 MAC) hosted the Akron Zips (12-17, 5-12 MAC) on Tuesday night. The Bulls defeated Akron 80-68 in their final home game of the season, which was senior night for three players: forward Gabe Agorioge, guard Wes Clark and junior forward Ikenna Smart. The Bulls secured the number one seed in the MAC conference tournament with the win.

“It speaks a lot for how far the program has come in the five years we’ve been here,” said Bulls head coach Nate Oats. “Our goal is to win the regular season then win the tournament. So we’ve got one of the two and would like to win a few games in the NCAA tournament. I think we got the team to do it.”

Buffalo went into the half without the lead for the first time since Dec. 21 in a contest with the Texas A&M Aggies (1811, 7-9 Southeastern Conference). Buffalo shot 34.5 percent from the field in the first half but turned it around and shot 73.9 percent in the second. Junior guard CJ Massinburg led the way with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Clark followed with 18 points.

With 12:47 left in the second half, Clark hit a jump shot to give the Bulls a 51-49 lead. It was their first lead with 6:20 remaining in the first half. The Bulls went on to outscore Akron 29-11 in the remaining minutes.

“Our effort changed. I always tell them when your effort on defense is really high then your offense tends to follow,” Oats said. “We’ve been so bad coming out in the second half. I warned them about two weeks ago that I’m going to be making a change.”

Clark originally had no one to be there

with him on senior night and asked Oats to walk with him for the ceremonies. Oats had a surprise for Clark right before tip off. Oats hid Clark’s mother in his office the whole day. She has never been able to see Clark play in person during his college career until Tuesday night.

“Five seconds before I went out, that’s when I found out. [Oats] almost made me cry on national TV,” Clark said.

Clark played for Oats at Romulus High School where the two went on to win a state championship together. Four years later, neither predicted celebrating the MAC regular season championship together.

Massinburg has been a leader for the team all year. He currently has career highs in average points and rebounds per game.

“It just shows how special this team is,” Masinburg said. “We kind of knew how special we were in the offseason, so we told each other if we gelled the right way we would be able to accomplish things like this.”

Junior forward Nick Perkins and junior guard Jeremy Harris each had 14 points in the victory. Agorioge was able to get his senior night moment thanks to Akron’s head coach John Groce erupting with 24.7 seconds remaining. He picked up two simultaneous technical fouls and was ejected from the arena. Agorioge stepped up to the free throw line and sunk each of his attempts capping off the victory for the Bulls.

The Bulls conclude regular season play on Friday at Bowling Green (16-14, 7-10 MAC). email: sports@ubspectrum.com

MADISON MEYER, THE SPECTRUM

(right) Senior guard Wes Clark going for the layup. The men’s basketball team won its first MAC season title Tuesday night.

Vs. The Incarnate Word Cardinals (0-4)

The Bulls head to Madeira Beach

The Cardinals have not played since Feb. 10, coming off the cancelled Baylor Invitational. Despite not having a win, the Cardinals have had some solid pitching performances, including a close 2-0 game against the Texas Longhorns (6-8).

If the Cardinals have a glaring issue, it is that no one on the team has found their groove hitting. The Bulls spent the recent Youngstown Invitational showing they could pick runs when the game was close.

The deciding factor will be how much progress the Cardinals have made since their last outing. If they can get more hits going, it could be a back and forth game.

The game is on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Women’s softball heads south this weekend for invitational COURTESY OF PAUL HOKANSON/UB ATHLETICS

Junior pitcher Ally Power winds up for the pitch. The Bulls will play five games in the EMU invitational this weekend

SPORTS DESK

The softball team is heading to the sunny shores of Florida for week three of the 2018 Eastern Michigan University Madeira Beach Spring Invitational starting Friday.

The Bulls (5-7, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) head in having gone 4-0 in the Hampton Classic this past weekend. The team has already won more than half the games they did last season. Here is a breakdown of all five games the Bulls are scheduled for this weekend.

Vs. The La Salle Explorers (0-4)

The Bulls play their first game Friday at 11 a.m. against the Explorers. The Explorers have yet to win or earn more than two runs in a game this season. The Bulls have shown better performances hitting this season so the game shouldn’t be close. Sophomore infielder Jenelle Martinez has been connecting at the plate with a .462 average and four home runs already. The Explorers have only been able to hold their opponents to less than six points once this season.

Vs. Alabama State University Hornets (4-10)

The Hornets come in on a seven-game losing streak. They have gone runless in their last three games, despite starting the season with some solid performances.

Similar to the Cardinals, the Hornets have been unable to find a consistent hitter on the team over the past seven games. The Bulls have been getting solid hitting performances from redshirt freshman utility player Anna Aguon and junior catcher Catrell Robertson. Robertson was the top scorer for the Bulls last season when they went 9-46. Aguon has a .439 average and three home runs this season. The game is scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 p.m. If the Bulls come into this game with two wins, they

may have too much momentum to stop.

Vs. The Northern Kentucky Norse (2-2)

The Norse have only played four games, but have already gotten solid performances from the pitching rotation. The team won its previous two games, holding its opponents to four points or less. If the Norse can start connecting more at the plate, they could cause trouble for the Bulls. Buffalo has not had a stellar pitching season, giving up 23 runs in the game against the Long Beach State softball team (12-3). In recent performances, the Bulls have looked better, giving up 13 runs in the past four games combined. If the Bulls show up on the mound, the Norse may not have a chance to contend for the lead. The game is scheduled for Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

Vs. The Seton Hall Pirates (7-6)

The biggest threat the Bulls face all weekend will be Seton Hall. The Pirates have been able to pick up wins in close games and come in off a 9-7 win against the Virginia Cavaliers (6-9). Pirates senior infielder Alexis Walkden has a .350 average and four homeruns already this season. Walkden was the 2017 Big East Conference player of the year and remains the Pirates’ most dangerous player. If the Bulls can continue their momentum throughout the weekend they could pick up five wins while in Florida. The game is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. email: thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com twitter: @Thomas_Spectrum