T H E I N D E P E N D E N T TSHTEU D NETP E PN UD BE LN I CTA S TT IO NA I VTEI R Y FA T T HBEU U FF E T1 B 9U 50 I NED UN D EO NFT TPH UEB LUI C OSNI T O NA I VLEOR,S S I TI N Y CA FFALO, SINCE 1950
UBSPECTRUM.COM
MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2016
VOLUME 65 NO. 58
Club to bring Students pick Progress controversial speaker to campus Progress sweeps SA elections, lowest voter turnout in contested election in at least a decade
YAL plans Milo Yiannopoulos speech, questions of free speech raised MARLEE TUSKES SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
When Milo Yiannopoulos spoke at Rutgers University in February, some students stood in protest and smeared fake blood on themselves. Yiannopoulos, a British journalist for conservative AmerCOURTESY OF ican news site BreitTHE DAILY TARGUM bart, is known for his Yiannopoulos speaks at Rutgers University outspokenness and posiin February. controversial tions on several topics like feminism and gay rights. He may now be coming to UB. Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), a Student Association club, is planning to bring Yiannopoulos to campus this May to speak to students about the right to free speech. The SA Senate recently granted YAL $759 for the event and the Special Interests, Services and Hobbies Council gave the club an additional $300. Yiannopoulos, who is gay, is currently on his “Dangerous Faggot Tour” speaking at college campuses across the country. His talk at Rutgers was the first stop on the tour and was organized by Rutgers’ own YAL group. UB is not currently listed as a stop on Yiannopoulos’ tour. YAL Vice President Gary Kenney said although he can “see how [Yiannopoulos’ comments on certain topics] can be alarming and cause controversy,” the reason YAL is bringing him to campus is to discuss the matter of free speech and restrictions of free speech on university campuses. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
(From L to R) Newly-elected Student Association President Matt Rivera, Vice President Megan Glander and Treasurer Dan Emmons react to the announcement that their party was elected as the SA e-board for next year.
HANNAH STEIN ASST. NEWS EDITOR
The announcement of the Student Association elections results was not as tense as in years past. While the Progress Party stood together awaiting the predicted announcement of their victory, the Transparency Party jokingly discussed how they would pose when their defeat was announced. The Progress Party celebrated its sweep of the SA elections in the SA office Thursday night, as all three of its candidates will assume the executive board positions of president, vice president and treasurer next year. Progress Party’s Matt Rivera and Megan Glander were elected president and vice president, respectively, with nearly 70 percent of the student votes. Rivera and Glander received 813 votes, while their competitors, Maximillian Budynek and Daniel Christian of the Transparency Party, received 377 votes. With 640 votes, Dan Emmons of Progress was elected treasurer and beat out Carl Ross and Aaron Hussain, who received 388 and 79 votes, respectively, and ran alone.
Just 1,254 students voted during the threeday election – just six percent of all undergraduates and the lowest voter turnout in a contested SA election in at least a decade. “We’ve been really passionate about this, the whole process,” Rivera said after the victory. “We really wanted it to be something great and we’re excited to jump into the next year.” The atmosphere of the office was relaxed in the moments leading up to the announcement from Elections and Credentials Chair Anthony Field, as all seemed to expect Progress Party’s sweep over the independent treasurer candidates and the Transparency Party that had no prior SA experience. Transparency even offered to concede the race with about an hour left in campaigning Thursday, but Progress declined. After announcing the number of votes each candidate received, Field accidentally began to declare Transparency the winners, which resulted in laughter from both parties and Field quickly correcting himself. All three Progress Party candidates have SA experience. Rivera is currently SA’s director of Student Affairs, Glander oversees approximately 60 clubs as the Special Interest, Services and Hobbies (SISH) Council
Not a PG-13 show TORI ROSEMAN
Nick Offerman’s Comedy Series performance can’t be tamed
SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Nick Offerman performs at Alumni Arena for the Student Association's annual Comedy Series Saturday night. Offerman discussed many topics, including gadgets and his "full bush" in a performance he said he couldn't keep PG-13.
ubspectrum.com
Nick Offerman doesn’t perform PG-13 material. He is so against it, he wrote a song about how difficult it would be to change his show to conform to a more family friendly affair. Nick Offerman headlined the Student Association’s annual Comedy Series at Alumni Arena Saturday night, treating fans to his musical talents, his serious love of meat and all things fleshy, as well as his opinions on modern technology. Offerman is best known for his role as Ron Swanson on the NBC comedy show “Parks and Recreation” that ran from 200915 and his comedy special “American Ham” on Netflix. His deadpan delivery match well with his masculinity and give Offerman’s jokes a laughter-infused punch. “I’m not just a ‘Parks and Recs’ fan, I’m a Nick Offerman fan,” said Aveary Menze, a senior at SUNY Buffalo State that attended
fb.com/ubspectrum
coordinator and Emmons is a bookkeeper in SA’s finance department. Progress campaigned about bringing more inclusion and advocacy to SA and look forward to doing so now that they’re elected. “In the past year, we’ve seen SA make the jump toward advocacy, so we want to start pushing advocacy for the student body,” Rivera said. When Glander told Rivera over winter break that she wanted to run for vice president, Rivera decided he wanted to run for president. They came together and decided to look for a treasurer, which ended up being Emmons. “It took some soul searching, but we got there and we honestly couldn’t be happier,” Rivera said. After hearing that her party had won Thursday night, Glander teared up a little. She said her party has had a long and tiring week of campaigning, but they’re ready to get to work on their platform goals “now, tomorrow, [and] always.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Saturday’s show at UB. “I’ve seen his standup ‘American Ham’ so many times and I was so happy to see him.” Offerman took the stage prepared with a guitar and a ukulele. He opened by informing the audience that whoever asked him to perform had also asked him to keep his performance “PG-13.” Offerman’s serious tone launched into more than an hour of laughs as he explained his newest challenge: Buffalo wings. He went on to talk about the keys to staying awake – which he says are coffee and cocaine – before strumming up his next song, “Full Bush.” Offerman doesn’t hesitate to talk dirty, discussing his “full bush” and everyone else’s in open, honest detail. “I thought he was great,” said Ryan Cohn, a junior business major. “I didn’t realize he sang so much.” Offerman also pokes fun of how attached society is to “gadgets” and how Facebook is full of both adorable puppies and junior high stalkers. He also acknowledges how many associate him so closely with his character Ron Swanson, as it can be difficult to break away from his character without doing some extreme shaving of his signature beard. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
@ubspectrum
2 Students pick Progress Wednesday, Monday, April July 4, 2016 1, 2015 The Spectrum
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
(From L to R) Transparency Party candidates Daniel Christian and Maximillian Budynek and Progress Party candidates Matt Rivera and Megan Glander congratulate each other on the campaign after Progress’ victory was announced.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Budynek and Christian ran on a campaign advocating for transparency of SA, which controls $4 million of student funds collected through the mandatory student activity fee. They admitted they expected defeat as the week went on. Christian said although the election wasn’t necessarily close, “it also wasn’t as far away as it seemed.” “We think there’s still a large student population that resonated with what we had to say,” Christian, who ran for vice president, said. When asked if students outside of SA could ever realistically win an election with the way the system is currently set up, Budynek said “never.” Budynek and Christian would like to see SA advertise the elections more as opposed to “bury[ing] it,” give the candidates more time to campaign and allow more forums for candidates to get their message out.
They said many of the students they spoke to in the Student Union this week did not know elections were occurring, and Christian called this year’s candidate debate “lackluster,” as it was not heavily publicized, held in the Student Union lobby which made it difficult to hear the candidates speak, and was sparsely attended. “There are a lot of restrictions that prevent people, who are coming from the outside who don’t have this solid base of people who trust them already, to gain ground,” Budynek, who ran for president, said. Ross also said even though there was a “great turnout,” he wishes the elections were advertised more. This is the second year in a row there were not two parties with SA experience running for president and vice president. The Clarity Party, which had no SA experience, dropped out of the race last year before the polls ever opened.
“The Student Association is filled with ambitious, well qualified people, so it’s almost an amazement to me that we don’t have more ambitious, well qualified candidates coming out of it,” Christian said. Both Ross and the Transparency Party hope to make change despite losing the election. Hussain was not present at the announcement and could not immediately be reached for comment. “At the end of the day we’re not done yet. We identified real issues and we’re going to continue doing whatever it takes to address them,” Budynek said. “If that means we take opportunities elsewhere to work on it, we’ll take advantage of it.” All of the candidates however agreed the race was amicable compared to years past, with Ross calling the campaign “civilized.” Candidates in prior years have alleged campaigning violations on the floor of the Stu-
NEWS NEWS THE SPECTRUM
dent Union and even admitted to telling each other to “go [expletive]” themselves, but this year had no major incident or controversies. The Progress and Transparency president and vice president candidates even held hands in a circle after the results were announced. Although Budynek and Christian said Progress Party has deserving and qualified candidates that will “do a great job,” Budynek said the two parties did not see “eye-to-eye.” “I think they saw different issues on campus than we did,” Budynek said. “They have their ideas of how they’re gonna fix it but we do not agree with them on what needs to be done directly for the student body.” Despite the low voter turnout, it was still a major increase over last year’s uncontested election that drew just 217 students to the polls. Current SA President Minahil Khan, who won the uncontested election with the Unity Party, said it’s important students take an active role in who they vote for. “I’m happy that we had a significant increase from last year and I hope we continue to see this trend grow,” she said. As for the winning party, Glander said she would like to learn more about the different councils beyond the SISH club interactions she has made over the years. She plans to work with current SA Vice President Sean Kaczmarek to better understand the internal workings and policies of SA. “I don’t feel like the transition will be too bad. It’s just a lot of listening and learning and working on things together,” Glander said. Rivera said he plans to continue an open discussion with students during Progress Party’s time in office. “I think you’re going to see us a lot more,” Rivera said. “We want to interact with the student body a lot more than SA previously has.” Tom Dinki contributed reporting. email: news@ubspectrum.com.
W
WE HELP THOSE WHO DO GOOD DO WELL. Find out how well you’re doing. Schedule a one-on-one by calling 866-549-1238.
INVESTING
ADVICE
BANKING
RETIREMENT
BUILT TO PERFORM. CREATED TO SERVE. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Teachers Personal Investors Services, Inc., and Nuveen Securities, LLC, Members FINRA and SIPC, distribute securities products. C30029
3
OPINION
Wednesday, Monday, September April 4, 2, 2016 2015
The Spectrum
THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Tom Dinki
MANAGING EDITORS
Alyssa McClure Gabriela Julia COPY EDITORS
Renée Staples Saqib Hossain NEWS EDITORS
Marlee Tuskes, Senior Ashley Inkumsah Evan Schneider Hannah Stein, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS
Tori Roseman, Senior Tomas Olivier John Jacobs, Asst. ARTS EDITORS
Brian Windschitl, Senior Kenneth Kashif Thomas, Senior Luke Hueskin, Asst. Max Kalnitz, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Jordan Grossman, Co-senior Quentin Haynes, Co-senior Michael Akelson, Asst. PHOTO EDITORS
Kainan Guo, Senior Angela Barca Rashaad Holley, Asst. . CARTOONISTS
Joshua Bodah Michael Perlman CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Pierce Strudler Anthony Khoury, Asst.
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGERS
Nicole Dominguez Lee Stoeckel, Asst. Evan Meenan, Asst. NEWS Wednesday, July 1, 2015
ADVERTISING DESIGNER
Derek Hosken
THE SPECTRUM Monday, April 4, 2016 Volume 65 Number 58 Circulation 4,000 The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at 716-645-2152 The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100
Despite controversial rhetoric, Milo Yiannopoulos has right to speak at UB Milo Yiannopoulos, a conservative British journalist best known for his commentary in the #Gamergate controversy, is coming to speak at UB through Young Americans for Liberty (YAL). His ideology promotes rape culture while bashing gay rights, though he is gay himself. The main argument he presents is anti-political correctness, so he pushes the envelope – the name of his tour is “The Dangerous Faggot Tour.” While we as an editorial board do not condone Yiannopoulos’ views, YAL has every right to bring him to campus. Free speech is a basic American principle that we have to respect. Whether or not we agree with Yiannopoulos’ ideas isn’t as important as whether or not he’s allowed to speak them. And sometimes, regardless of how different it may be from our own, it’s important to hear out others’ ideology because it’s how we learn about the other side of the political spectrum. The Student Association Senate has made that tough call by approving a $759 grant to help YAL bring Yiannopoulos to campus,
despite the fact some of senators may disagree with his message. YAL seems as if it has taken all the proper steps to get him here, and as a club for students, they have a right to bring the speaker they chose onto campus. While we respect students who disagree and fear Yiannopoulos’ talk could threaten UB being a “safe space,” we would not like to see SA, of which YAL is a temporary club of, or the university stop Yiannopoulos from coming. We stand with the students who denounce Yiannopoulos’ rhetoric, but we must uphold everyone’s right to free speech, regardless of how much we may disagree with it. Just as much as Yiannopoulos has a right to speak, those who don’t like what he has to say have a right to protest. Students at Rutgers University did just that by smearing fake blood on themselves and yelling things like “Black Lives Matter” at Yiannopoulos’ speech at the university back in February. If UB students feel as passionately, they too should use their right to free speech and make their feelings about Yiannopoulos known
when he comes to campus. Students cannot bar him from coming, but they can make their feelings known by peacefully protesting. Yiannopoulos is an editor at Breibart, an online magazine that covers everything from “big government” to “big journalism.” He was heavily involved in the #Gamergate controversy – writing numerous articles about how political correctness is ruining the gaming industry and blaming feminists for the issues that came out of the controversy. He has spoken out against gay rights despite the fact he is gay – he says he would change his sexual orientation if he could. Yiannopoulos is essentially a giant Internet troll – he revealed in an interview with BuzzFeed this week that he has 44 paid and unpaid interns writing his hateful speeches for him. He thrives off people who disagree with him and in some cases, want to censor him. He probably enjoyed Rutgers students’ protest of him. So to not allow him to speak would only be feeding Yiannopoulos’ argu-
ments against political correctness. There’s a double-edged sword to bringing someone like Yiannopoulos to UB. He’s outwardly misogynistic and promotes this type of rhetoric. At the same time, he puts his ideas out into the public sphere and has gained a following in his own type of journalism. To some he is an ignorant nonsense-spewer but to others, he’s someone providing a powerful message of free speech. Some may even agree with him – that’s their right to do so. No matter what side you personally fall on, Yiannopoulos is more than likely coming to UB. Whether or not you decide to see him is optional – no one will be required to go. To see him could mean hearing him out and then deciding if it’s worth debating with someone whose hatred seems deeply ingrained. Or seeing him could mean protesting the fact he is even on campus. Either way – you as a student have options, just as YAL has the option to bring Yiannopoulos to campus. email: eic@ubspectrum.com
President Tripathi’s statement on anti-Semitic incidents on campus Dear University Community: I ask you to join me in reaffirming, once again, our shared commitment to upholding and living our core UB values of diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect at all times. I continue to be proud of the efforts we have undertaken, as a university community, to reaffirm our collective commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming campus community where all feel safe, respected, and valued. I believe we have made, and continue to make, significant strides in this regard. However, recent events – nationally as well as on our campus – are a sobering reminder that much work remains to be done. I am chagrined to note that these include a recent and deplorable act of anti-Semitic graffiti in one of our academic buildings. After a very thorough investigation by our UB Police Department, who responded immediately to remove the graffiti and increase campus
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
patrols, we believe this to be an isolated incident. Regardless, this incident has been a source of pain and deep concern across our university community. You may also be aware of a recent coordinated national cyberattack that has targeted thousands of universities across the nation by sending anti-Semitic fliers to networked printers. After identify-
ing a small number of printers on campus that may have been vulnerable to this external cyberattack, UB’s Information Security Office has quickly taken steps to prevent future attacks. In the wake of these incidents, I want to be abundantly clear that bigotry, racism, intolerance, and discrimination have no place in our UB community, and they will
not be tolerated. When acts motivated by hatred or discrimination take place – whether they are initiated on campus or by an external source – the university will respond promptly to protect the safety and well-being of our entire university community. I encourage us as members of the UB community to reaffirm our shared commitment to diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect as essential core values at the foundation of our academic community, and I urge us to sustain the positive dialogue and progress we have initiated together. As a university family, it is imperative that we remain committed to upholding these values at all times so that everyone in the UB community can study, teach, conduct research and work in an environment free of discrimination and intolerance. Sincerely, Satish K. Tripathi President
Letter from Transparency candidate Maximillian Budynek PHOTO BY KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
I would first like to thank everyone that listened to our message throughout the past two weeks of this campaign, during which I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many new people. This has been an invaluable experience to me, despite all of the challenges involved. I would also like to thank the four hundred or so people that gave us their vote in the election, hearing that our message has resonated with so many people has inspired me to continue working on addressing these issues, despite our defeat. With that in mind, I want to use this platform to address some issues that I believe that this university, and its student
body, will face going forward. This year’s election clearly proves the need to overhaul the election process. While both parties worked tirelessly, reaching out to so many students over the election days, we could only accomplish a voter turnout that was somewhere in the ballpark of six percent of the entire student body. While speaking to so many of our peers, it was clear that they had no idea an election was even occurring. The University, and its Student Association, do not do enough to promote the election, and are doing an injustice to those who would have been interested in making their voices heard. Two days of speaking to clubs, and a poorly advertised debate, are simply not enough. A more publicized election will allow for a greater exchange of ideas,
and more student involvement. Whenever we would speak to someone during the election, we would ask them if they could tell us where their activity fee went, or what events the SA hosted outside of Fall and Spring Fest, and the overwhelming majority of people had no answer. Now, we can place some of the blame on apathetic students who couldn’t be bothered to explore what information is made available to them; however, this does not apply to the majority of students. The upcoming administration needs to address this issue, or face another year of a disenfranchised student body with indifferent feelings towards their “representatives”. It is overwhelmingly clear that each member of Progress is well qualified, prepared, and supported
for the upcoming year, but it is of the utmost importance that they do not rest on their laurels. Winning by a two-thirds margin is a vote of confidence, however winning with only four percent of the student body is not. It reveals a reality which may not be apparent: that the student body is disengaged. The University’s student government has simply not done enough to include our peers in the election process. The challenges that Progress has the opportunity to tackle necessitates a devoted response. With this, I wish Progress the best of luck going forward. They have a wonderful opportunity to make a difference. Maximillian Budynek Transparency Party presidential candidate
4 Club to bring controversial speaker to campus
FEATURES
Monday, April 4, 2016
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Club members say they have the funding in place, a date set and a room reserved, but are just working to finalize the visit with Yiannopoulos. Dan Giles, a former UB student and state chair for YAL’s national organization, said Yiannopoulos is more than likely to come speak at UB. “Unless we get shut down, which I honestly don’t see happening because we’ve gone through all the right channels,” Giles said. Giles said Yiannopoulos waived his speaking fee. Although the senate approved funding for Yiannopoulos’ visit, at least one senator is opposed. Gabi Cohen, an SA senator and junior environmental design major, said although she believes in free speech, Yiannopoulos’ views denounce the UB community’s rights for a safe space on campus.
“The Student Association allocating $750 dollars to have a sexist, racist, transphobic, and homophobic speaker come to UB is in breach of your safe space,” Cohen wrote in an op-ed submitted to The Spectrum. Cohen said she was not present at the Senate vote, so she wasn’t sure the exact number of votes for or against funding the event, however she believed only one person voted against it. She said by not being there, it may be seen as a “huge issue” since she is “speaking on an issue [she] wasn’t present for.” Cohen said people will not always be happy with how SA’s $4 million budget of student funds is spent, but she does not want people to look back upon Yiannopoulos speaking at UB and wonder why SA funded someone who they don’t agree with. The op-ed can be found at ubspectrum.com. SA Treasurer Joe Pace said the SA executive board does not enforce who SA clubs can and can’t bring to UB, and that since the senate awarded the money to YAL, that is
“their prerogative.” “We enforce policies from SA, the university and SUNY in everything for all clubs,” Pace said. “So if contracts need to be signed, those go through the same review process for everyone whether we like the person or not, just like if a club is trying to book an artist we think is crap, it doesn’t actually matter as long as they’re following the rules and regulations that are stipulated in all of the different policies that they need to adhere to.” SA President Minahil Khan said the only time the e-board would step in and not uphold money granted to a club from the senate is when the club is violating SA rules. YAL is currently only a temporary club, but Khan said SA has set the precedent this year that the senate can provide funding to temporary clubs. Cohen admits Yiannopoulos is a “provocateur” who says things to get a reaction out of people. And although Cohen said she understands it’s an issue of free speech,
THE SPECTRUM
she thinks Yiannopoulos uses that right to speak in hate. Matthew Casa, president of YAL, said he and the rest of the club are disappointed that people opposed to Yiannopoulos coming to UB have not contacted YAL to discuss their qualms. He said the club wants students to approach them with opposing viewpoints on the subject to hold a discussion. “We love alternative viewpoints, we’re very open to that,” Casa said. “We try to remain as inclusive as possible … This is exactly what we want. We want people to address these issues, we want people to talk to us, and we’ll be happy to respond to them.” Giles said he thinks people see Yiannopoulos as controversial because he says things that are “tongue in cheek because he wants to get a conversation started.” Kenney said although he doesn’t believe in “90 percent” of Hillary Clinton’s policies, he attended Clinton’s UB Distinguished Speakers Series talk in 2013. He said he wanted to hear what she had to say. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
TRANSFER GRADUATE VETERANS April 6, 2016 @ 5:30 p.m. • Meet students, faculty & staff • Learn about the admissions process • Tour the campus
REGISTER TODAY visit.hilbert.edu (716) 926-8780
W
5
NEWS
Monday, April 4, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Bernie coming to Buffalo? Students push for presidential candidate to visit campus COURTESY OF FLICKR USER PHIL ROEDER
Bernie Sanders (pictured) may be coming to UB to speak, which could cause more political candidates to come to the university.
TORI ROSEMAN SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
NEWS Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Bernie Sanders will likely make his way to Buffalo before the end of the semester. Josh Herman, a sophomore geography major and member of UB Progressives, has created an online petition to bring the Democratic presidential candidate to UB specifically. The petition, on Change.org, had more than 2,300 signatures at the time of print. The petition, which encourages support from the student body and local Buffalo residents, has been active since last week and is sponsored by both UB Progressives and UB College Democrats. “I chose to focus on bringing him to UB because of the positive things I’ve heard about Senator Sanders from students,” Herman said. “An issue that is probably too familiar to you and me, student debt, is one of the issues that Senator Sanders is passionate
about fixing and I think that connects with a huge group of students here on campus.” Dillon Smith, Student Association Senate chair and a member of UB Progressives who volunteers for Sanders’ campaign, stressed that bringing Sanders to Buffalo has been a team effort from the entire group. He said that members have worked hard to up the chances Sanders will schedule a visit for the Queen City. “I have it from the Western New York Bernie representative that it’s about a 90 percent chance Bernie will come to Buffalo in the coming weeks,” Smith, a junior political science major, said. Sanders and Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton are both visiting the state of New York this week in preparation for the state’s April 19 Democratic primary. Both WGRZ and WIVB have reported that Clinton is coming to Buffalo to campaign this week. If Sanders comes to UB, it opens the door for other candidates like Clinton and
Republican frontrunner Donald Trump to come speak as well. According to Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Barbara Ricotta the issue isn’t whether or not UB could host Sanders, but whether or not its willing to open the door to all the other politicians who may want to come to the university in light of Sanders’ appearance. She said Sanders speaking on campus would require UB to allow every other presidential candidate an equal opportunity to speak on campus if they wished to. “Once you invite one candidate, it opens the door for all the others,” Ricotta said. “We have to treat all of them the same and give them access to the same opportunity.” And if Sanders speaks, UB would have to follow the same protocol, such as facilities, security and ticket organization, with the other candidates as it did with Sanders. Ricotta said The Office of Special Events and SA should be making the final decision
on whether or not to invite Sanders in the upcoming week. Campaigns will often pay for a portion of the event themselves, as it’s good publicity for their candidate. The event committee can put stipulations on the event like allotting a certain amount of seats for undergraduates. Students are excited about the prospect of having a presidential candidate come to the university but even more so, what kind of doors this appearance could open. Connor Cook, a sophomore biology major, thinks the senator’s appearance could be beneficial. “I think it could be good publicity for UB,” Cook said. “I’m right in the middle [of the political spectrum] so I just think it would be interesting to hear him speak.” Whether or not students are Sanders supporters, they see a potential Sanders’ visit to UB as a positive step toward political awareness. Megan Warrington, a sophomore psychology and sociology major, thinks that Buffalo is a city on the rise. “I follow politics but I don’t really have a preference,” Warrington said. “I like to hear the opinions of everyone.” Smith thinks that college is the time to experiment with political activism. “We want to foster progressive thought, push progressive action and enact progressive change,” Smith said. UB Progressives is not an official SA club but is working toward temporary club status. The group aims to get students active in politics. Though the group itself is bipartisan, members of the leadership are supporters of Sanders. One of the group’s biggest causes is to act as a forum to connect UB students with the City of Buffalo and tie in local movements with the campus. Herman is one member of UB Progressives who was instrumental in the group’s voter registration efforts on campus. UB Progressives held a voter registration event last Friday to help students take steps to vote in the primaries. Herman, like Smith, doesn’t want to live in a world he has no say. “Voting participation among college kids is awful,” Smith said. “We have to live with whatever choice is made in April and November.” email: news@ubspectrum.com
Taste of India Half Price
$1.00 Off
Dinner Entre Buy one dinner,
Lunch Buffet With Coupon. Not valid with any other promotion or discount
get one half price With Coupon. Not valid with any other promotion or discount
Lunch 11:30-2:30 Dinner 4:30-10:00
3192 Sheridan Drive 837-0460
Look for monthly specials and coupons on our homepage. http://www.tasteofindia.com/ Cuisine: The authentic tastes of India. Famous for our clay oven delights; a variety of meats and seafoods grilled to perfection and served atop a sizzling platter of sauteed onions and green peppers. Delicate vegetarian dishes, mouth watering sauces, homemade Indian breads and flavorful Basmati Rice.
For Indian groceries go to Royal India Market 3333 Sheridan Drive 836-4444
Law Offices of
Tronolone & Surgalla, PC 298 Main Street, Suite 200 Buffalo, New York 14202
Traffic and Criminal Law Landlord/Tenant: Family Law Wills and Estates: Business Law Real Estate: General Practice For a FREE CONSULTATION Contact John B. Surgalla, Esq. (716) 656-2626 x 108 jsurgalla@tslawoffices.com
6
NEWS SPORTS UB symposium highlights Syrian refugee crisis
Wednesday,September Monday, April 4, 2016 4, 2015 The Spectrum
THE SPECTRUM
UB professors and local activists give their insight on what students can do SARAH CROWLEY STAFF WRITER
Last September, President Barack Obama announced the United States would allow 10,000 Syrian refugees to enter the country, with hundreds of them being relocated to the Buffalo area. Syria has been experiencing a civil war for more than four years, causing many citizens to flee to surrounding countries. UB’s School of Social Work held a Syrian Conflict symposium on Thursday at the Buffalo and Erie County Central Library, located in downtown Buffalo. Students, professors, medical, legal and social work professionals from the Buffalo area all gathered to discuss the implications of the refugee resettlement. Asli Yalim, a Ph.D. student in the School of Social Work, began the presentation with an overview of the Syrian crisis and discussed the “vulnerability of the 14 million displaced Syrians.” Half of the refugees are below the age of 18 and 25 percent are young females, according to Yalim. Yalim urged the audience to read independent news sources rather than mainstream news sources like CNN and Fox News that “tend to over-politicize the conflict rather than show the destruction and devastation from a humanitarian perspective.” Deborah Reed-Danahay, Jean Monnet Chair and anthropology professor at UB, also spoke at the symposium. Reed-Danahay discussed the crisis from the European perspective. She spoke about the European Union-
COURTESY OF FLICKR USER MICHAEL DAVIS-BURCHAT
UB hosted a symposium on March 31 to discuss the Syrian refugee crisis in relation to the Buffalo community.
Turkey migrant agreement, which has been criticized by many, including humanitarian groups like Doctors Without Borders. The agreement calls for a ban of all irregular migration from Turkey to Greece, which will go into effect on April 4. All incoming refugees were returned back to Turkey upon their arrival in Greece on March 20. “It’s easy to criticize many of the recent European responses, but you have to understand the EU wasn’t in a good economic standing before this whole crisis happened,” Reed-Danahay said. “Greece is overridden, and I don’t mean that negatively, but it’s hard to know what the right response is.” Keynote Speaker Hussam Jefee-Bahloul, an assistant professor at University of Massachusetts Medical School, spoke about his research in the mental health of Syrian refugees. He said there’s a tendency to assume refugees must suffer from post-traumatic
6th Annual Global Health Day
stress disorder or other psychiatric disorders, but in actuality it may be something else. “It’s hard to distinguish the symptoms of these from the normal reactions of people lacking basic needs like food, housing, etc. Working first to address these needs will make it easier to identify those in need of psychiatric care,” Jefee-Bahloul said. Jefee-Bahloul also emphasized the importance of “culturally-sensitive” intervention, something that Americans might not necessarily think about. “There may be cultural challenges to mental health intervention that as Americans, we overlook. Especially for men, accepting psychiatric care may bring a sense of shame,” Jefee-Bahloul said. “We can work around this stigma by avoiding psychiatric jargon and scientific language.” He said utilizing less “individualized” counseling would be more in-line with Syri-
an cultural practices, which praises family ties. Othman Shibly, a periodontist and professor at the UB School of Dental Medicine, served as the final presenter at the event. He and other medical and dental practitioners have opened clinics in two border cities in Turkey – Kilis and Reyhanli – to assist the underserved Syrian communities. Shibly grew up in Lebanon and attended dental school in Syria, but he said his compassion wasn’t about where he is from and that people should help “the needy whenever and wherever [they] can.” Shibly has formed 15 schools for children in Syria whose former schools were unsafe to attend. “If there is one thing I’ve learned in my life, you never, ever, ever turn your back on a noble cause,” Shibly said.
W
email: news@ubspectrum.com
Sturbridge Village One, Two, and Three Bedroom Apts Heat, Gas and Water included, One mile from UB North!
Photo courtesy of Hansel, 2010
Sponsored by the School of Public Health and Health Professions' Office of Global Health Initiatives, the Community for Global Health Equity, and the Global Health Club GSA
Friday, April 8th 8 am - 4 pm | 401 Hayes Hall Contact globalhealth@buffalo.edu to register 8:00-9:30 Breakfast and Plenary Talk • Introductions by Drs. Pavani Ram and Kory Smith, Community for Global Health Equity • Welcome by Dr. Jean Wactawski-Wende, Dean of School of Public Health and Health Professions • "The Right to Health: Moral, Legal and Political Dimensions" by Dr. Claude Welch, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Political Science 9:30 Coffee 10:00 – 12:00 Treating Neglected Infections: Discovery, Distribution, Equity, and Ethics • Amy Jacobs, Department of Microbiology and Immunology • John Panepinto, Department of Microbiology Immunology • Ira Blader, Department of Microbiology and Immunology • Rajan Batta, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering 12:00 – 12:30 Lunch 12:30 - 1:45 Global Health Trivia Competition, hosted by the Global Health Club 2:00 – 4:00 Air pollution across the lifespan: from pregnancy and birth outcomes to mental health • Lina Mu, Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health • Jayasree Nair, Department of Pediatrics • Vanessa Barnabei, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology • Amy Manning, School of Social Work • John Atkinson, Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering
Call leasing office for details 716-688-2757 www.sturbridgevillageapartments.com
7 Alpha Epsilon Pi hosts ‘Balling for Boobs’
NEWS SPORTS
Wednesday, September 4, 2015 Monday, April 4, 2016 The Spectrum
THE SPECTRUM
basketball tournament
UB fraternity holds fundraiser for breast cancer awareness
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Alpha Epsilon Pi hosted its fifth annual Balling for Boobs three-on-three charity basketball tournament on April 2. The event raised $800, triple the amount projected for this year.
KORI HUGHES STAFF WRITER
Greek life is often depicted in television and films as organizations that spend all
their time partying, but Joshua Grove said he hopes to shift that connotation to charity. Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) hosted its fifth annual Balling for Boobs three-on-three charity basketball tournament on Saturday.
NEWS Wednesday, July 1, 2015
THE DONALD L. DAVIS LECTURESHIP FUND & UNIVERSITY LIFE AND SERVICES PRESENTS
SIDDHARTHA
This year’s tournament was originally projected to raise $500, but raised $800 – nearly triple the donations from last year. All proceeds from the tournament went to the American Cancer Society with part of the money being set aside for breast cancer research. Grove, a senior marketing major and member of AEPi, said his personal connection to cancer motivated him to get involved in the basketball tournament. After Grove’s father passed away from cancer 12 years ago, he developed a passion in cancer research. “Greek life has always had a bad reputation, and we’ve taken that to heart the last three or four years,” Grove said. “We try to use this event, the Relay [For Life event] and our other charity events to repair as much of that image as we can.” Greek life was founded mainly to fundraise and build connections with charities and organizations, according to Grove, which is something that is often lost sight of but is one of the most important things to remember. Grove said whether it’s through small raffles in the Student Union or fundraisers with local businesses, AEPi takes pride in charity throughout the entire school year. “Raising money for cancer is great, but raising money for breast cancer isn’t always what people think of first, so that’s something that we definitely are taking pride in this year,” he said. In the fall semester, the main fundraising event for the fraternity is a dodge ball tournament. The tournament raised money for local childhood cancer research charities such as Melina’s White Light and Blue4Ben. Blue4Ben is a local charity inspired by a young boy who passed away from a brain tumor in 2014. The boy’s father is the landlord for Grove and other members of AEPi. Af-
ter hearing Blue4Ben’s story and growing close with their landlord, AEPi raised over $2,000 for his son’s charity. Grove said this was a “substantial amount” for such a small not-for-profit organization. Zachary Kiel, a sophomore business major, said helping out local charities is a cause he is passionate about. “It’s definitely nice to help out the local communities. We like getting involved in the community and bringing everyone closer together,” Kiel, who serves as a chair for the basketball tournament, said. Kiel has lost friends and family members to cancer. He said the entire brotherhood is responsive and passionate about fundraising and charity. Conor Dorney, a junior psychology major and co-chair for the tournament, said he enjoys being part of a brotherhood to get involved in charity events like this. “The brotherhood enjoys getting involved when it comes to cancer research, a lot of people take a passion for it,” Dorney said. Dorney said people have fun and receive an overall good vibe when they attend the Balling for Boobs tournament, and the money raised goes toward a worthy cause. In years past, the Balling for Boobs tournament was spearheaded by just one brother, with the rest of the brothers just following behind, according to Grove. But this year, with equal participation from each of the fraternity’s members, Balling for Boobs has become AEPi’s biggest of the year. email: news@ubspectrum.com
Einstein
anytime
MUKHERJEE Cancer Physician, Researcher & Author of the Pulitzer Prize-Winning “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer”
APRIL 6 UB ALUMNI ARENA, 8PM
LECTURE SPONSOR:
Algebra 2 (MAT 102) Statistics (MAT 129)
CONTRIBUTING LECTURE SPONSORS:
Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences School of Public Health and Health Professions
Calculus for Business (MAT 137) • ON SITE • ON YOUR W E N I L AY ON
FREE LECTURE TICKETS FOR UB STUDENTS 1 ticket per student while supplies last. UB ID required. SA- represented undergrads may pick up tickets in the SA Office (350 Student Union, North Campus).
GSA- represented grads may pick up tickets at the SBI Ticket Office (221 Student Union & 350 Harriman Hall, South Campus).
To learn more about all the series speakers and for ticket information, please visit:
facebook.com/ubdss OR buffalo.edu/dss
SERIES SPONSOR
Convenience without compromise. Knock-off electives–accelerate to graduation Transferable SUNY credits Affordable tuition GCC offers 170 summer courses • more than 50 online!
AFFILIATE SERIES SPONSORS
UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE LECTURE & CONTRIBUTING SERIES SPONSORS Minority Faculty & Staff Association
Centers for Entrepreneurial Leadership & Executive Education
Student Affairs
ONLINE & AT 7 CAMPUS LOCATIONS | WWW.GENESEE.EDU | 866-CALL-GCC
8 Not a PG-13 show Monday, April 4, 2016
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“I’m Not Ron Swanson” was an ode to this principle as it explained that, though the two share many similar likes and qualities, Offerman is greater than one character in a show. “I thought he was really funny,” said Elyssa Harper, a senior at Buffalo State. “I was hoping he would bring his wife out because he talks about her so much.” In addition to his wife, fellow comedian Megan Mullally, Offerman also brought up his longtime “Parks and Recreation” cast mate, Chris Pratt. This allowed fans of the show to indulge in the idea of Ron and Pratt’s character, Andy, hanging out on a regular basis. He closed the show with another nod to “Parks and Rec” by performing the song he sang about Li’l Sebastian in one of the episodes of the show. Comedian Ahmed Bharoocha opened for
NEWS | FEATURES
Offerman. Bharoocha started with bits that centered around animals, from crows to cows and even his ex’s cat named Rosa Parks. Bharoocha’s comedy is fast moving and relevant, as he discussed terrorism, smoking pot and his dad’s attitude as a Pakistani Muslim. He also demonstrated his beat boxing skills when telling jokes about ceiling fans and ice machines. “I haven’t heard of him before, but I thought he was pretty funny,” said Heather Leventhal, a sophomore pharmacy major. “[Bharoocha and Offerman] had some similarities.” Offerman and Bharoocha put their respective funny foot forward and gave performances that were relevant to Buffalo, laugh out loud and geared toward students. email: features@ubspectrum.com
THE SPECTRUM
Club to bring controversial speaker to campus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
Cohen said although she doesn’t know whether or not UB students will react to Yiannopoulos the same way they did at Rugters, she hopes they will protest in some way. She said by students speaking out in protest, it is their form of free speech. Giles said that there is a possibility of protests similar to those at Rutgers if Yiannopoulos speaks at UB, but that it is part of the “speech process.” Cohen said ultimately her biggest concern is the issue of “safe spaces.” “Anywhere you are on this campus, you should feel safe, and him coming totally eradicates anything that a safe space is,” she said. “Whether you’re a woman, or a man, or any type of person that you are, he is probably against something that you stand up for.” Giles said there is no point of an institution if there is no space to hear opposing viewpoints. Casa said he respects the notion of a safe space, but this event could be
seen as a safe space for YAL and students with similar beliefs. Both Kenney and Casa said allowing a “greater discussion” about free speech is ultimately what they want to bring to campus by having Yiannopoulos speak. Casa said students don’t need to necessarily agree with everything Yiannopoulos says, but they should be open to learning opposing viewpoints. “It’s not very common that you’re going to hear something from someone and that you’re going to agree with [it] 100 percent of the time, and we don’t think it should be like that, and we don’t think people should be limited to hearing things that they think are 100 percent correct,” Casa said. “We want to add in alternative viewpoints and we want people to realize there are other sides to the story, that there are alternative ways of thinking and there are people out there who think differently.” email: news@ubspectrum.com
•
Affordable SUNY credits that transfer easily
•
Hundreds of courses to choose from — on-campus and online
•
Sessions start May 31 and July 11
•
Four-day schedules for longer weekends
Register today! www.monroecc.edu/go/summer
W
The Signature Series PRESIDENT SATISH K. TRIPATHI PRESENTS
An annual spring tradition celebrating UB’s legacy of innovation and distinction in arts and letters
PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
POLITICAL CARTOONIST TOM TOLES
(BA’73)
LECTURE
‘TALKING TOLES’ A casual conversation with the artist about his life and work
Thursday, April 14 7 p.m. Lippes Concert Hall North Campus
PANEL DISCUSSION
‘HUMOR IN POLITICAL COMMENTARY’ Friday, April 15 2 p.m. Letro Courtroom 114 O’Brian Hall North Campus
Events are free and open to the public; advance registration is requested. Seating priority will be given to preregistered guests until 15 minutes prior to the start times. To register and learn about all events, visit www.buffalo.edu/president/sig-series. AN EXHIBIT OF TOLES’ WORK WILL BE ON DISPLAY IN THE KAVEESHWAR GALLERY, FIFTH FLOOR, CAPEN HALL, BEGINNING APRIL 14.
CLASSIFIEDS HELP WANTED HELP WANTED
10 MINUTE WALK TO SOUTH. 4-BDRM’s $325 to $350/room. Includes utilities. New bathrooms/kitchen appliances, free laundry & off-street parking. One year lease. Available June 1st. Call/text Kevin 716-480-7352.
ARCHAEOLOGISTS WANTED FOR EXCAVATION PROJECT. 2 weeks in the kingdom of Jordan. Inquiries to www.OrderOfTheArk.org Buffalo’s Newest Real Estate Brokerage MOTION New York is seeking to hire Licensed Real Estate Salespersons. No experience required, we will pay for NY State Liscensing Course. Inquire at www.motionnewyork.com or call 646-208-8574 MILLERSPORT RECYCLYING PART-TIME $9.00+ tips. Call 716-3330402 or visit 803 Millersport Hwy. Top hourly rate plus commission. Part-Time Sales Positions. UB students welcome! Flexible hours w/school schedule. Close to Campus. 585-7217530.
4, 5, 6 & 8 BEDROOM REMODELED APARTMENT HOUSES. 19 of 33 apartments remain, located at University Buffalo Main Street campus- off Englewood. Beginning June 2016: UB South Campus for @$275$375/bedroom plus utilities. Washers & dryers included. Contact bradengel37@ gmail.com or Shawn at 716-9847813 Check out our web-site: WWW. BUFAPT.COM 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 BEDROOM HOMES. Available Now! Go to daveburnette. net to view all properties or call Dave at 716-445-2514.
RESTAURANT NOW HIRING DISHWASHERS, LINE COOKS & SERVERS. Apply in person, Eagle House, 5578 Main St. Williamsville. Part-Time Positions Available. Lasertron Family Entertainment Center is currently hiring for general customer service. Working at a fast, detail-oriented pace and having excellent customer service skills is a must. Starting at $11/hr, must be available nights and weekends. Stop in and complete an application at Lasertron, 5101 North Bailey Avenue, Amherst, NY.
OUR NICEST APARTMENTS RENT NOW! Newly Remodeled 1-4 Person Apartments on W. Winspear, Englewood, Tyler, Heath & Merrimac. Amenities include O/S Parking, Whirlpool Baths, New SS Appliances & Free Laundry, Live the Sweethome Life On South! Visit www.ubrents.com or Call/Text 716-775-7057 to schedule an appointment now! HOUSE FOR RENT HOUSE FOR
RENT
APARTMENT FOR FOR RENT RENT APARTMENT
South Campus. 5&6 Master Bedrooms. 2-Full baths, stove, fridge, washer/dryer/dishwasher & off-street parking. Available June 1st. Call 716-5706062.
1, 2 & 3 Luxury Apartments completely renovated across from UB South. Inquire at: www.UBhouses.com
47 HEATH 5-BDRMS 1 1/2 baths. Huge house, perfect for large groups. Inquire at www.UBHouses.com
BEWARE-SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF APARTMENTS that appear in want ads have had safety violations reported. The only source for off-campus housing that limits postings to those apartments that have passed a safety inspection by local authorities in the last 36 months found at livingoffcampus.buffalo.edu
75 TYLER. AMAZING 4-BDRM, 2-BATH Home. Completely furnished, from beds to silverware!! New wall to wall carpeting, newer appliances, off-street parking & snow plowing included. Must see!!! $400+/person 716-830-1413 Gino.
9
Monday, April 4, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
4, 5, 6 & 8 BEDROOM REMODELED APARTMENT HOUSES. 7 of 33 apartments remain, located at University Buffalo Main Street campus- off Englewood. Beginning June 2016: UB South Campus for @$275$375/bedroom plus utilities. Washers & dryers included. Contact bradengel37@ gmail.com or Shawn at 716-9847813 Check out our web-site: WWW. BUFAPT.COM 5-BDRM PRESTIGIOUS HIGHGATE. Half block from S. Campus. Living room, dining room, family room. Refrigerator, stove, noncoin washer & dryer. Off-street parking. Available June 1st. One year lease $2250/ month. Water included. Call Susan: 716491-9105. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 BEDROOM HOMES. Available Now! Go to daveburnette. net to view all properties or call Dave at 716-445-2514. OUR NICEST HOMES RENT NOW! Newly remodeled 3-8 Person Homes on W. Winspear, Englewood, Tyler, Heath & Merrimac. Amenities include Jacuzzi Bathtubs, New SS Appliances, Free Laundry, Parking, Snow Removal & Valet Garbage! Live the Sweethome Life On South! Visit www. ubrents.com or Call/Text 716-775-7057 to schedule an appointment now! SERVICESSERVICES CITYA1DRIVINGSCHOOL.COM Beginners & brush-up driving lessons. 5hr class $30.00 716-875-4662.
NEWS Wednesday, July 1, 2015
DAILY DELIGHTS sponsored by Collegiate Village Apartments
COLLEGIATE VILLAGE
Open
Buffalo’s BEST Alternaave to On-Campus Housing!
Saturday, April 16, 2016 11am - 5pm 391 Eggert RoaD buffalo, ny, 14215 716.833.3700 www.CVBuffalo.com
Love Where You Live!
10
SPORTS
Monday, April 4, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Years in the making Johnson finally the starter in talented backfield
JORDAN GROSSMAN
SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Buffalo football running backs coach Matt Simon knew years ago he had a star in the making. The Bulls’ prosperous history of running backs has been evident for the better part of a decade. It started with current NFL backs James Starks and Branden Oliver, and continued last season with All-Mid-American Conference back Anthone Taylor. Now, the starting job is in the hands of Jordan Johnson, a rising senior and local product from Sweet Home High School that has been waiting his turn to take over the starting job. “It’s been four years,” Johnson said, “so I finally get to start.” He remembers being a kid watching Starks play. He was teammates with Oliver for two seasons, but never played a game with him due to redshirting and a seasonending elbow injury. And Johnson has mostly been a backup to
Taylor, who had an impressive career in his own right, the past two seasons. With Taylor’s graduation, Johnson is the expected starter come opening day next fall. “He’s an experienced veteran player,” Simon said. “We have high expectations for Jordan. He’s earned his spurs in this program. He’s a journeyman who’s spent a lot of time on special teams. I think he can be a premier back in the MAC. A lot of people in Buffalo should be excited about him.” Johnson first caught Simons’ attention during the Bulls’ 2014 matchup against Baylor. Simon said Johnson ran with efficiency and power. More importantly, he rose to the occasion against much bigger competitor. There wasn’t much to get excited about during Buffalo’s 63-21 loss to the Bears. Johnson was the lone exception. Then a sophomore, Johnson ran for 97 yards on 20 carries. He even broke off a 35-yard run on one of the top defenses in the country. Yet Johnson was a backup to Taylor and missed a few games with an injury that season, and managed just 361 yards and one touchdown. He did however average 4.9
yards per carry that showed off his potential. In a bit of serendipity, the oft-injured back got his first full-time opportunity after Taylor dealt with lingering ankle problems during the middle of MAC play last season. That gave Johnson a chance to prove what Simon believed he could be. In his final six games of the 2015 season, Johnson averaged 84 yards per game, including an exceptional two-game stretch against Ohio and Miami Ohio in which he ran for 147 and 123 yards, respectively, and found the end zone twice in each game. He finished the season with 811 yards – just 18 behind Taylor – but a team-high 12 rushing touchdowns. Johnson’s a physical back. Simon calls Johnson a “punisher” when he runs from north to south. He’s the tallest back on the roster and is one of the heaviest as well. He has the tools and the experience to be a star for UB. But he knows he can’t do it alone. Buffalo’s next running back is Jonathan Hawkins, a rising sophomore. He is expected to be Johnson’s backup on the depth
SPECTRUM FILE PHOTO Junior running back Jordan Johnson runs for a gain during Buffalo’s season-opening 51-14 victory over Albany last season. Johnson will be the Bulls’ starter this upcoming season after waiting his turn for several season.
chart. Simon describes Hawkins as a player with “immense talent” and is expecting a better version of him than what he saw last year. Hawkins is currently sidelined for spring practice due to minor shoulder surgery, but it will not affect his status for the first game next September. It’s good, because Simon has high praise for him. “He may be one of the most extraordinary players we’ve ever had in this program,” Simon said. Johnson seems content with his backup as well. “He’s going to be a good player,” Johnson said. “He’ll be the next great one coming up.” He’s not the only running back who’s receiving praise. The Bulls locked up Kameron Pickett, who was one of the best high school running backs in Georgia, in this year’s recruiting class. Simon thinks Pickett is another star in the making, but hopes he can redshirt this season because of the depth already on the team. Behind Johnson and Hawkins will be freshman Gary Hosey, who redshirted this past season. He may be Buffalo’s most physical runner and possesses running back speed in a fullback’s body. Simon is convinced this backfield could be as good as the 2013 backfield of Oliver, Taylor and Devin Campbell. He even thinks Hawkins and Johnson can form a better tandem than what Johnson and Taylor did last season. Like Johnson’s career up to this point, time will tell. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
W
COURTESY OF UB ATHLETICS
A pitching change After a year as third baseman, Sobieraski moves to pitching rotation
QUENTIN HAYNES SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
On Feb. 21, Charlie Sobieraski took the field for the first time this season. He was used to heading out to third base or the batters’ box for the Buffalo baseball team, like he had done his first season at UB. But on this day, Sobieraski headed out to the mound instead – completing his transition from one of the Bulls’ better offensive players as a freshman last year to a starter in the team’s pitching rotation this year. Sobieraski finished that day with six strikeouts in five innings pitched. The Bulls fell to Marist 8-3, but it was Sobieraski’s first pitching performance since high school and first step to becoming a Division-I college pitcher. Sobieraski is now 4-1 for the Bulls (9-15, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) with the second-most strikeouts on the team (35). “He looked comfortable,” said head coach Ron Torgalski of that game. “We knew he could throw, but we wanted to see some progression in his pitches and if he
could make adjustments if they got a few hits on him. Even though we didn’t get the win, it was good to see him make those adjustments on this level.” Last season, Sobieraski played third base and performed well at the plate. He finished fourth on the team in batting average (.265) and led the team with four home runs as a freshman. Near the end of the regular season, he received some time on the mound with 10.1 innings pitched. He decided to permanently move to the mound for his sophomore season. “It just started off last year getting on the mound and seeing what I got and over the summer it turned into something I wanted to do,” Sobieraski said. “I knew there was a position open and I really wanted to be a weekend starter and I think all the hard work has paid off.” During the offseason, Torgalski made sure that Sobieraski was prepared for the move. After a couple looks on the mound last season, he made sure that Sobieraski received starts on the mound during the summer. He wanted him to “build up the stami-
na” to complete the transition. What he noticed was a strong pitcher with a stronger arm. Since his first few appearances as a freshman, Sobieraski came back with better velocity, thanks to him filling out between his freshman and sophomore seasons. As a freshman, Torgalski saw someone that might be able to pitch. As the 2016 season drew near, he saw someone who could become a great weekend starter. “When he first came to Buffalo, he tried to pitch but he didn’t like it. There was room for improvement,” Torgalski said, “but like most of our student-athletes, Charlie came in and started to fill out. He put on like 25 to 30 pounds from his first year to his second and it helped him, added some velocity on his arm.” This season, Sobieraski has been a crucial member for Buffalo’s weekend staff. In seven starts, his four victories are tied for most on the team. But his ERA is 5.44 and he leads the team in walks with 25, showing that he still has ways to go. Working with four pitches, including a four-seam fastball that was clocked in at 93
Sophomore pitcher Charlie Sobieraski throws a pitch. The former third baseman moved to pitcher after a freshman season and currently leads the Bulls in victories.
miles per hour, Sobieraski continues to work on the intricacies of pitching. He’s still working on a slider and changeup – two pitches with different grips compared to the fastball. While he knows how to throw the ball, Sobieraski said the areas in which he needs to improve the most are “figuring out when to throw what pitch at what time” and “limiting his walks.” But so far, it’s been his experience as a hitter in the MAC that has allowed him to have success early. “Hitting helped me last year, for sure. Like last year, it was about figuring out what the pitcher was throwing,” Sobieraski said. “Like 2-0 in a count and they would throw an off-speed pitch. You don’t normally do that, but some pitchers in the MAC do that. Now as a pitcher, I need to be able to anticipate what the hitter is thinking and keep him guessing.” With 29 games remaining in the regular season, Sobieraski and his teammates have the MAC Tournament in mind. After missing the tournament last season for the first time since the 2011, his goal is to “continue his strong play so far.” Torgalski said that Sobieraski has a bright future on the mound and could be a key member of Buffalo’s weekend rotation for years to come. “He has a great mound presence,” Torgalski said. “He’s been making strides since he first got back on the mound … I think once everything comes together, he has the chance to be the best pitcher in the conference.” email: sports@ubspectrum.com