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ubspectrum.com
Monday, September 28, 2015
Volume 65 No. 12
UB student dies in New Zealand kayaking accident Senior Daniel Hollnsteiner passes away at age of 21 GABRIELA JULIA SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
UB student Daniel Hollnsteiner died in a kayaking accident in New Zealand Friday. Hollnsteiner, a 21-year-old senior business major from Staten Island, was kayaking on Lake Tekapo in New Zealand with 10 other students Friday when strong winds and waves capsized their kayaks into freezing water. James Murphy, a student from
London, also died. Nine survivors were treated for hypothermia after spending an hour in the water. Hollnsteiner was studying abroad for a semester at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Hollnsteiner was also a member of the Sigma Chi Omega fraternity. The kayakers were all students attending Monash and visiting New Zealand during a semester break. Police said all of the students were wearing life jackets, but the water
temperatures were below 40 degrees. UB released a statement on Hollnsteiner’s death Saturday. “The university has been in contact with Daniel’s family and we are offering whatever support and assistance we can during this very difficult time,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Daniel’s family and friends. University counseling services will be available for Daniel’s friends and fellow students at UB.” email: news@ubspectrum.com
Falling short
COURTESY OF DANIEL HOLLNSTEINER’S FACEBOOK
Climbing the ranks UB makes top 50 in latest U.S. News & World Report college rankings EVAN SCHNEIDER
KAINAN, GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Bulls senior quarterback Joe Licata gets hit by Nevada senior defensive end Rykeem Yates.
READ MORE ABOUT THE FOOTBALL TEAM’S 24-21 LOSS TO NEVADA SATURDAY ON PAGE 8 AND ONLINE AT UBSPECTRUM.COM
STAFF WRITER A staple of any college selection process is finding out where a potential university sits in the ranks. U.S. News & World Report’s annual National Universities and Public Universities rankings were released earlier this month with UB reaching No. 99 for schools nation-wide and No. 45 for public schools. The ranking system is based on a formula that uses quantitative measures experts think are reliable indicators of academic quality. Essentially, it’s based on their researched view of what matters in education. Universities are categorized into four groups: National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities and Regional Colleges. UB is a national university because it offers a full range of undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs that put emphasis on faculty research, according to U.S. News. Princeton University, Harvard University and Yale University were ranked first, second and third respectively. Charles Zukoski, UB provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, said UB prides itself on attracting the best and brightest students from around the world. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Banned Books Week looks to recognize controversial works of literature Faculty and students celebrate nationwide week of controversial books
GABRIELA JULIA, THE SPECTRUM
Lockwood Memorial Library has a display of commonly challenged books as a part of Banned Books Week. Banned Books Week is a nationwide effort to recognize controversial literature and the freedom to write without censorship.
MICHAEL JONCAS
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Denise Wolfe said one of the best advantages to living in the United States is that people can read what they want, when they want. Lockwood Memorial Library is displaying commonly challenged books to remind students and faculty of freedom of speech. Books Week is a nationwide effort to recognize controversial literature and the freedom to write without censorship. UB’s banned book display will remain in Lockwood from Sept. 28 until Oct. 31. Homosexuality, violence, nudity and other “anti-family” themes are a few reasons for the attempted banning of hundreds of classic and contemporary books, according to the American Library Association (ALA). The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird and the Harry Potter series are just a few of the
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famous books that have caused concerned parties to make attempts at censorship. Wolfe, coordinator of administrative services of university libraries, and Laura Taddeo, head of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences team at Lockwood Library, are using Banned Books Week as an opportunity to attract students to the library with its hands-on display, which is centered upon interaction.
Editorial: Students have spoken about art project, UB needs to listen
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“We used to have glass cases in the front with photos and snippets of text,” Taddeo said. “We wanted it to be more interactive and have people actually see the books.” By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship, according to the ALA website.
Humanities Festival in Buffalo explores gender boundaries
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Wolfe looks at the event as a mean of discovery and hopes it will broaden people’s search for knowledge and encourage conversations. The display, made up of two tables covered in a colorful variety of books ranging from the 18th century to the modern era, is meant to catch the eyes of passing students. Shaun Nowicki, a freshman English major, said banning books is “immoral.” “It’s depriving people of experiences that show them the world [because] books help people to see through the worst parts of life – they’re a safe haven for people,” Nowicki said. “It doesn’t matter what’s in them or if one single person likes them, as long as they bring comfort to someone.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Progressive rock band The McLovins jams out in Buffalo
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NEWS
Monday, September 28, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
Stepping back into the past
‘Reclaiming our Ancestors’ workshop looks into history of African American families THANYA THEOGENE STAFF WRITER
At the end of October, 12 people will be able take a glance at the lives of their ancestors. The “Reclaiming our Ancestors” workshop will be held at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library from Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 and will provide a group of selected African American participants with information on their ancestry. The chosen participants, who are the descendants of 19th century authors such as Dred Scott, William Grimes and Jeffrey Brace, will be given information on their families’ lives in the time of slavery. Kari Winter, director of UB’s Institute for Research & Education on Women & Gender, will lead the workshop. It will be cosponsored by the institute, as well as by other public and private donors. “This workshop was intended to promote a public black history,” Winter said. “I feel that as of now black history isn’t being told adequately. It’s a different form of history that will be useful to students. I think it really compliments the current ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.” The historic workshop is the first of its kind and will focus solely on the descendants of authors of slave narratives. The group of 12 participants will be given access to family documents and photographs, which will give them an up-close look into the lives of their ancestors. The workshop on Oct. 30 will be open to the public from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. It will
include an open discussion panel between the participants and scholars. Cecil Foster, a transnational studies professor, and Jason Young, an associate history professor, are also a part of the workshop and will show the participants how to use modern tools to examine their history. Over the course of five years, Winter did intense research as she traced back the family lines of the participants. She spent hours in archives all over New England. She traveled to an archive in London and to Barbados to complete her research. “I think the workshop is important because it tells us that history matters,” Winter said. Students also think the workshop will be beneficial. “I think it’s really important for people to know their roots,” said Rasean Robinson, a senior communication major. “It would be really interesting to find out my family history. As an American I feel it would help me with my identity.” Following the workshop, each of the participants will write an essay detailing their experiences at the workshop and providing information on the lives of their ancestors. Regina E. Mason is one of the participants in the workshop. Mason is an author, speaker, storyteller and executive producer from Oakland, California. She is the descendant of William Grimes, who wrote Life of
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William Grimes, the Runaway Slave and eventually bought his freedom. Rhonda Brace is another participant who found out she the descendant of Jeffrey Brace through family research. Jeffrey Brace was a veteran of the American Revolution and the first African American citizen of Poultney, Vermont. His autobiography, The Blind African Slave, was published in 1810. Lynne Jackson will attend the workshop as the descendant of Dred Scott, the slave who brought his master to court during the famous Dred Scott v. Sandford case which held that Americans of African descent – free or slave – were not American citizens. Jackson is currently the founder and president of a heritage foundation in Dred Scott’s name. Nthanda Longwe-Pearson, a senior psychology major, believes the workshop is a great idea. “UB is a really diverse place, but still kind of segregated,” Longwe-Pearson said. “I think this workshop would bring some-
ARE YOU UP FOR A
THANYA THEOGENE, THE SPECTRUM
Kari Winter, director of UB’s Institute for Research & Education on Women & Gender, will lead the ‘Reclaiming our Ancestors’ workshop. The workshop will give African American participants information on their ancestry through old photos and documents.
thing different for people at UB and in Buffalo to see.” Though Longwe-Pearson is from Africa, she still feels the significance of the workshop. “I think it would be a positive contribution to the race discussion going on today,” she said. “It would bring unity to many African Americans.” email: news@ubspectrum.com
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OPINION Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Tom Dinki
MANAGING EDITOR
Alyssa McClure OPINION EDITOR
Ricky Nolan COPY EDITORS
Kayla Menes Renée Staples NEWS EDITORS
Gabriela Julia, Senior Ashley Inkumsah Marlee Tuskes FEATURES EDITORS
Tori Roseman, Senior Dani Guglielmo ARTS EDITORS
Brian Windschitl, Senior Kenneth Kashif Thomas Alexandra Saleh, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Jordan Grossman, Co-senior Quentin Haynes, Co-senior PHOTO EDITORS
Yusong Shi, Co-senior Kainan Guo, Co-senior Angela Barca . CARTOONISTS
Joshua Bodah Michael Perlman CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Kenneth Cruz Pierce Strudler, Asst.
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER
Nicole Dominguez Lee Stoeckel, Asst. Zach Hilderbrandt, Asst. ADVERTISING DESIGNER
Derek Hosken
THE SPECTRUM Monday, September 28, 2015 Volume 65 Number 12 Circulation 7,000 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. The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by MediaMate. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at (716) 645-2452. The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100
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Monday, September 28, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
Racism: the bold new Republican strategy Republican presidential candidates embrace xenophobia The Republican Party has been consolidating more and more around Christian theology in the last decade. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this – religion or philosophy informs moral principles which in turn informs some political principles – the issue has become one of imposition of those principles on others. The breakdown of what constitutes religious law versus moral law continues to shape arguments concerning social policy in the United States. Liberal attitudes have in some way triumphed with greater freedom being granted nationwide for people to pursue what they judge as morally right. The Supreme Court or individual states harbor responsibility for most of these changes in a telling indictment of the inability of national legislators to achieve anything. The result has been a growing sense of cultural warring. Many Christians, rightly or wrongly, feel that their way of life has come under fire. The result has been an ideological hardening in many instances. Combined with the inability of their national representation to stop this assault, discontent
with the establishment grows daily. Racial and religious discrimination, the last bulwark of the disenfranchised and angry, appears on the scene with ugly and disgusting results. Ben Carson and Donald Trump, the two Republican frontrunners for president, recently created controversy concerning Muslims. Trump failed to confront a man at a New Hampshire town meeting who called Muslims “a problem” and asserted that President Obama both adheres to Islam and comes from outside the United States. Trump then stated the presence of “a very severe problem” with Muslims and declined to say if he would support a Muslim for president. Carson outright stated his disapproval of any theoretical Muslim candidate for president. He continued his disapproval by stating that Islam comes into conflict with the values and principles of the United States. He was swift to qualify that he would have no problem with a Muslim in Congress, though. Hate is the only viable for these kinds of statements. The Republican Party has given itself finally and enthusiastically to hate-mongers, xenophobes, racists, and folk
Students have spoken – now UB needs to listen BSU and SA instrumental in leading UB toward a better community, UB needs to assist them The “White Only” and “Black Only” signs that appeared on campus two weeks ago shocked the university. Debates have ensued over artistic freedom, race relations and campus policies. The Student Association and Black Student Union (BSU) strove in the aftermath to provide support for those troubled by the event, like last Wednesday’s open forum. Students at the forum spoke of everything from UB’s response to the signs to race relations on campus. The creation of these discussions and the strong reactions from both BSU and SA provided some reassurance that student leadership took this event seriously. Now UB needs to do their part. It’s clear UB as a university fell gravely short in dealing with the crisis initially. Barbra Ricotta, associate vice president of student affairs, admitted as much at Wednesday’s forum. With reportedly insensitive reactions from University Police dispatchers, no alert being sent out about the signs and President Satish Tripathi taking more than a week to release a statement on the issue, there was failure on many levels. UB seems to be on the path to righting some of its wrongs. Tripathi released a statement to students and Wednesday’s forum included some positive discussion from UB officials, like possible creation of a colored advisory committee to meet with UPD. But now the university needs to
follow through. First, the problems related to UPD come as systemic and widespread. Students said dispatchers downplayed the event when they called about the signs. While UB is investigating the tapes of the dispatcher calls, which is good to hear, it’s alarming to hear dispatchers may not have taken students’ fears seriously. Another troubling development was a student’s claim an officer blamed the signs for not allowing police to respond to an assault on South Campus. UPD should have been able to tend to an assault and what could have been a hate crime at the same time. How many officers are on campus? One black male student also said a UPD officer once asked him if he was even a student when he asked where the library was on South Campus. The issues there are obvious. Another point of criticism lies with the administrations response. No kind of alert was put out, which casts judgment of the administration in doubt. Before it was revealed to be an art project, students had legitimate concerns the signs were a hate crime. Adding onto this uncertainty was Tripathi’s delay in releasing a statement. While the university put out several statements quickly regarding the signs – which we appreciate – students should have heard from their president. CONITNUED ON PAGE 6
who still have white hoods hanging in their closets. These discriminatory remarks come hot on the heels of Trump’s misogynistic and racist comments. Some of his highlights include saying that Mexican immigrants bring “crime... drugs... and [they] are rapists,” and calling debate moderator Megyn Kelly “a bimbo.” And there are more where those came from. What happened to policy matters? What happened to the Bill of Rights? Is the American public really going to tolerate open discrimination? This is isn’t the 1950s. Yet the Republican Party eats up this kind of garbage. Trump and Carson continue to lead polls. At least one Republican candidate has issued a contrary state-
ILLUSTRATION BY JOSHUA BODAH
ment – Carly Fiorina remarked on the importance of religious freedom and tolerance. At least it’s something. The hypocrisy of the Republican Party in protecting Kim Davis on religious grounds and then condemning an entire religion as unfit for office boggles the mind. This is the United States of America. People are certainly entitled to their opinions, but the freedom to state those opinions doesn’t convey protection. Espousing bigoted opinions in the 21st century should be an end to any presidential candidate. The surging of candidates saying such callous statements points to a worrying attitude in our country. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
Pope Francis hits home much-needed message on global warming
CHARLES W SCHAAB
ENVIRONMENTAL COLUMNIST
St. Francis of Assisi once told people to remember when we leave this earth, we can take with us nothing that we have received – only what we have given. The patron saint of animals and ecology understood that our earth remains after we have left it, as does what we have given to the earth. This is something many of us should keep in mind while throwing our Chipotle bags on the ground. This message also seems to have been understood by Pope Francis of the Catholic Church, who has taken St. Francis of Assisi’s namesake. Pope Francis visited the United States this week and met with common citizens and policy makers. He visited the nation’s capital, New York City and Philadelphia. He also stopped by jails and churches and addressed Congress and the United Nations on cultural, economic and ecological issues. The pope’s views on climate change – and the fact he is even discussing it – has pushed some congressmen to speak out against his views and skip his address to Congress on Thursday. Notably, Republican Paul Gosar of Arizona boycotted the pope’s address, saying, “If the pope wants to devote his life to fighting climate change then he can do so in
his personal time. But to promote questionable science as Catholic dogma is ridiculous.” But Gosar also sponsored a bill funding the U.S. Department of the Interior’s geothermal, solar and wind energy projects – so he is at least somewhat conscious of the deteriorating environments we live in. It took some will power – as an environmentalist – to say this, but whether you believe in climate change or not is beside the point. What matters is that we as a nation, and as a human race, can see the harm we are doing to the environment and put an end to it. Pope Francis’ message to Congress was similar: “We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental change we are undergoing, and its human roots, concerns and affects us all.” His message to the U.N. was analogous: “Any harm done to the environment ... is harm done to humanity.” The pope’s message to our nation, and the world, came on the same day that the U.N.’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted. This agenda includes 17 global goals, which look to fight inequality and tackle climate change over the next 15 years. Some of the goals can be considered extreme – ending poverty and hunger. But many, like being more responsible about consumption and production, are attainable if we push our local, national and international governments to head messages such as the pope’s. I hope that the world leaders meeting at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris this December can understand that we need to protect our waterways, fields and air. email: charles.schaab@ubspectrum.com
4 Bending gender with the humanities
FEATURES
Monday, September 28, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
SOPHIA MCKEONE
Humanities Festival explores gender boundaries
STAFF WRITER
Jayme Coxx’s first experience performing in drag was on a dare from a friend 13 years ago. Since then, the practice has gone from something Coxx never thought he would enjoy to something beyond his own amusement. “Of course drag performance is something we all enjoy, but it’s much more than that,” Coxx said. “Gender, female, male, gay, straight aren’t solid words – they blend. Doing this makes us a face and a voice for people who are scared to do things that bend gender.” ‘Gender Bender’ was the theme of the Buffalo Humanities Festival at Buffalo State College this Saturday, where Coxx was one of many performers, artists, academics and writers that attempted to break down common perceptions of gender. The UB Humanities Institute partnered with SUNY Buffalo State, Canisus College, SUNY Fredonia and Niagara University to organize the festival. The keynote speaker was author Jill Lepore, who spoke on her book The Secret History of Wonder Woman the night before the festival at the AlbrightKnox Art Gallery. The book explores gender and femininity through one of the most well known female superheroes and her transcendence of typical female gender roles made the theme seem fitting. According to Erik R. Seeman, history
professor and director of the UB Humanities Institute, there couldn’t have been a better theme for this particular year. “We really got lucky,” Seeman said. “We’re at a moment where talking about this is extremely important. There’s more gender bending things on the news than we could have expected.” The increased awareness of gender issues brings about a need to understand them. Seeman thinks the best way to do this is through the humanities. “History, literature, art … the humanities – they’re all about the belief that nothing is natural, humans create everything,” Seeman said. “Experiencing Gender Bender through the humanities is the perfect alignment because both are based on change and contestation.” Patrons of the festival had opportunities to experience gender bending through the lens of a variety of the humanities. Speakers occupied the SUNY Buffalo State campus, exploring topics from Cyrano De Bergerac to #BlackGirlsMatter. A viewing room played seven short films on a loop for the entire duration of the festival. These films ranged from topics of female filmmakers to Native American beliefs on femininity and masculinity. Mahathi Gottumukkala, a junior economics and English major at UB, came to the festival looking forward to a performance and discussion exploring gender through Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
“I took a seminar on Twelfth Night so I love the play,” Gottumukkala said. “And [gender] is an important theme.” The play was written at a time where all actors were male – men portrayed women. This portion of the humanities festival explored how variations in the genders of those who play the roles in Twelfth Night today affect the play and the actors’ craft. There was a performance of a scene with genders matching the actual text: two females playing two females. This was followed with two men portraying these same female roles. Chris Hatch, an actor who played the character of Orsino in Delaware Park’s production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night this past summer, played the character of Olivia in the second performance. At first it was not easy for Hatch to play a woman. “I was very concerned in the beginning with not feeding any stereotypes of women,” Hatch said. “Anything I did felt like it could be seen as stereotypical so I had a sort of block. Finally I realized that she was a character … and that I needed to play this character like any other character.” Jordan Louis Fischer, the actor who played the character of Viola both in this summer’s Shakespeare in the Park and the second performance at the festival, described a similar hardship he has noticed in straight men trying to play the role of gay men.
Climbing the ranks DOUGLAS LEVERE, UB NEWS CENTER
Students walk down the Academic Spine on UB’s North Campus. UB is ranked No. 99 for national schools and No. 45 for public schools in U.S. News and World Report’s annual National Universities and Public Universities rankings.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“We have very strong students and very strong academic programs,” Zukoski said. “Our students graduate and are successful. We’re an exceptional institution and we need to be proud of it.” UB is in the process of revamping a number of programs and initiatives across campus with its UB 2020 plan. It also has a brand new general education program in the works. UB 2020’s focus areas involve investing in stronger faculty from across the globe and a brand new downtown campus, which includes the newly named Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Projects are ongoing, including the highly anticipated reopening of the Oscar A. Silverman Library in Capen Hall. U.S. News notes there are plenty of intangible things that can make a univer-
sity great but prides itself on providing measurable information for families concerned with finding the best academic value for their money, according to its website. Indicators include the freshman retention rate, student-faculty ratio, acceptance rates, SAT/ACT scores, financial resources and a rating out of five by high school guidance counselors across the country. Each factor is assigned a weight that reflects U.S. News’ judgment about how much important that measure is. The colleges and universities in each category are then ranked against their peers, based on their composite weighted score. The methodology of different indicators changes every year, according to Zukoski. Most schools have identical statistics every year so U.S. News has to improvise to see a shift in the rankings, he said.
If there is no shift in the ranking, nobody will buy its magazines and online resources. Still, some students across campus have pride in and welcome this new high ranking. “Being ranked in the top 50 by the U.S. News is great for our school [because] it helps the school become more recognized for its academic excellence,” said Harris Marshall, a sophomore accounting major. Some students believe there is still work to be done. Olivia Demian, a senior communication major, said she thinks the ranking system is “progressive,” but that UB still needs work. email: news@ubspectrum.com
COURTESY OF BUFFALO HUMANITIES
Author Jill Lepore spoke on her book The Secret History of Wonder Woman the night before the Humanities Festival at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
“There is such a stigma for straight guys around playing gay characters,” Fischer said. “They’re like, ‘Oh no I can’t play a gay guy,’ but they have to realize it isn’t about playing a gay man – it’s about playing a human being.” email: features@ubspectrum.com
Banned Books Week looks to recognize controversial works of literature CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Anna Spring, a freshman environmental engineering major, criticized the rationalization for censorship. “These [books] exist,” Spring said. “Whoever made it did so with the intention that people would see it, and they did so for a reason. To label anything as ‘universally offensive’ is ridiculous.” Brenna Zanghi, a freshman English major and a former page at her local library, said people would often complain about the content of the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, which chronicles a high-school girl’s journey to accepting that a fellow student raped her at a party. After explaining that it’s public material and that no individual has the right to remove it, it would coincidentally be marked missing that same day, Zanghi said. Zanghi said library displays had to be clear of any references to religion, curse words or intense material, or they would be stolen. “When people think of censorship, they think of a huge group entirely separate from themselves or the government, but attempts at censorship are alive, going on in everyday life,” Zanghi said. Speak can be found at UB’s banned book display. The display is considered to be part of a usable collection of books that will help to open students’ eyes to the resources available in the library, according to Taddeo. She said Lockwood is not just a space to sit at the computer. There will be a will be a “Read Out” for students to read books from the display on Monday, Sept. 28, at 3 p.m. email: news@ubspectrum.com
October 2130 and September & 22 October 1 • 9am-3pm October223 and 24 October • 9am-3pm
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Splitting Light THE SPECTRUM
Exhibition in Center for the Arts examines the idea and structure of color BRIAN WINDSCHITL SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
At the very back of the first floor UB Art Gallery, Amanda Browder’s piece “Prismatic Illusions” covers the wall with a crisscrossing of 30-foot high, hand-sewn patches of multi-colored fabric. Around the corner, Gabriel Dawe’s installation “Gateway” hangs from the ceiling, an assortment of thousands of yellow, orange, red, violet and purple strands that looks like a shimmering curtain of color across the room. And another few feet away, John Knuth’s “Stellar Dispersion” installation hangs on the wall – four panels of dotted blacks, whites, blues, browns and reds created by the residue left from flies and other insects. Browder, Dawe and Knuth are three of the 10 artists whose work premiered in UB’s Art Gallery in the Center for the Arts on Thursday night in the exhibit Splitting Light. Rachel Adams, associate curator of the University Art Gallery, curated the exhibit, centering the show on how color is used as an idea, inspiration and theme through different mediums and artists. Alejandra Cisneros, a sophomore English and psychology major, said some of the installations in the exhibit used color in ways she had never seen before. “Many things I’ve seen in here hanging up I’ve never seen put into images before – the fly wall, I’ve never seen flies used that way before” she said. “It’s interesting and incredible to see how people interpret color so differently.” Cisneros said her favorite artist in the exhibit was that of Hap Tivey. Tivey’s three pieces “Mahakala, Red Again,” “Shadow Is the Color of My Mind” and “Wavelength of Speech” projected on the walls in a darkened room in the gallery, filling the room with swirling spots of red and blue light. Of the 10 artists, only four were able to make the show – Shiva Aliabadi, Amanda Browder, Erin Curtis and Tivey. Shiva Aliabadi’s pieces “Traces III” and “Yield II” were some of the most eyecatching exhibits, placed right in the middle of the gallery. “Traces III” was a three line smear of bright powder, starting on the wall and continuing on the ground. “Yield II”
BRIAN WINDSCHITL SENIOR ARTS EDITOR The McLovins walked onstage at 11 p.m. without saying a word. Silently, the band picked up its instruments and started playing, their heads nodding in unison. Halfway through the first song at the Waiting Room, the crowd was already dancing to the beat. The McLovins, humorously named after Christopher Mintz-Plasse’s character’s fake ID name in Superbad, is a four-piece outfit from Hartford, Connecticut. Jake Huffman plays drums and serves as lead singer, Jason Ott is the bass guitarist, Justin Berger is the lead guitarist and Atticus Kelly is the keyboardist. The band kicked off its 30-show tour Sep. 11, promoting its new album, which has a release date of Oct. 5. On Saturday, the band returned for its second performance in the Queen City at the Waiting Room. The McLovins, usually labeled as a jam band, showed off an impressive amount of diversity in its show, with hints of influences from funk, rock, soul, blues and bluegrass. The band’s strengths were in its diversity and spontaneity. “We’re gonna hit you with a little funk,” Huffman said before tearing off into a hard rock song with searing guitar riffs. The McLovins could go from a soft power ballade to a song filled with jazzy keyboard and guitar solos into a hard rock jam session. The band performed many songs off its new album, including “Hit It Quit It,” “H.T.L.” and “Regulars” as well as some of their older music like “Catch the Ball” and “Funk. No. 1.” The majority of the crowd, despite not
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Monday, September 28, 2015
HUY DUC PHAM, THE SPECTRUM
The Splitting Light exhibit opened at the Center for the Arts first floor Gallery on Thursday. The exhibit’s theme is the manipulation and construction of color and each installation deals with this theme in a different way. From 30-foot high, stitched together flags to shimmering copper bricks, the installations will available to see in the gallery until January.
was a composition of copper squares covering a wall, constantly flashing as they reflected light. “You never know how your work is going to be received in a show,” Aliabadi said. “I used to worry about it, but whatever happens, happens.” Adams said this was the first show she has curated for the university and was ecstatic about how everything in the exhibit coalesced so well – from the artists’ installations to the artists themselves. “When you do a big group show like this with a lot of work, the most satisfying thing is seeing all connections that happen when it all comes together,” she said. “Not just the theme, but even how the artists compose and design their pieces.” Adams said she had been working on this exhibit for quite some time now. The theme of color and its manipulations, she said, she had wanted to pursue ever since 2012. Erin Curtis was one of the first artists invited to participate in the exhibit. Curtis’s piece “Lost Landscape” turns the windows of the gallery’s entrance into panels of sharp, shifting browns and blues using PhotoTex, contact paper and vinyl – mediums Curtis said she had never used before. “I feel most connected to the larger world when I’m creating,” Curtis said. “I knew when [Adams] asked me if I was interested that I would make a piece. I love engaging with color in a different way than usual. Browder’s installation “Prismatic Illusions” used her ideas of color to create a piece that reflects the local community. Her installation used different segments of fabric donated by the community of Buffalo. Browner also held a “public sewing day” where different schools and members of the Buffalo community came to help her sew her enormous fabric triangles together. Initially, Browder’s piece premiered at the
Anderson Gallery for five days hung outside of the building. Now, Browder’s piece has a permanent home, set to feature in the exhibit until January. “I wanted to let people come together and try and fail together,” she said. “There is a culture in art that says, ‘Don’t touch, just look.’ I wanted to try and break the norms of art – to make it very hands on.” Browder said one of the students from a local high school actually came to the opening of the exhibit to see the work in action. “The best part of this is seeing people from sewing day come back,” Browner said. “The project will always be site-specific – the fabric was donated from Buffalo, it was
The McLovins: a jam-band at heart
Progressive rock band The McLovins performs at the Waiting Room Saturday
BRIAN WINDSCHITL, THE SPECTRUM
The McLovins played in Buffalo on Saturday night on the second floor of the Waiting Room. The rock band showed off its softer side with a night full of soul and funk songs - with keyboard, drum and guitar solos abound.
knowing The McLovins before coming out, would give a loud cheer after every song. Most audience members danced wildly, a mix of flailing arms, bobbing heads and body shimmying. Mark Murphy and Alexandra Lugo, 26, from Buffalo and Rochester, respectively,
said it was the first time they had seen The McLovins despite having been fans for many years. Murphy first heard The McLovins on YouTube – the band released a cover of Phish’s “You Enjoy Myself,” which has more than 240,000 views, in 2008. Murphy
made by the Buffalo community.” The exhibit was open to all, UB students and locals alike. Barbara Rohrer, a former art teacher from Tonawanda, said the theme of color was what really piqued her curiosity. “The different fiber pieces, strong color and textual qualities of the exhibit really caught my eye,” she said. “I really appreciate the fact that the university opens it up the community.” The Splitting Light exhibition will be open at UB’s Art Gallery at the CFA from Sept. 24 to Jan. 10. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
said that video was really was made him interested in the band. “They exceeded expectations with their high-energy sound,” Murphy said. “Their sound was great and I love seeing the crowd get so into a show.” The Waiting Room venue made for an ideal intimate show. The crowd, about 40 or 50 people, remained high-energy for the entire McLovins set, despite having already seen two opening acts, Imperial Brown and Squid Parade. Its jam band roots were evident – almost every song included a winding instrumental or solo. The band made the quick genre switches, from funk to rock to blues and back again, feel natural the entire evening – an ode to its influence by Phish, a jam band that is well-known for its hundreds of cover songs. Zach Westbrook, one of the guitarists in Squid Parade, said his band had also played with The McLovins for their Rochester show the night before. “I loved their set – their sound is clean,” Westbrook said. “We got to hear them last night too its been great to tour with them.” The band kept up a steady stream of songs until 1 a.m., ending a 5-hour long evening for concertgoers who arrived at 8 p.m. to see the opening acts. Walker Gosrich and Javier Yu, both sophomore mechanical engineering majors at UB, arrived right when the first band started playing. They said they wanted to just get off campus and do something on a Saturday night. “What better than a concert?” Gosrich said. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
6Gridiron
FEATURES
Monday, September 28, 2015
report card
The Grapevine Your weekly collection of Buffalo’s sonic selections BRIAN WINDSCHITL SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
Although he only accumulated two assisted tackles in the first half, Gilbo went on an absolute tear in the second, as he racked up four solo tackles, six assisted tackles and a sack. All the linebackers were good in coverage whenever they were 1-on-1.
Secondary: A The Bulls’ secondary held Stewart to a mere 90 passing yards on the day. Stewart didn’t have to pass much due to the strength of the Wolf Pack’s running game, but Buffalo’s secondary still held its own as it didn’t allow a single passing play of more than 20 yards. Junior cornerback Boise Ross had three total tackles and four pass breakups on the day. His pass breakup total is now at 10 on the season.
Special teams: A It’s been one of the most consistent units on the team this year, but Saturday’s game against Nevada exceeded all expectations. Senior punter Tyler Grassman continued his great plays as three of his five punts pinned Nevada inside their own 20. Freshman kicker Adam Mitcheson made both of his field goals, including a career-high 43 yarder.
Coaching: B Head coach Lance Leipold did a good job on the day, but could have made better decisions in the crunch time of the matchup. Although he was overly conservative on long yardage situations, we still give Leipold credit for sticking with the running game in second half after a dismal 37 rushing yards in the first half. Overall clock and timeout management led to the Bulls having a chance to win late in the game. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
From chillwave pioneer Toro Y Moi to up-and-coming EDM legend Flux Pavilion, there is so much to choose from in Buffalo this week. Monday, Sept. 28 Flux Pavilion – Town Ballroom Joshua Kierkegaard G. Steele is best known for his DJ name: Flux Pavilion. Since 2008, the DJ has headlined three United States tours, two UK tours and several highprofile music festivals around the world, including Glastonbury, Reading and Coachella. He is standing at the top of the dubstep and electronic dance music world, having been around since the EDM boom during the late 2000s. His show will be loud and hard – Steele isn’t new to this. The Internet – Waiting Room The Internet is a soul band created by old OFWGKTA members Syd the Kyd and Matt Martians. Syd, the mastermind behind a majority of Odd Future’s in-house production, has finally stepped into the limelight as a singer and songwriter. The band’s most recent album, Ego Death, is all about being torn between, and from, love, life and death. The experimental jazz and trip-hop group will be performing at the Waiting Room Monday. Come out, groove and get funky with The Internet if you don’t want to head mash at Flux Pavilion. Tuesday, Sept. 29 Toro Y Moi – Waiting Room Toro Y Moi first gained attention when Kanye West recommended him in his blog in 2009. Since then, Toro Y Moi has spearheaded an entire new genre of music with his heavy use of effects processing, synthesizers, looping and sampling, dubbed chillwave. Chillwave has influenced the birth of bands like Washed Out and Neon Indian. Most recently, Toro Y Moi released a surprise mixtape, Samantha, just months after his release of What For? The avant-garde musician’s shows are always groovy, funky and weird - in a good way. Wednesday, Sept. 30 Tail Light Rebellion –
The Treehouse Imagine a band that combined folk and punk rock. That’s Tail Light Rebellion. The brainchild of former Growlers member Jonny Swagger, Tail Light Rebellion is a one-off act with just a cajon, guitar and harmonica. With a pure-hearted folk spirit and a punk rock roots, Tail Light Rebellion’s brand of genre-bending folk will be coming to The Treehouse on Wednesday. Thursday, Oct. 1 Lower Dens – Mohawk Place Hailing from Baltimore, Lower Dens is an indie pop band on tour following the release of its third studio album, Escape from Evil. Lower Dens, like many pop bands, draws heavily from ’80s pop – the bubbly guitar, basslines and keyboard is unabashedly an anthem to the late, synthed-out, playful style. The band is known for its diverse and ambiguous lyrics about emotion, gender and nostalgia. And now, finally receiving widespread acclaim from their third album, the band is looking to add to its quickly growing fan base in its visit to Buffalo. Friday, Oct. 2 Timeflies – Town Ballroom New York City band Timeflies is a cover band known for its free-styling, free-flowing live acts. The band will cover pop, hip-hop and dance tracks, as well as tracks from their three studio albums: The Scotch Tape, After Hours and Just for Fun. Its shows are goofy and off-the-cuff performances from musicians who are genuinely trying to have as much fun onstage as possible. Saturday, Oct. 3 KC and the Sunshine Band – UB Stadium KC and the Sunshine Band is a musical group from Hialeah, Florida known for their disco, funk and R&B hits in the ’70s such as “Get Down Tonight” and “That’s The Way (I Like It).” The Grammy-award winning legendary musical group will be bringing their funk to University at Buffalo’s stadium on Saturday. Don’t miss the change to see “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty” live.
THE SPECTRUM
Students have spoken – now UB needs to listen CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
Listening to students at the forum, it was clear they wanted to hear from their president. It should not have taken more than a week for students to get that. The delay and confusion makes it seem a day late and a dollar short. Finally, the question of Ashley Powell, the student who hung the signs, must be addressed. Clearly there needs to be repercussions and public ones at that. The university has condemned what happened and stated that the rules were violated in posting such signs. Now it needs to take some action to back up their words, or students will completely lose faith in the administration. While we don’t feel Powell’s opportunity to get an education here should be taken away, there has to be some repercussion for her, her professors or anyone who had knowledge of her project. Black students clearly feel that UB is divided along racial lines. One student at the forum pointed out how most of the attendees were not white. Another student said he’s trying to reinstate an NAACP chapter at UB. The calls for diversity training for faculty, in addition to the diversity classes planned for the general education program, seems much more reasonable if these kinds of attitudes are prevalent on campus. The campus needs to move quickly, decisively and publicly in its efforts to reassure present and future minority students. Otherwise, UB might not be viewed as a welcome school for minority students anymore.
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THE SPECTRUM
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FINAL GAME INFO
QUENTIN HAYNES SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
The evolution of the slot receiver has changed during the last decade. It used to be a position manned by fast receivers who can break a defense, like former New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker. Today’s era of slot receivers are more polished route-runners, who can act like a second tight end on the inside for the quarterback such as the Green Bay Packers’ Randall Cobb. But on Saturday, the Buffalo football team witnessed the emergence of its own goto slot receiver in Collin Lisa, a player who matches the quickness of Welker and the explosiveness of Cobb on a scaled-down version. And that combination only gives senior quarterback Joe Licata more options. After being lost in the shuffle for the first few weeks, Lisa shined against Nevada as he finished a career-high four catches and a 5-yard touchdown reception – the first of his college career. His score came late in the fourth quarter and cut Nevada’s lead to just three with just 8:06 left to play. “Last week, it wasn’t hitting at all, but coming into this week it was working in practice and I knew some of the work was coming to me, so I was ready,” Lisa said. Despite the 24-21 loss, Lisa’s performance caught the eye of head coach Lance Leipold, who said he was “pleased” with the sophomore’s performance. “Collin probably played his best game out there today,” Leipold said. “We have so many talented receivers that we often switch guys in and out to keep them fresh. But with Collin, he made big plays out there, he played tough and certainly showed some things out there to be impressed by.” The touchdown connection between Lisa and Licata was simple but calculated. Licata called a quick out play with Lisa running five yards and turning back. It was a simple play, but executed perfectly. That play is all about
Call on Collin
Collin Lisa has emerged as viable and trustworthy slot receiver for the Bulls
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Sophomore wide receiver Collin Lisa awaits a punt against Nevada. After transferring from University of Alabama at Birmingham, Lisa has 12 catches and a touchdown in four games.
the timing between quarterback and receiver. If one or the other doesn’t fulfill their part of the play, a catastrophe could have happened. But they didn’t let that happen, even though their chemistry is still a work in progress. “It’s been a play we’ve been practicing,” Lisa said. “We couldn’t hit it at all last week but we kept working on it. We saw the coverage out there and the way they were defending, I knew that Joe [Licata] would hit me with a quick one.” A transfer from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Lisa joined the Bulls
after the program temporarily shutdown. The program has since returned, but Lisa was already in Buffalo. He faced an uphill climb at the receiver position. Seniors Ron Willoughby and Marcus McGill were penciled in as the starters on the outside, while sophomore Jacob Martinez had an impressive freshman season in the slot. That didn’t stop Lisa. He worked to show his ability to thrive as an inside receiver as he made big play after big play in practice and showed off his crisp route-running skills. During spring practice, it was Lisa’s “refined work” that was most impressive about his skill set. He was already a good receiver but he fine-tuned his game enough to gain trust in Licata. That strive eventually paid off as he found himself in the starting lineup in the season opener against Albany. He was finally able to put his skills to work on the field. “We have a great relationship,” Lisa said about Licata. “We threw a lot over the sum-
mer. We were out there all the time, just running routes and figuring out timing.” Lisa’s play has been one of the constants on the Bulls offense. So far, Lisa ranks third on the roster in catches (12) and his one touchdown on the year is tied with three players including Willoughby and tight end Matt Weiser – the No. 1 and 2 options in the passing offense. But where Lisa has really helped is third down. Against the Wolf Pack, Lisa caught three passes on third down, including a thirdand-6 catch which led to his touchdown four plays later. As a slot receiver, third down is the most critical portion of the drive. It’s a moment where they’re trusted by the quarterback to make that key catch. Lisa accepts his role and even enjoys it, but knows how important getting that first down is. He just puts his head down and simply “get past the sticks.” “Third down isn’t just another down,” Lisa said. “Once you get to the marker, you can make all the plays you want, but you have to get the first down first.” Heading into Mid-American Conference play, the Bulls have shown flashes of the multiple pro-style offense thriving. The running game of senior Anthone Taylor and junior Jordan Johnson gives Buffalo a productive duo, capable of carrying the offense. Licata has spread the ball around and found five different players for touchdowns this season. But the Bulls will have moments where they’re down to third down and will need someone to get that first down, whether to ice the game or keep the drive alive. After numerous big catches against Nevada, Lisa has moved from a question mark to one of the more reliable targets for Licata. During the summer, he didn’t even know if he’d see the field this season. Now he’s not only starting, but he’s on his way to becoming Licata’s new favorite target. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Gridiron report card Bulls fall 24-21 to Nevada with turnovers, sloppy play ROMULO ROMERO STAFF WRITER
The football team (2-2) fell to Nevada (2-2) 24-21 Saturday at UB Stadium in the team’s final game before Mid-American Conference play. Here’s how our sports staff graded the Bulls’ performance.
Quarterbacks: BSenior quarterback Joe Licata would have received an ‘A’ if he hadn’t thrown two interceptions. He completed 28 of 46 passes for 338 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. His first pick came off of an overthrown deep ball that was picked off by Nevada’s Daemon Baber inside the end zone. His second interception came on Buffalo’s last offensive play of the game as he tried to bail Buffalo out of a 4th and 15. Licata managed the game very well and when it came down to make a play, he made it – for the most part.
Running backs: C
The running game was a tale of two halves for the Bulls. In the first half, running backs Jordan Johnson and Anthone Taylor amassed a total of 37 yards combined, mostly due to excellent tackling by Nevada defenders. Buffalo then rushed for 112 yards in the second half. Johnson’s costly fumble late in the fourth quarter stopped momentum that ultimately could have led to a score.
Receivers and tight ends: A What a day to be on the receiving core. Seniors Matt Weiser and Ron Willoughby amassed a total of 253 receiving yards. It was a career day for Weiser as the tight end caught 10 passes for 131 yards and a score en route to the best single game for a tight end in Buffalo’s Division-I history. S o p h o more wide receiver Collin Lisa was “Mr. Reliable” as he caught four passes for 51 yards and a score. Lisa also caught two of his four receptions on critical third down plays.
Offensive line: C Inconsistent is the word to describe the Bulls’ offensive line. Every time the unit took a step forward, it took two steps back. Licata was under constant pressure because the line kept getting beat off of the snap, which led to Licata being sacked twice. The Buffalo running game was virtually non-existent in the first half as
the Wolf Pack defenders blew up nearly every rushing hole. When the line did block well, however, Licata had time to look deep and make several big plays that almost affected the final outcome of the game.
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Senior quarterback Joe Licata is hit by Nevada’s Lenny Jones in Saturday’s 24-21 loss.
Defensive line: F Nevada had 289 yards rushing on the day, 202 of those yards coming in the first half. It seemed as though the Buffalo defensive line was basically invisible when it came to run defense. Nevada’s offensive line simply swallowed them up. The D-line failed to bring any pressure to Nevada quarterback Tyler Stewart. The Bulls did hold the Wolf Pack to 87 yards rushing in the second half, but still al-
lowed untimely runs en route to their second loss of the season.
Linebackers: A Three Bulls linebackers had career days. Seniors Okezie Alozie (12), Nick Gilbo (12) and junior Brandon Berry (13) all finished with career-highs in tackles. Gilbo, in particular, stood out the most. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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