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ubspectrum.com
monday, october 19, 2015
Volume 65 No. 21
SA senator alleges election violations against e-board
SA engulfed in controversy over senate chair election EDITOR IN CHIEF
A Student Association senator has accused SA executive board members of illegally manipulating last week’s election in an attempt to put their candidate into office. Yaser Soliman, who says he was cheated out of a win in Wednesday’s senate chair election, has retained an attorney and submitted a five-page letter to SA officials Thursday night outlining his complaints. In the letter, he accuses SA President Minahil Khan of violating the SA’s constitution and bylaws in order to prevent him from winning the election for senate chair, which is a paid position. The accusations have mired the entire SA in controversy and have pushed Dillon Smith, the candidate elected senate chair under murky circumstances, to announce that he will resign the position at the next senate meeting to allow for a new election. Soliman insists that’s not enough. He says SA is so flawed and so devoid of integrity that it would be impossible for it to hold a fair election. He announced his resignation from the senate in a letter to The Spectrum. “The level of violations and unethical conduct in this matter is truly perplexing,” Soliman, who served as senate chair in a temporary role during the summer, said in his statement. “Due to the continued violations and steps taken to keep me from being re-elected chairman, I have no choice but to resign.” Soliman declined a formal interview with The Spectrum. He said that decision was on the advice of his attorney. Khan’s actions, some of which go against the SA constitution and bylaws, during Wednesday night’s senate meeting include: not allowing a tardy senator to vote, making a tie-breaking vote herself, holding the election without the elections and credentials (E&C) chairperson, using Vice President Sean Kaczmarek as a witness to count ballots and offering the candidates to conceal how she decided the election from the senate. SA elections are intended to comply with federal, state and local laws as well as
SUNY and SA rules. SA controls a budget to follow the constitution,” said Carl Ross, a of around $4 million through a mandatory senator who also ran for chair and received student activity fee. one vote, in a written statement to The SpecThe controversy began when Khan told trum. Senator Joe Jessee that he could not vote in Other senators simply want to move past the election because he had missed the first the matter and attend to clubs’ needs. few minutes of Smith’s campaign speech. SA Admin Director Mark RP Sorel, who Neither the SA constitution nor the by- has worked in SA for more than 30 years, laws state that a senator cannot vote if he said student complaints about election irregor she is late. ularities are nothing new. When asked if he’s Jessee told The Spectrum an hour after the seen anything similar to this new controverelection that he had planned to vote for So- sy, he replied, “constantly.” liman, which would have given Soliman “People interpret things for their own eight votes and Smith seven votes. Instead, way after they happen and scrutinize inconthe vote came out a 7-7 tie and Khan – after sistencies so they can benefit from them,” consulting with SA professional staff – cast- Sorel said speaking generally of complaints. ed a vote for Smith and declared him the “I see it all the time after somebody loses an winner. election, people jump right in and Khan denies any say this is wrong malicious intent or because this, this, that she rigged the this and this.” election. She said she followed past SA members precedent and that both past and any procedural erpresent have varyrors were honest ing opinions on mistakes. what this latest controversy and a “I would nevpotential lawsuit er want that to be could mean for mixed up with any the organization. sort of malice or in– Senator Yaser Soliman tentions,” Khan told One senator The Spectrum. “I don’t said she doesn’t want to start off the think the controsenate membership of the year with any- versy needs to “tear down the Student Asbody having any kind of questions or lack sociation” but that it would be fair to folof trust in me … I can genuinely 100 per- low the rules. Another senator said it would cent tell you there was no vindictive action be good to “humble” the e-board and reon my part.” mind them they can’t “sweep things under The Spectrum spoke with more than half of the rug.” the 12 newly-elected senators, some who alTravis Nemmer, the 2012-13 SA presilowed their names to be printed and others dent who The Spectrum reached out to for who would not. They described this year’s historical context, said it’s unlikely Soliman senate as a place of division, conflict, unrest will actually sue SA. and confusion and where students are un“No one follows through [with lawsuits sure of their roles or of protocol. for SA matters] because … it’s alienating, Some said they don’t trust the e-board. and lawyers are expensive,” he said. “The school’s had issues with SA in the The Spectrum attended Wednesday’s chair past with corruption and we may have an- election and watched the events unfold. other corrupted e-board with them fixing As candidates began to cast ballots, Khan the vote, if they did,” a senator said. approached Jessee and told him he counOthers reiterated their faith in Khan. ld not vote because he had missed part of “I believe she did everything in her power Smith’s speech.
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I have lost complete faith in the integrity of the SA.
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TOM DINKI
PHOTOS BY JULIA TIMERSON, THE SPECTRUM
(LEFT) SA President Minahil Khan (left) speaks with Vice President Sean Kaczmarek (right) during Wednesday’s senate chair election. SA Senator Yaser Soliman is accusing Khan of rigging the election to prevent him from becoming chair. (RIGHT) Newly elected Senate Chair Dillon Smith (standing far left) shakes hands with fellow candidate Carl Ross (middle) after winning the election, as losing candidate Yaser Soliman (far right) looks on in dismay. Soliman is challenging the results of the election.
“You can’t take away a person’s vote just because they didn’t listen to both sides,” said Senator Suzan Akpinar. SA officials admit nothing about this appears in writing, but Khan said it’s standard practice in SA not to allow people who come in late and miss speeches to vote. It’s not fair to the candidates, she said. Experienced SA members both past and present confirmed to The Spectrum that this is common SA practice. “[Jessee] didn’t have all of the facts,” said Alexis Ogra, a senator who supports Khan’s decision. Many other senators insist hearing Smith’s speech wouldn’t have changed Jessee’s vote as students know before the speeches what each candidate stands for. Jessee and Soliman are friends and both members of the Organization of Arab Students. Akpinar said, especially considering almost all of the senators ran on the same party, “we definitely knew what [the other senators] stood for before coming into that meeting. We were not blind to people’s objectives.” One senator said, “It’s not like Joe missed much of Dillon’s speech, he missed, ‘Hi my name is Dillon, here’s my résumé.’” Although Jessee arrived just several minutes into the senate meeting, he was showing up roughly 40 minutes later than he was supposed to be, according to emails obtained by The Spectrum. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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A breakdown of recent SA election scandals
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Statements from SA President Minahil Khan and Senator Yaser Soliman
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Comedian David Sedaris comes to UB
2 Breakdown of past SA election scandals
NEWS
Monday, October 19, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
Organization has had a history of election controversies GABRIELA JULIA SENIOR NEWS EDITOR In the past, the Student Association has made headlines for controversies including resignations and allegations that range from fraudulent spending to harassment. Some of the scandals lie within the SA’s election processes. The recent Senate Chair election controversy is nothing out of the ordinary for SA. Here is a breakdown of recent SA election scandals. Senate candidate claims election was unfair In October 2013, Elad Eliahu lost a Senate seat by 33 votes and said the election was “a failure” on SA’s part. Eliahu ran independently for one of the six on-campus senator positions and lost to six HOUSE (Honoring Our Undergrad Student Expenses) Party candidates. Eliahu claimed the party harassed him in the Student Union while he campaigned and also said a HOUSE party member walked a student into the voting room, which is a violation of election regulations. In total, he filed about 10 complaints to Student Wide Judiciary (SWJ), which then penalized the HOUSE party by taking away an hour off of election floor time. Eliahu said if SWJ penalized the HOUSE party sooner, it would have led to different results in the election. He said SWJ wasn’t “competent” and they “didn’t do their jobs.” SA president accused of unethically swaying voters SA Treasurer Justin Neuwirt accused SA President Travis Nemmer of leaking debate
questions to candidates, having someone secretly record finance meetings and giving the recording to SA clubs to sway votes in the 2013 SA general election. Neuwirt said all of the members of the Elections and Credentials (E&C) committee had ties to Nick Johns, the Spirit presidential candidate who went on to win. Nemmer said this was false. E&C Chair Raphew Fahm and E&C committee member Theresa Cervantes appointed Meghan McMonagle, who was involved in the $300,000 mobile app scandal as SA vice president the year before, to the committee. Neuwirt also said Nemmer acted as a proxy and broke the tie for the People of Color Council’s ticket endorsement to chose Johns. He also said Nemmer often proxied for Senate, which Neuwirst said was unethical. Johns resigned as SA president less than one month into the 2013-14 school year. SA treasurer candidate claims he was treated unfairly during election SA independent treasurer candidate Ali Ahmed said he was treated unfairly throughout the 2014 general election process. Ahmed lost to Sade Cadle. He said various SA members “hindered his ability to effectively campaign” and the SA election system “is a popularity contest.” Ahmed received 155 votes while his opponents Cadle and Juan Jimenez received 1,021 and 965 respectively. Before the election, then-SA President Sam McMahon sent an email to all SA eboards with the two party’s platforms. Ahmed wasn’t listed as a candidate and his
SPECTRUM FILE PHOTOS
(TOP) In 2013, former SA Treasurer Justin Neuwirt (left) accused former SA President Travis Nemmer (right) of swaying voters to get Nick Johns elected president. (RIGHT) In 2014, SA treasurer candidate Ali Ahmed (pictured) said he was treated unfairly throughout the election process. Ahmed ran independently and said he was ignored during the election.
platform was not addressed. Ahmed said former Assembly Speaker Melissa Kathan invited him to speak about his platform at an Assembly meeting last minute. Kathan said she was unaware Ahmed was a candidate until James Ingram, who would go on to win the presidential race, told her Ahmed was not on the list. Ahmed also said the election was inval-
id because it took place seven weeks before the end of the semester when the SA Constitution states “elections of officers shall take place no earlier than six weeks before the last day of classes.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
OPINION THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Tom Dinki
Monday, October 19, 2015
MANAGING EDITOR
Yaser Soliman resigns
Alyssa McClure 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 Tomas Olivier, 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
Editor’s note: Yaser Soliman sent this statement announcing his resignation to The Spectrum. It has not been changed in any way. The actions of the SA President on the evening of October 14, 2015 took away the position of Chairman of the Senate from me and changed the outcome of the election. On the morning of October 15, 2015 I had a meeting with Mr. Sorel and Ms. Johnson in which I detailed the grave violations committed and tried to resolve the matter fairly. I asked the SA to resolve this professionally as any Board-of-Elections would handle it, however, they refused to strike the unconstitutional ballot and introduce the suppressed ballot. I submitted a letter attached through email on October 15, 2015 officially notifying the SA of the numerous violations. Other than an email confirming the receipt of the letter, I have not heard anything back. I was astonished to see Mr. Smith officially given the office of Chairman of the Senate despite the blatantly grave violations and
procedural errors which changed the outcome of the election. He has been in official collaboration with the SA attorney and other SA employees regarding official Senate Chair business. He scheduled the next meeting for October 21, 2015 at 5:30 p.m. and set the agenda, which includes his resignation and “Reelection for Chair”. I made it known that I am not available on October 21st , but Mr. Smith is still moving forward with
JULIA TIMERSON, THE SPECTRUM
it. It is very unsettling that I heard about the news of another Chairman election from Mr. Smith’s agenda and that he is setting the terms and date of the election regardless of my availability. Furthermore, it was very concerning to find out from the Elections and Credentials Chair whom governs over all elections and reviews all complaints that he has
been kept in the dark about what’s going on and hasn’t even received a copy of my letter. In the midst of all this, members of the SA continue to slander me heavily and take steps to ensure that I won’t be re-elected Chairman of the Senate. The level of violations and unethical conduct in this matter is truly perplexing. In light of these events, I have lost complete faith in the integrity of the SA. Due to the continued violations and steps taken to keep me from being re-elected Chairman, I have no choice but to resign. It absolutely devastates me that I have to walk away from the ticket that I handpicked, but I have been left with no other alternative. It is with regret that I announce this, however, effective immediately I resign from the Senate. I have maintained and will continue to maintain impeccable integrity as I move forward. I wish the best for the SA Senate.
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER
Nicole Dominguez Lee Stoeckel, Asst. Zach Hilderbrandt, Asst.
Statement from SA President Minahil Khan
ADVERTISING DESIGNER
Derek Hosken
Editor’s note: SA President Minahil Khan submitted this letter to The Spectrum. It has not been changed in any way. Comment on SA Senate, Wednesday October 16th from Minahil Khan I apologize for any procedural error that took place at the SA Senate meeting on Wednesday October 14th. I was acting on precedent that I have seen during my time in SA and my understanding of the proper procedures. I can genuinely say that any procedural error was an honest mistake and had absolutely no vindictive motivation. I have had limited interaction with all three
THE SPECTRUM Monday, October 19, 2015 Volume 65 Number 21 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.
of the candidates that ran for the Senate Chair election and have no reason to favor any one of them over the other. I am looking forward to working with all of the senators to help resolve this matter and have a productive year. Unfortunately, no one can reverse the actions that took place last Wednesday but it is important that we continue moving forward. As your President, the best I can do in this situation is be honest and help explain my decisions. I encourage any who has any further questions or concerns to email me at minahilk@buffalo. edu.
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 SPECTRUM FILE PHOTO
Statement from Senator Carl Ross Editor’s note: SA Senator Carl Ross submitted this statement to Spectrum Editor in Chief Tom Dinki. It has not been changed in any way. Hello Tom, When I ran for the position of Chairperson of the Senate, I believed that the best candidates was asked to step up to the position and even though I lost, horribly I might add, I would do it again. Now with the issue of the Senate Chair Election, of course, it would have been nice to have the Elections and Credentials Chair to be there but with the time constraints that was placed upon our President, I feel that Ms. Minahil Khan made every effort to get in touch with Mr. Anthony Field, and possibly, he was not able to come. What would have been best is that Ms. Khan should
have made a statement or at least had paperwork showing that he was unable to come and could have sent someone in his place or placed the responsibility in Ms. Khan’s hands Now, looking back on this, I feel that Ms. Khan had to make certain that there was a Senate Chair and I believe she did everything in her power to follow the Constitution as with such that this is an election of the Student Association. Wouldn’t you trust your elected official to make sure that they actually follow the Constitution as best as possible to ensure that all is fair? Ms. Khan, while outside with myself, Mr Yaser Soliman, Mr. Dilion Smith, Current Senate Chair, and Vice-President Sean Kaczmarek, stated what had occurred which was a tie, and they
had contacted the Administrative Directors and they explained to both Ms. Khan and Mr. Kaczmarek what they had to do. Ms. Khan still presiding over the meeting meaning she was the Interim Senate Chair meant that she would have to break the tie between Mr. Smith and Mr. Soliman to find the new Senate Chair and I feel the right person was chosen for the position. She, then, asked all three of the candidates if they would only want the vote count or would we like for her to explain how it came to the decision of Mr. Smith being chosen as Senate Chair. We advised her to explain to our fellow Senators. She did as such. Now it is true that Mr. Field would have to preside over this election. I hope he is able to this Wednesday. If not, then I would
like for him to at least send in a document stating that he will be sending someone in to preside over the election if he is unable to attend the meeting or he will be handing the responsibility to Ms. Khan since she will be taking over the position once again. Then, maybe we can have this matter settled and closed to have a productive year for the SA Senate. Until then, I feel this matter is supremely lackluster in leadership and teamwork. We have a long year ahead of us and it is time to move forward. Best, Carl Ross, III Off-Campus Senator Student Association
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NEWS
Monday, October 19, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
SA senator alleges election violations against e-board CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
state that the senate chair can break ties Khan asked senators to arrive to the SA with a single vote. They do state, however, Assembly meeting at 5:30 p.m. and started that Robert’s Rules of Order, which is widecandidate speeches in the senate meeting at ly used for parliamentary authority, applies about 6:10 p.m. on issues the constitution and bylaws are siOnce Soliman pointed out the problem, lent. he and several other senators suggested Former SA members confirmed that it’s SA discount Khan’s vote, which Khan said normal for the chair to break ties. SA determined shouldn’t have been casted, When Khan and Kaczmarek realized and let Jessee vote. But Khan said one of there was a 7-7 tie, Khan said she went into the reasons that can’t happen is Jessee nevher office to triple-check her constitution er casted a ballot. and call SA pro staff members for advice. “It’d be a different story if there was a Khan supplied The Spectrum with her cell ballot casted and it wasn’t counted,” Khan phone call logs of that night, which show said. “But since the ballot wasn’t casted, you she called both Sorel and Associate Admin can’t allege, ‘Let’s just let this person vote.’” Director Amanda Johnson twice. Johnson The Spectrum witnessed Khan tell Jessee he told Khan on the second call that she could couldn’t vote before he had the chance to vote to break the tie. fill out his ballot. Sorel said he missed both calls because he She did this publicly in front of all the was away from his phone. senators. Khan explained later, “It wasn’t “Obviously, there was no external rushes, a decision I wanted to make in confidence but because of the fact everyone was waitto Joe or anything like that, so I made it in ing and I knew it was a busy night, I was front of everyone. He didn’t object; no one trying to go quickly. And at the same time, I else did at that point in time.” was confident in what I was doing so I made Another issue is whether it was constithe call because I tutional for Khan know the senate to break the tie bechair always makes tween Soliman and or breaks the ties,” Smith. Khan said. As president, One senator exKhan had a right pressed concern to be acting senate Khan rushed her chair Wednesday, per decision because the SA constitution. she had to attend She said it was precLiz Murray’s Disedent that the senate tinguished Speaker chair breaks all ties, Series event, which so when the election – SA President Minahil Khan is sponsored by was a 7-7 tie, she SA, in Alumni Arevoted for Smith. na at 8 p.m. A SpecBut the SA bytrum reporter saw laws state that in the Khan at the event. event of a senate chair election tie there “Why are we now convening … on a should be a revote until there is a winner. night she had something else to do?” a senKhan said SA’s attorney, Mark Korman, ator said to The Spectrum. told her she shouldn’t have broken the tie. After speaking with the pro staff, Khan Neither the SA constitution nor the bylaws
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I can genuinely 100 percent tell you there was no vindictive action on my part.
ushered the three candidates – Soliman, Smith and Ross – into a hallway outside the senate meeting to explain how she had broken the tie. She then asked the candidates if they’d like to tell the senate Smith won outright and not disclose Khan made the deciding vote. All parties involved confirmed this story – including Khan, who admitted it to The Spectrum before being confronted about it. The candidates insisted the senate needed to know the truth and Khan obliged. Khan said this wasn’t to lie to the senate, but to avoid confusion among senators. “I was hoping they would say to explain everything because … I didn’t want people to think it was something sketchy or something,” Khan said. “They all agreed we should tell the senators what happened.” As for accusations she rigged the election against Soliman and to get Smith in office, Khan said she’s had limited interactions with all three candidates. She said she proxied senate meetings with Smith and Soliman last year and had seen Ross around the SA office. She said she made her decision based on the candidates’ speeches and question and answer sessions and voted for Smith because he seemed to be the most prepared. “When people questioned him on his ideas he was able to do it eloquently and immediately you could tell he had given it thought,” Khan said. Tensions rose between Soliman and the e-board members after Wednesday’s election as the senate discussed when to have its next meeting. Akpinar said “there was a lot of hostility in the room against Yaser.” Former SA Senator Daniel Giles said Soliman and Kaczmarek, who was Special Interest, Services & Hobbies (SISH) council coordinator, disagreed on many senate issues last year and occasionally things got “heated.” He said both are passionate. Kaczmarek admits he and Soliman have disagreed, but said the two were on friendly terms and that Soliman had even come to him for advice once and the two had lunch together. He said he’s been in several classes with Smith and that Smith was involved in several of his clubs when Kaczmarek was SISH coordinator, but he also disagreed with Smith, who proxied last year in the sen-
JULIA TIMERSON, THE SPECTRUM
Senator Yaser Soliman delivers his campaign speech for senate chair during Wednesday’s senate meeting. Soliman is challenging the election on the grounds SA President Minahi’s Khan actions went against SA rules.
ate. Kaczmarek said one time Soliman and Smith were both against him on whether or not to give a club $1,000. Some senators are also concerned that E&C Chair Anthony Field did not attend the election, although the SA constitution states his position “shall govern all Student Association elections proceedings and processes.” Field was not immediately available to speak this weekend. Khan told The Spectrum Field had a class the night of the election. By Friday evening, it does not appear SA officials had told Field about Soliman’s complaints. Soliman showed The Spectrum screenshots of Facebook messages he and Field exchanged Friday evening in which Field asks, “What happened Wednesday?” and “I don’t know what’s going on.” Because Field was not there, that left counting the ballots to Khan and Kazcmarek in the hallway outside the meeting. Treasurer Joe Pace, the third member of the e-board, left the meeting after briefly addressing the senate before candidate speeches. Nemmer said an E&C chair “should absolutely be the person counting these votes.” Ross doesn’t believe Khan intentionally kept Field out of the meeting. He said he thinks Khan made an effort, but said things could have been handled differently. “With the time constraints that was placed upon our President, I feel that Ms. Minahil Khan made every effort to get in touch with Mr. Anthony Field, and possibly, he was not able to come,” Ross said in his statement. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE SPECTRUM
Humor at the speed of life
5
Monday, October 19, 2015
David Sedaris finds life lessons in the mundane KENNETH KASHIF THOMAS ARTS EDITOR
David Sedaris started his routine with a dirty story about a strap-on dildo. “I spend five to 10 hours a day picking up trash, I walk with my fitness app about 22 miles and pick up trash along the way,” he said, reading from his most recent story that ran in The New Yorker, “A Modest Proposal.” “This time around I came upon a strapon dildo that was three inches long and had the diameter of a Vienna sausage and wondered, ‘Who would buy this?’” An author, comedian, radio contributor and humorist, David Sedaris makes people see the humorous beauty in everyday life situations. First gaining notoriety in 1993 for his essay Santaland Diaries which was broadcasted on NPR, he has found a niche in an almost high-brow, gutter-minded humor. Saturday’s performance at UB was one of the stops in his 45-date tour across the country. A man of short stature, he filled the Center for the Art’s Mainstage Theatre with excited readers and fans from across Western New York. He is currently on tour reading across the United States, even though he currently lives in the UK. The day in which he discovered the strapon was also the day he was waiting to hear the Supreme Court’s decision on whether to legalize gay marriage. “To me it was a slightly mixed message, like saying ‘We’re all equally entitled to wear Dockers to the Olive Garden.’” Sedaris said. Sedaris, now married to his partner Hugh, initially said he had no intention of getting married. After a number of proposals and deep rumination, Sedaris said they decided to marry, then realizing that, now an engaged couple, they both have the rest of their lives ahead of them. Cheryl Maciolek, a Tonawanda resident, wasn’t sure how Sedaris would be live, but was excited to see his reading. “I’ve read a couple of his books and friends have told me his readings are good,” said Cheryl Maciolek, a Tonawanda resident. The particular story Sedaris started his routine with formed the foundation for the
rest of the night as he blended topics ranging from politics, society and sexuality. While his writing and stories are understood by many as quite relatable, they’re all personal, often incredibly so. And they always come with a gem of knowledge. He picks you up when you are down and, by the time the story is over, everything seems as mundane as when you started. But the time in between feels like a roller coaster. “He caters to his readers, he puts the audience first,” said Chris DeWayne, a Rochester native. “He takes everyday experiences we all face and makes funny stories out of them – he’s very honest. He’s not afraid to call out the normalcy of what we do and how stupid it can be.” After reading from “A Modest Proposal,” Sedaris spoke on his inspirations. He talked about his beach house, humorously referred to as the “C-section.” Many of his stories revolve around this beach house. It’s a place he said he enjoys because it’s a family house, but it’s technically his. Near this beach house is a canal, where people will go to feed turtles. Sedaris took an interest in a particular snapping turtle there, which has a tumor on his head resembling a “top hat.” With that introduction, he leads into the reading of “Calypso.” In it he speaks on experiences that he’s had while on tour, from meeting people to a few dark comparisons. He said when traveling the states, the thing he loves is there is always something going on, as he begins to list various health scares Americans have preoccupied themselves with over the recent years. This time around, the scare in particular was Ebola. “Schools closed. Hysterical parents were interviewed. ‘Ebola is here,’ we were told by the media, ‘and it’s coming to get you,’” said Sedaris. “I started seeing people wearing face masks in the airport and decided that I hated them. What bugged me, I realized, was their flagrant regard for their own lives. It seemed not just over-cautious, but downright conceited. I mean, why should they live?” Then there’s the instance of a name he came across during a book signing, Draven.
COURTESY OF FLICKR USER MICHAEL HUANG
David Sedaris speaks at a reading in 2007. An author, comedian, radio contributor and humorist, Sedaris performed at UB’s CFA Mainstage this Saturday. Sedaris, first gaining notoriety in 1993 for his essay Santaland Diaries which was broadcasted on NPR, has found a niche in pop culture with his highbrow, gutter-minded humor.
“What kind of a name is ‘Draven?’” Sedaris said. He mused it must be the “past-past tense of drove.” In addition to being spectator to Sedaris’ touring life, those listening to Sedaris’ reading were spectators to late night clinic surgeries and the fringe art he appreciates so dearly. For his final reading, Sedaris read excerpts from his diary, which he says his stories come from, while mentioning his disdain for the dreaded dream journal. The first excerpt, “August 26, 2015. Copenhagen, Denmark” tells a few of his favorite Danish words and their English meaning – for instance the fact that cancer also means power in translation. Cancer was also a theme in “Calypso.” He invited audiences into his bewilderment over hearing that beastiality was just outlawed in conversation in Denmark. “Was there just so much that had to be done by the government … before they outlawed beastiality?” said Sedaris. The response he got was, “Beastiality was always ‘frowned’ upon before being outlawed.” Another excerpt found him speaking to a Comcast employee after a reading, when she whispered the name of the company to him as if it was an unspeakable offense, and added the context that they’re the most hated company in the United States. She then reveals how when working the
call center, she is called n*gger more than a few times by people on the phone, but she’s white. “Angry Americans love calling someone n*gger,” said Sedaris, pointing out the lack of context, or respect, certain people can have. “I found it funny she whispered ‘Comcast,’ but had no problem saying n*gger aloud.” To close the night, Sedaris took questions from the audience, which ranged from “What makes you happiest?” to “What would you be doing if you weren’t writing?” On what makes him happiest, Sedaris said “I’m happiest when I’m laying in bed with my sisters because of the kind of talks that occur – you’ll talk about anything and you’ll say anything.” Sedaris also said, “I’m happiest before things happen, I try not to think of anything in advance, so I don’t build up the excitement.” A man of small stature, Sedaris’ reach goes well beyond some words on paper or words spoken into a microphone, captivating the audience. Sedaris’ performance brought back students who had already graduated but wanted to see him speak. Mike Brennan, a media study graduate, was one of those individuals who came back. “I wasn’t that familiar with him, but after hearing him speak, I want to read his stuff. My girlfriend knows about him and wanted to see him,” said Brennan. “He’s captivating and very, very witty.” His stories are life lessons draped in the nuances of the human experience. It’s not the groundbreaking mystery, the high-octane action or the never-ending drama, but the smaller things that we don’t always appreciate. What would Sedaris be doing if he wasn’t writing? With a laugh he responded, “Picking up trash.” email: arts@ubspectrum.com
SA Senator alleges election violations against e-board CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
“What would have been best is that Ms. Khan should have made a statement or at least had paperwork showing that [Field] was unable to come and could have sent someone in his place or placed the responsibility in Ms. Khan’s hands.” Eleven of the 12 newly elected senators are new to the senate – the only veteran was Soliman. Several senators told The Spectrum they felt underprepared for both Wednesday’s election and their roles as senators, which is to oversee and make decisions on SA’s roughly $4 million budget of student funds. Senators are unpaid. They said there’s was no official senate orientation, just a 20-30 minute meeting with Field in which senators read over the constitution and bylaws by themselves. When asked about making complaints known to the SA pro staff, a senator remarked, “We don’t even know who these people are.” That senator said the e-board’s actions in the election were “almost exploitation of our innocence as first-time senators.” Senators actually knowing the ins and outs of the SA rules may be uncommon. Nemmer said throughout his time in SA, “most of the senators couldn’t even tell
you any of the bylaws.” Senate sometimes has a designated parliamentarian to keep up with the rules – which Smith campaigned for in his platform. Drama had surfaced between the senators even before Wednesday’s meeting. Eleven senators ran in the same party, Students for Progress. Nemmer said it’s common for a party to decide on one person to run for Chair but according to the party members, there was never such a discussion – although Akpinar assumed Soliman would run because he organized and picked the ticket members. It was after they were elected, senators said, that chair candidates emerged. Some senators said all three candidates tried to guarantee votes before the election. There was so much tension among senators that Khan had to address it before beginning the election, reminding senators they were there to serve the students. She also dispelled rumors the e-board had endorsed a candidate. Nemmer doesn’t think Khan did anything maliciously or that Soliman will go through with a lawsuit. He said “every person who’s threatened to get litigious with the SA has lost and
been almost universally viewed as the biggest … crybaby in the school.” Nemmer recalled one year a student threatened to sue over an SA election and had a man going around the Student Union glaring at SA members. “People said, ‘That’s the other party’s lawyer,” Nemmer said. “Turned out it was just her dad who was an insurance agent.” Nemmer, who is about to graduate law school, doesn’t expect anything to change with Soliman. “Unless this guy is independently wealthy, mommy and daddy aren’t going to pay some lawyer $250 an hour to get you a senate seat,” he said. Smith has scheduled the next senate meeting for this Wednesday. At the meeting, he plans to resign and then run for reelection. Soliman said he cannot attend Wednesday’s meeting and expressed concern a new election is happening despite the fact he can’t go. Soliman submitted screenshots of the senate Facebook group chat that shows several other senators can’t attend either. Some members are making a commitment to go, however. “Wednesday is my birthday and I’m gon-
na be there,” Ogra said. “It’s an important meeting.” Smith said he picked Wednesday after consulting with the pro staff and finding out when Korman, the SA attorney, would be available. He said senators who can’t attend can proxy their vote. He also said he was “deeply hurt” his election was contested and decided it was the best interest of SA and UB to resign so there could be another election. He called the past few days “stressful” and that he has had to cut class to handle the drama, but he’s hopeful he’ll be elected chair again. Khan said the Korman will explain last week’s election to the senators and review past student government election cases that reached the Supreme Court. He will also watch over any new election that occurs. Some senators worry that all this turmoil will taint the year and put students off. “We need to put our problems aside and move on with the rest of the year. It looks bad for senate itself and the Student Association,” Ogra said. “I know clubs are very anxious.” email: tom.dinki@ubspectrum.com
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NEWS & SPORTS
Monday, October 19, 2015
Breakdown of past SA election scandals CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
Ahmed said he probably would have still lost if he was treated fairly, but it’s “the principle behind the injustice and potential future injustice toward students who choose to run independently.”
UB Council student representative accused of inserting himself into candidate’s campaign Although it wasn’t an SA election, the controversial and overturned 2014 UB Council student representative election involved several SA members including future SA President Minahil Khan. UB Council Student Representative Daniel Ovadia was accused of “overstepping his boundaries” and inappropriately inserting himself into candidate Khan’s campaign for student representative. Khan is the current SA president mired in the Senate Chair election controversy. SA hiring committee member Rory Miller provided The Spectrum with screenshots from a private Facebook group where Ovadia asked group members to change their cover photos to Khan’s “Minahil Khan for UB Council” banner. Many members changed their cover photos. Miller said it was essentially an endorsement. After investigating complaints, the University Council Elections Committee voided Khan’s victory. Khan won again in a new election. email: news@ubspectrum.com
THE SPECTRUM
Gridiron report card CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
Offensive line: C+ The young offensive line of Buffalo did a poor job in run blocking, but its pass blocking was, by far and none, a huge step in the right direction. The running backs numbers speak for themselves while the unit allowed four tackles for losses. But Licata was only sacked once and actually had some time in the pocket to make a play happen on multiple occasions. The line isn’t all there yet, but this growing core will only get better.
Defensive line: D Junior Brandon Crawford is the only reason this unit didn’t receive an ‘F.’ Aside from the defensive tackle’s sack and pass breakup, the defensive line didn’t do anything to make an impact in Saturday’s game. The non-existent pass rush gave plenty of time for Central Michigan quarterback Cooper Rush to develop plays, en route to another impressive performance.
Linebackers: BBased on Saturday’s result, you would think the unit didn’t do much, but two of the top-3 tacklers on the day were linebackers. Senior Nick Gilbo and junior Brandon Berry combined for 19 tackles and two tackles for losses in a game that was essentially over by the end of the first half. Senior Okezie Alozie only accumulated one tackle and was out for the majority of the game.
Secondary: B Sophomore defensive back Andrews Dadeboe secured his nod for defensive player of the game in less than six seconds. Dadeboe picked off Rush early in the fourth quarter and took it back for a 17yard return for a touchdown. The game was still out of reach, but it added a little spark to a struggling defense.
COURTESY OF CENTRAL MICHIGAN LIFE
Defensive line coach TIm Edwards coaches the Bulls’ defense during Buffalo’s 5114 loss to Central Michigan Saturday. Buffalo is now 0-2 in the Mid-American Conference.
Kickoff coverage was the problem for Buffalo on Saturday. The kickoff unit allowed an average of 26 yards per kick return. Each time the Bulls kicked off after a touchdown, Central Michigan secured good field position, resulting in their own touchdown.
Coaching: C+ Other than that, nothing else stood out. Senior cornerback Marqus Baker had 10 tackles, but he had his miscues, including blown coverage on a pass play that resulted in a touchdown for Central Michigan in the fourth quarter. Rush threw for 313 yards and four touchdowns and found five different wideouts.
Special teams: C Freshman placekicker Adam Mitcheson didn’t have an opportunity to score other than two extra points while senior punter Tyler Grassman was held to four punts, including one of those punts being blocked for a safety score for the Chippewas.
Buffalo was simply outplayed on Saturday and it was evident after the first quarter. The Bulls repeated their standard first-half antics with a -30 point scoring margin after a dominant Chippewa display. Head coach Lance Leipold mismanaged possession of time, but stuck to his balanced run-pass system. It’s hard to criticize that. Neither side did anything special, so there was no clear-cut right answer on which unit to use. The Bulls are riding a three-game losing streak, something Leipold is not used to. Buffalo needs to regain focus and move on to Ohio (5-2, 2-1 MAC) next week. email: jordan.grossman@ubspectrum. com
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Monday, October 19, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
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SPORTS
Monday, October 19, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
A sea of purple UB Athletics hosts #SpiritDay, a celebration of the LGBTQ community, at volleyball game Friday REUBEN WOLF CONTRIBUTING WRITER
For the LGBTQ community and victims of bullying, Friday night’s volleyball game was their night. #SpiritDay, which is a national event that supports LGBTQ youth and has been promoted by the likes of the NBA, MLB, WNBA and MLS, came to Alumni Arena Friday. #SpiritDay is celebrated globally on Oct. 15, but since there were no UB sporting events on the Oct. 15, UB Athletics used the Oct. 16 volleyball match against Western Michigan as a platform for the event. “We thought this would be a really nice thing for the campus,” said Kathy Twist, senior associate athletic director and one of the organizers of the event. “UB is a school of equality and justice. We need events like this to reinforce who we are.” As for the game, the Bulls lost 3-1 to the Broncos, but head coach Blair Brown Lipsitz was quite excited about sporting a purple shirt to show support. “It’s such a fantastic event for us to have and I’m proud to be a part of it and for our team to be a part of it,” Lipsitz said. “It was a sea of purple tonight and it was great to not only be playing for them, but with them also.” Those who attended the volleyball game were encouraged to wear purple in support of #SpiritDay. UB Athletics also gave away purple T-shirts and purple bracelets at the game. The crowd was treated to Channel 7 News’ Ed Drantch, who is gay. Drantch em-
ceed the event and hosted giveaways and activities. GLAAD, a national LGBTQ organization, started #SpiritDay and the event found its way to UB through Twist and Chloe McIlwaine, a senior women administrator intern for Athletics, while they researched potential theme nights UB could host this year. In getting the event organized, Twist and McIlwaine called upon Jim Bowman, LGBTQ Wellness and special projects coordinator, and Terri Budek, associate director for the Intercultural and Diversity Center. “I’m very familiar with the event, and I’ve worked with Kathy [Twist] before on LGBTQ equality and inclusion in athletics, [as well as] the SAC council about raising awareness,” Bowman, a self-identified gay man, said. “So I was very excited about doing this.” Drantch gave away prizes and shared anecdotes about what it is like to be a gay man in today’s society. Drantch said more and more Americans feel comfortable coming out on Facebook and other social media outlets, which is the exact way he came out to his parents and the world. Bowman took the day quite personally, as he experienced first-hand victimization of bullying for sexual orientation. “I have experienced bullying and also a lot of support. #SpiritDay is important for a discussion that needs to happen,” Bowman said. “We need to raise awareness for this issue for everybody even outside of LGBTQ communities. It is both personal and important.” The crowd of 229 people was quite recep-
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KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Senior outside hitter Megan Lipski goes for a kill in the game against Western Michigan on Friday. Those who attended the game were given a purple t shirt to show their support for LGBTQ communities on #SpiritDay.
tive to the event, supporting the Bulls even when they fell behind. The Bulls trailed 2-0 through the first two sets, but the energy of the crowd provided the spark Buffalo needed to win the third set and push the score to 2-1. The Bulls ultimately dropped the fourth and final set to lose the match 3-1. But Friday was about celebrating the LGBT community, win or lose. Promotion of the event consisted of flyers hanging around the school as well as outreach to organizations such as Western New York Pride and the Matthew Sheppard Foundation, another fund started to raise awareness of bullying against the LGBTQ community. Twist and Bowman were also instrumental in creating a promotional video entitled “You Can Play,” which was geared toward promoting inclusion of LG-
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BTQ in sports. Various Bulls athletes from all teams and administrators contributed to the video. “We came with our team and for the event,” said junior swimmer Mackenzie Moss. “It’s awesome to come and support the LGBTQ community.” Randi Morkisz, an East Amherst resident, was not aware of #SpiritDay event before attending the game and learned of it minutes before the start of the match, but supported the event nonetheless. “There has been a positive community response, no backlash or negativity at all,” Twist said. “[It’s not surprising] since Buffalo is the City of Good Neighbors. We wanted this to spread beyond the campus walls and unite the community.” As for future employment of #SpiritDay, Twist has no doubt that it will happen again in years to come. “I’d like to make it a yearly thing,” Twist said. “[Friday’s] enthusiasm was great, Drantch did a good job engaging with the students, we had allies and the LGBTQ community came together. It’s definitely happening again next year.” email: sports@ubspectrum.com
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FINAL GAME INFO
Gridiron report card Bulls fall to Central Michigan JORDAN GROSSMAN
Buffalo’s only passing score.
SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Running backs: C
The Buffalo football team struggled in many areas throughout the entire game, and it resulted in one of the worst team performances by the Bulls in recent memory in a 51-14 blowout loss to Central Michigan on Saturday. The Bulls are now 2-4 and lost their third game in a row. We graded Buffalo’s performance.
Quarterbacks: D By the end of the game, third-string freshman quarterback Chris Merchant was in the game by coach’s decision. The quarterbacks disappointed on Saturday as seniors Joe Licata and Tony Daniel combined for 149 passing yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. The interceptions were not turning points for the game by any means – Licata’s came with a 30-point deficit and Daniel’s was halfway through the fourth quarter . Licata did complete more than 50 percent of his passes and had a nifty 34-yard toss to senior wide receiver Ron Willoughby for
Three Buffalo running backs combined for 26 touches and 92 yards in a day where the Central Michigan defensive front shined. Senior Anthone Taylor rushed for a team-high 52 yards on 13 carries, while junior Jordan Johnson ran for 23 yards on nine touches. They couldn’t capitalize on what was supposed to be a sub par Central Michigan defensive line. The longest run of the day was a 12-yard scamper by Taylor. No rusher found the end zone.
Wide receivers and tight ends: C There’s so much the receivers can do when quarterbacks only throw 28 passes on the day, but the unit held its own. The highlight of the receivers came on a nifty 34-yard touchdown pass to senior Ron Willoughby, but was overshadowed by an unnecessary celebration penalty. The penalty led to a quick Chippewa touchdown on the next drive. Senior tight end Matt Weiser looked more
like his former self from the Jeff Quinn system, hauling in four catches for 29 yards. Junior tight end Mason Schreck tacked on another 22 yards.
COURTESY OF MONICA BRADBURN, CENTRAL MICHIGAN LIFE
Senior quarterback Joe Licata finished with 133 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception Saturday in a 51-14 loss to Central Michigan.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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