The Spectrum Vol. 67 No. 17 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

UBSPECTRUM.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 PAGE 3 Students need a chance to defend themselves UB Judicial Review process needs to be fixed

PAGE 4 Building an experience UB students reconstruct award-winning GRoW Home

UB in the WEBER ERA

Thomas Feeley replaces former chair Marc Böhlen as media studies chair

After seven months in office, Weber discusses his plans as VP for Student Life

MANAGING EDITOR

TROY WACHALA / THE SPECTRUM

Scott Weber sits in his office in 520 Capen Hall. Weber, vice president of Student Life, sat down with The Spectrum Tuesday morning to discuss student concerns and his vision for the university.

SARAH CROWLEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Scott Weber wants to be known as more than “the man who sends the emails.” He knows his signature, “A. Scott Weber,” sign-off is how most UB students know their vice president; but Weber has bigger dreams for students than cluttering their inboxes. Weber sat down with The Spectrum on Tuesday to discuss his experiencs as Vice President for Student Life after he was appointed in January by Tripathi once Dennis Black resigned from the position. Weber spoke about his vision for revamping

Student Life and some of his chief priorities: ensuring student post-graduate success, improving the physical campus and addressing the growing demand for counseling services on-campus. Weber reﬂected on his journey at UB – from his arrival in 1983 as an eager young professor with his hair in a middle part, owning a Volkswagen bug with California plates, to his rise into one of the highest positions on campus. Weber said he never expected to become vice president of Student Life, but has embraced the role. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

UB DifCon Series discusses cultural appropriation Faculty, staff and students address cultural appropriation ANNA SAVCHENKO STAFF WRITER

UB faculty, staff and students came together to discuss and share different perspectives on cultural appropriation in the Student Union Tuesday night. DifCon, or Difficult Conversations, is a discussion series sponsored by the Office of Inclusive Excellence, which aims to bring members of the UB community together to engage in constructive conversations about controversial societal issues. Tuesday’s event featured five panelists who presented their views on cultural appropriation: Allie Ambrosio, a health and human services major in the Social Sciences Interdisciplinary Degree Program; Paul Va-

nouse, an art professor and director of the Coalesce Center for Biological Art; Reinhard Reitzenstein, an associate art professor; and Terri Budek, an associate director of the Intercultural and Diversity Center. Teresa Miller, vice provost for Inclusive Excellence, moderated the discussion and started the evening with an overview of the historical origins of cultural appropriation. The term dates back to “histories of conquest,” according to Miller. “It emerged as a Marxist concept of when a dominant class appropriates and deﬁnes the cultural heart of a subordinate class,” Miller said. “It is the sense of a relationship between the colonizer and the colonized in a way which the culture of the colonized gets drawn upon and used.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Zodiaque Dance Company celebrated their 44th season with performances in the Center for the Arts (CFA) from Oct. 18-22. The company, directed by Kerry Ring of UB Theatre and Dance, brought in performances choreographed from both faculty members and guests artists. In some pieces, like “On The Grid,” dancers performed to electronicallystyled tracks as square-shaped lights illuminated the dance floor.

ELIJAH PIKE / THE SPECTRUM

ubspectrum.com

UB Athletics, athletes and students weigh in on the upcoming ﬁeld house THOMAS ZAFONTE SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA

email: david.garcia@ubspectrum.com

PAGE 6 Beyond the art of Cosplay UB club speaks on the importance of cosplay

FIELD HOUSE OF DREAMS

Communication professor appointed as new DMS chair

Thomas Feeley replaced Marc Böhlen as the chair of the Department of Media Studies. Robin Schulze, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, approached Feeley in “late September or early October,” to inform him that Böhlen would no longer be DMS chair and asked him to ﬁll the position, Feeley said. Feeley is a communication professor since 2011 who chaired the communication department for six years until 2015. Feeley told The Spectrum in an email that he is not worried about the transition between departments. “DMS isn’t too far away from communication, so to speak, as a major and many students take courses in both departments,” Feeley said. “I wasn’t looking to switch. I am quite happy in communication, but have a great appreciation for media studies as a major.” Feeley said he does not know why Böhlen is no longer DMS chair, but believes “typically personnel decisions are private for good reason so I am not aware of the decision making on either side.” The Spectrum reached out to Dean Schulze and Böhlen on the new appointment, but both declined comment. The Department of Media Studies has received complaints from students in the past, who claim that the department does not adequately prepare students for jobs in media, which The Spectrum reported on in 2016. Feeley said he hasn’t personally heard of the complaints. “I am unaware of the complaints, but I am sure I will quickly be aware of them if they exist. I just started last week so I have to get my feet under me,” Feeley said. “I have relied on staff and faculty to address concerns in the interim so I can work on various stafﬁng and budget needs.”

VOLUME 67 NO. 17

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UB President Satish Tripathi said at the field house groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 7 that the field house will be open to all students. However, the field house will only be available for athletes on Division-I club and intramural teams, according to an official statement from UB Athletics. Athletics is overseeing construction of the $18 million Murchie Family Fieldhouse, which is set to finish in spring 2019. “It will house the all-around student experience in terms of recreation activities, so not just student-athletes, but the entire university actually,” Tripathi said at the ceremony. UB Athletic Director Allen Greene said the general student body would be able to use the field house. “The field house will be an asset to the entire university community as it will also be utilized by intramurals and sports clubs as well as the general student population. Once the facility is built, we will work on a schedule that will best benefit everyone,” Greene said. But an official statement from athletics said, “the fieldhouse will be available for club sports and intramurals, but due to scheduling, it will not be available for open recreation.” Most students don’t seem to be concerned that the field house will not be open to everyone. “Everyone is focused on football but it being available to teams outside athletics makes it a good thing for all the UB sports teams,” said Max Lort, a junior exercise science major. Dakota Rogers, freshman intended nursing major, also does not think the field house needs to be open to everyone. “It seems unnecessary for students to have access [to the field house] if we already have Alumni and all the other gyms on campus. It will give athletes somewhere to go, so hopefully it helps with how crowded Alumni can be,” Rogers said. Athletics hopes the field house will take pressure off the Alumni fitness center. The field house will be 92,000 square feet and house a full turf football field, rubber sprinting tracks, a triple jump pit, a pole vaulting pit and softball hitting tunnels. Athletics has stated that the new field house will benefit a multitude of teams, not just Division-I, while also acting as a key recruiting tool going forward. “The field house project has been a priority for nearly two decades and serves student-athletes in the same manner as classroom space, libraries or labs for students,” Greene said in a Spectrum Q&A. In March, UB Athletics made the decision to cut four Division-I teams, stating the department was underfunded. The field house was announced six months later. Despite popular opinion, Greene and athletics stated the cuts were not a direct result of the field house. “The announcement of the field house and the decision to discontinue sport offerings are two, mutually exclusive events,” Greene said. “We operate on a vibrant campus that has a multitude of things happening simultaneously on any given day.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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2UB in the WEBER ERA

NEWS

Thursday, October 26, 2017

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“I thought I’d miss my faculty roots a lot,” Weber said. “But I really enjoy the more central role because I’ve really had the chance now to impact so many more students.” Weber said he hopes his experience with teaching will help bridge the gap between student life and academia. Weber said he thinks the next frontier for higher education is to improve students’ preparation for post-graduate life. Under Weber’s charge, Career Services is conducting a self-assessment and plans to bring in a national panel to assess UB’s strengths and weaknesses in preparing students for their post-graduate life, Weber said. Weber announced his plan to rollout a new student employment initiative in January to transform student jobs into more constructive experiences. Entities like Campus Living and Campus Dining & Shops will recast student job descriptions to incorporate a series of “ten core competencies” that Weber hopes will translate into a more meaningful job experience. The plan is in its early stages, according to Weber, but he said he hopes to incorporate electronic badging in the job descriptions so students can become certiﬁed in various areas through their on-campus positions. “I want those jobs to be more than they are today because I’m really thinking about it as an arch for their future,” he said. “I think this could be transformative. I’m really committed to that because I think for students and their families, part of the anxiety today is ‘what am I going to do, how am I going to support myself.’ We as an institution will need to think more about the outcomes.” Weber is also taking a look at wellness services on-campus. “The demand for counseling is outpacing all growth in student enrollment and it’s really an exploding area,” Weber said. I think there’s just more anxiety in the world today; there’s more uncertainty in the world today. I think people are getting better diagno-

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ses…so that continues to be a challenge.” He hopes to create a Wellness Center on campus where recreation, counseling and wellness services are all under the same roof. “That’s a big area I’m really focused on a lot and I’m working hard toward ﬁguring what is the manifestation of that,” he said. Weber’s dreams for the university are inextricably woven with revitalizing the physical campus. He is in the process of putting out a request for proposals to bring in a national consultant to assess the Student Union, and he hopes to decide on a consultant by this January or February. He daydreams about a Wellness Center overlooking Lake LaSalle where students will come to collaborate and socialize. “I get really jazzed thinking about it, to tell you the truth,” he said. It’s clear that the vice presidency suits him—President Tripathi told The Spectrum he thinks Weber is even more student-oriented than his predecessor. That’s saying something, since Black was considered the friendliest, most beloved administrator by students for decades. When asked about taking over after Black, who pleaded guilty to grand larceny on Sept. 7 for stealing over $300,000 of university money, Weber said he does not feel pressured by the situation. He is focused on the future, not the past, he said. While talking about his 34 years at UB, Weber became emotional. There were tears in his eyes. “I’ve devoted my whole professional life to this institution,” Weber said. “You’re not at a point yet in your life where that might mean very much to you, but it means an incredible amount to me. I get emotional even just thinking about it, because this institution has been good to me. I hope I have been able to repay some of that back to the institution and I hope I can continue to do that.” Maddy Fowler contributed reporting to this story. email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com

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UB DifCon Series discusses cultural appropriation

KATIE KOSTELNY / THE SPECTRUM

Students, faculty and staff discussed cultural appropriation in the Student Union on Tuesday night.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Budek recalled a story of an AfricanAmerican student, who talked to her about being told at a job interview that she had to make her hair look more presentable. The student had previously used chemicals to straighten her hair before deciding to switch back to her natural hair. “Thinking about systems that exist in our society, some see it as a problem of the privileged in different ways doing something that marginalized groups have been oppressed for, and then claim it as being okay because it has become the new trend,” Budek said. Participants brought up Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi commercial and its representation of minorities as an example of cultural appropriation in popular culture. Miller feels cultural appropriation is “etched into” today’s society, including college campuses. For example, UB Campus Dining & Shops recently received a complaint from a student who felt UB’s dining centers were appropriating Asian culture, according to Miller. The student felt Asian dishes served in the dining halls are prepared in a way that misrepresents Asian culture and the signiﬁcance of Asian cuisine. Ambrosio, the only student on the panel,

spoke about how cultural appropriation impacts her daily life; namely Halloween costumes that misrepresent Native American culture. “Pocahontas costumes, especially during Halloween, represent Native American cultures as a whole whereas there are more than 500 different ones in the states,” Ambrosio said. “That alone is not representation, as it works to erase our rich diverse cultures although they are very much alive.” Hugo Fernandez, a junior psychology major, spoke about how his fraternity planned a “cowboys and Indians” themed Halloween party. Fernandez felt this theme was disrespectful. He researched the concept online to show his fraternity brothers how some people could be personally offended by the theme. Miller concluded the discussion by urging everyone in attendance to go back to their homes to think about the things that could potentially offend someone just as Fernandez did. “Thinking about the narratives of others is the ﬁrst step we can take to show our empathy to others,” Miller said. “It feeds our empathy but also helps us understand each other better, and that’s what tonight was all about.” email: news@ubspectrum.com

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OPINION

Thursday, October 26, 2017

THE SPECTRUM

Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF

Hannah Stein

MANAGING EDITORS

David Tunis-Garcia Maggie Wilhelm

Students need a chance to defend themselves

COPY EDITORS

Dan McKeon, Chief Saqib Hossain Emma Medina NEWS EDITORS

Sarah Crowley, Senior Maddy Fowler FEATURES EDITORS

Max Kalnitz, Senior Lindsay Gilder, Asst. ARTS EDITORS

Benjamin Blanchet, Senior Brenton Blanchet, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS

Danny Petruccelli, Senior Thomas Zafonte, Senior Jeremy Torres, Asst. MULTIMEDIA EDITORS

Troy Wachala, Senior Allison Staebell, Senior CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Pierce Strudler Arielle Channin, Asst. Alyssa Brouillet, Asst.

Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

CARTOON / ARDI DIGAP

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Ayesha Kazi GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGERS

Stephen Jean-Pierre Shawn Zhang, Asst.

THE SPECTRUM Thursday, October 26, 2017 Volume 67 Number 17 Circulation 4,000 The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at 716-645-2152 The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100

UB Judicial Review process needs to be ﬁxed UB students charged with misconduct cannot have a lawyer or law student represent them when they go before UB’s Student-Wide Judiciary panel. It doesn’t matter what the charge is. It could be for smoking pot, for cheating or for assault or rape. It also doesn’t matter how well-suited the student is to put up the defense. The shy introvert must mount a defense alone, as must the anxiety-ridden, the mumbler and the non-native speaker. The court where students speak does not have a judge or a jury. Instead, it’s a panel of administrators and academics, some of whom have little to no legal backgrounds. Andrea Costantino – the former Campus Living director, who in October pleaded guilty to stealing more than $14,000 in student and faculty funds – served on the judiciary panel before her resignation in August. She was meting out justice to students, while

she was stealing from them. Faculty and administrators who serve as panelists fulfill a university “service” requirement, but generally decisions – although life-altering to students – do not affect panelists’ academic careers. As such, there is no incentive, beyond a personal sense of ethics, for a panelist to be fair or to take time to understand a case or find compassion for a student struggling for words. The judicial review process at UB and at universities across the country is deeply flawed. The Spectrum applauds the UB Civil Liberties Union for pushing UB administrators to let students have lawyers or law students represent them in administrative hearings. The group, which works to raise campus awareness for constitutional rights, insists UB is denying accused students’ the right to due process and we agree. Stu-

dents charged with a crime are vulnerable and often feel too intimidated or embarrassed to speak for themselves or mount a stellar defense. Some simply can’t due to emotional or psychological conditions or because they lack the language skills. In a court of law, a defendant can hire a lawyer to ﬁght a speeding ticket. Yet at UB, students faced with crimes that can end their university careers are denied representation. In 2016, ﬁve UB students were expelled and 26 suspended. Scott Weber, vice president of Student Life, believes the StudentWide Judiciary is meant to be an “educational” process for students. Yet, what exactly are the lessons? The panels don’t offer realworld experiences; they operate under their own rules. The university calls the Student-Wide Judiciary process “best practice.” For whom? We believe an institution of higher learning, especially a public university, should have higher standards of justice. We ask UB

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear editor, I am an international student from China and working on my doctoral degree in education. I live between UB’s North and South Campuses on Eggert Road. On Oct. 12, I was on my way to my friend’s house, who is another Chinese student living near South Campus. On the way to her place, I saw two Indian girls chatting and walking across the street. Seemingly, they were on their way home from school. Then, some random guy driving a yellow Ford sedan stopped at the stop sign and shouted out at the girls: “go back to your country! Leave!” They did not hear at ﬁrst, so they asked him to repeat himself. The guy

shouted again and said “get lost!” One of the Indian students shook her head and said something like “what a jerk.” They kept walking and the guy drove away. I was at the stop sign too, shocked beyond words. I pulled myself back together after a few seconds. I am also a foreigner and if I was walking at that time, he would have told me to get out of the country too. I felt relieved that I was not walking and sorry for the two Indian students. I love the place I live and love UB as the place where I am furthering my education. I have been in Buffalo for almost three years, and it is like my second home. Nobody deserves to be told to “get

out” of where he or she is right now. We are here in the U.S. for a reason: to study. Every time I recall that Indian girl’s eyes, I feel pity and heartbreak. Whether domestic or international, we have so many things to do to construct an inclusive, tolerant and welcoming environment for everyone. We as international students will leave eventually, but I hope when anyone leaves the U.S., the memory of staying and living here will be warm and friendly. No one should mistreat others because of their immigration status or race. Most Americans are foreigners and immigrants in a way. The so-called prestige of being a U.S. citizen does not entitle any-

administrators to break the longstanding euphemism of “best practice” and think critically about what’s fair and ethical for UB students who are accused of crimes. UB administrators have an opportunity here to be brave and think critically about what it means to be innocent before proven guilty. Right now, students need administrators to act and ﬁx a system that is failing its students when they need it most. email: eic@ubspectrum.com

one to shut the door in a foreigner’s face. That is not the U.S. that I know from American movies or sitcoms, and it is deﬁnitely not the America that I learned from textbooks before I came here. It is sometimes confusing to international students when American classmates and professors are quite friendly and supportive in class, but outside of academia, people are shouting at us to get lost. Social justice should not stop at the classroom door. Believe it or not, it is a matter of choice. We should choose to welcome differences when we encounter them, not only in schools, but also in our real lives. Sincerely, �� Di Yuan Di Yuan, Ph.D. second year student, Department of Learning and Instruction

FEATURES

Thursday, October 26, 2017

THE SPECTRUM

Building an experience UB students reconstruct award-winning GRoW Home

MAX KALNITZ SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR

UB’s GRoW (Garden, Relax or Work) Home has temporarily returned to South Campus after receiving national recognition at the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2015 Solar Decathlon in California. The home was one of 14 finalists in the biennial competition and took second place overall. The GRoW Home placed in the top-five in each of the competition’s 10 categories. It finished in first place in three of the contests. The house was disassembled and shipped 2,500 miles back to Buffalo after the competition. It is being temporarily housed adjacent to Hayes Hall on South Campus before its permanent move to North Campus. The date for the relocation has not yet been set. The 1,100 square-foot efficient solar home’s 32 solar panels allows it to produce more energy than it consumes: it is a model for future sustainable living. The GRoW Home includes a “GRoWlarium” greenhouse and solarium where occupants can grow food year-round. More than 100 students from various majors worked under the leadership of the School of Architecture and Planning along with LPCiminelli to design and build the award-winning home. Alexandra Sheehan, a second-year graduate student of architecture, is proud to see the GRoW Home displayed on South Campus where it originated. “Something really important about this house is that it’s made by the students and that it’s really all student labor and design,” Sheehan said. “To take it and bring it straight to North Campus so far away from the students that worked on it would really

be a shame. Especially when the school of architecture is really growing and becoming a destination for people to come and tour. Having this in close proximity is something that is really important to the school of architecture.” Students worked hands-on with heavy machinery and other tools that UB’s architecture shop doesn’t normally have access to. All student workers are required to have a 10-hour Occupational Safety and Health Administration training, which allow them to use the equipment. Architects and students aren’t normally required to have OSHA training, but it’s a bonus for the resumes of students working on the project. Sheehan thinks this is one of the many factors that sets participating UB students above other architecture students. “We understand the safety as well as the process of building. It’s been very advantageous for students that have gotten certiﬁed and applied for jobs,” Sheehan said. “Having these hands-on experiences and knowing how to be safe on a job site is really important because it’s what we’ll be doing in the future.” Kenneth MacKay, clinical associate professor of architecture, is overseeing the reconstruction of the building. MacKay does not know when reconstruction will be completed, but he values the experiential learning that the project offers his students. “We’re not a construction company. We’re a graduate and undergraduate class putting this together,” MacKay said. “Our number one priority is safety—my favorite statement is that no one has been injured yet— and learning.” The building team encountered setbacks as part of that learning experience. At the competition, the house’s foundation was on a tarmac and didn’t have to meet any speciﬁc requirements to be a permanent structure. The ground on South Campus isn’t the

JOE BANNISTER / THE SPECTRUM

After making its 2,500 mile journey from Irvine, California, UB’s award winning GRoW Home is being reconstructed on South Campus, adjacent from Hayes Hall.

most structurally sound plot of land, according to MacKay. They had to work around this in order to ensure that the building has a structural base for public usage. “The original project was temporarily constructed and there were many elements of it that reflected that,” MacKay said. “What we’re looking at now is something that’s a bit more permanent and it has to meet a building code for public occupancy versus residential.” MacKay said this will involve a great deal of redesign and new construction that wasn’t a part of the original project. These challenges have offered students working on the project experiences they don’t normally have until after college. Students learned the full cycle of an architectural structure’s life through the reconstruction period. Students have knowledge of what happens after they submit their designs and construction begins from penning a design to erecting a building. “I think this helps the students understand how difficult it is to actually construct something,” MacKay said. “Students are seeing all of the unforeseen conditions that occur in the field. My goal isn’t to make them into contractors, but to have them understand how hard it is to do construction

so that they respect the people that actually do the work.” Lauren Kennedy, a second-year master’s student of architecture, started working on the project last spring and cleared gravel for the house’s foundation. “I was able to work when we were erecting the steel which is something that most students don’t get to do unless you work on construction sites,” Kennedy said. “To see all the different processes that go into it for safety reasons or just the logistics of how we get piece ‘A’ to location ‘B,’ in terms of the space that you have and who’s on site, is really interesting to see.” A professional construction company will conduct the structures ﬁnal move to North Campus without students. MacKay and other members of the GRoW Home team want to make sure that students get their onsite experience now before the home must move again. Tours of the structure will educate the public about low-energy living after its reconstruction on North Campus. The home will also serve as a classroom and small event space as a university and community resource center. email: max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Thursday, October 26, 2017

THE SPECTRUM

Q&A with singer-songwriter Multi-genre musician talks about her new album, upcoming tour BENJAMIN BLANCHET SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

Singer-songwriter Chastity Brown is coming to Buffalo, fresh off the release of her latest album “Silhouette of Sirens.” The artist, known for her blending of roots and folk music, will be touring the nation – stopping in Babeville on Nov. 14. Brown will join poet, musician Andrea Gibson for part of their “Hey Galaxy” tour beginning in January. Brown spoke with The Spectrum before her tour and discussed her new music and her many inspirations. Q: Your record, “Silhouette of Sirens,” was released in May. How does this project differ from your previous works? A: For one, it differs in the time. It took me four years to put it out. That was its own kind of grueling process, but as a result – the level of critique – it gave me time to dig deeper. Sonically, it’s more reﬂective of living in Minneapolis for 12 years instead of the last record, which was more of an homage to living in the South. Q: What sort of an impact has Minneapolis had on you as an artist? A: This is the city where Janet Jackson recorded all her albums. Prince is from here. Then you have all the punk bands like The Replacements. Those are the roots of this city and now it has this very exquisite palette of music. There’s mind-blowing R&B happening, awesome folk music, dope improvisational jazz. It’s become this place where all the artists are different and they support each other so deeply, which is the best f*cking atmosphere. You can try to ﬁgure out who you are as an individual artist and sonically, this is my opinion, maybe other guitarists in this town have a different opinion, but the electric guitarists in this town have a particular atmospheric quality. Very soundscape-y type stuff which I love, which very much appears on the new sh*t.

CHASTITY BROWN

Q: Lyrically and conceptually, what were some of the tougher songs that stand out to you on your new project? A: “Carried Away” took me a couple of weeks to write but three or four months to be honest about what influenced it. So I had a series of P.T.S.D. episodes and came out of it. The song isn’t entirely about that, but I wrote it in three or four days after coming out of this very dark space. So this song exists in a duality, in a space of pain and elation. So that song in particular, it’s not the time that took to make it, but I wrote a lot of songs to narrow it down to the ten that are on the record. A lot of little ditties, by a lot I mean 45 or 50 songs over the course of a couple years. It took time to figure out how...and you can understand this as a writer, figuring out how to say so much but distill it down to a point. I borrowed from an Alice Walker quote, “where there are tears, there will be dancing.” So there are some “rip your heart out, throw it on the ground” type of moments, but there are also some “get down and get sexy” type of moments. Q: On using your songs as emotional release, like “Carried Away,” is it a goal of yours to relay what you’re going through in your music? A: It’s not so much a goal. I’ve always been shy and weird, so when I started writing it was like “oh sh*t, I can sing how I feel.” Now that I’m older, I sing what I examine. I sing what may or may not be happening in the current societal dialogue. As a folk singer, it’s distinctly different. I’m rock as well, but there is a different quality to folk music. Everything is technically folk music but the whole goal is being honest with the story of now, whether it’s my story or a character I try to create. Whatever those experiences the character faces, it has to be true. It can’t be contrived. Q: It’s been 10 years since your first project, “Do The Best You Can.” Looking back, what sort of things have you kept since that project as a musician -- traits or writing -- since that record? A: I haven’t listened to it in a long time,

but the songs are really, really long. They’re very storyteller, lyrical-type narratives. I’m not religious at all but what I’ve learned growing up in church was letting go when you’re singing, how to sing from your f*cking gut. So emotively, that’s the quality of the record from ten years ago, but the difference now, I can put that emotion into a container that’s more palpable and not where you edit things. Where you refine what you’re trying to say. One of my favorite authors, Nikky Finney, said in her book that she was always trying to say the same thing the right way. So I feel like I’m maybe trying to scratch the surface, and there are certain things that will prick my heart, and they’ll probably always prick my heart. I find different perspectives on those things and as you get older, you have more distance from the things that prick you and you can think about it differently. So long story short, the refinement is what has changed but the emotive aspect of my singing, it took me a long time to accept that’s just the way I sing. Q: You take a lot of influence from a lot of places in your sound. How do you blend all those aspects into one space? A: I think the blending of it all is that I become the filter, then everything synthesizes. I can try to sing a Beyoncé song verbatim. I can hit the notes, but it will still sound like me. I still have a particular phrasing, a sonic quality of my voice. So I think that’s the main thing, I’m always emulating the artists that blow my mind and get me moving. But every time I try to make a song like someone I love, it doesn’t sound like them and maybe there are similarities but I am the container. When it comes out, it’s inevitably going to be a little differently, at least hopefully. Q: I know you mentioned poetry earlier and I wanted to add that you’ll be touring with a poet/musician Andrea Gibson. What is it like to act as a musician for their tour? A: I’ve always admired Andrea’s work and as a music geek, when I go to hear someone I love I don’t need to hear someone like them open for them. I love when artists say “yo, this

You can ﬁnd Motograter decked in their signature makeup Thursday night and depending on your mood, you can join them in your costume, as well.

Your weekly collection of Buffalo’s sonic selections ARTS DESK

Hallo-weekend is upon us and midterms are ﬁnally in the books for most students. If you’re looking for more treats than tricks in the Buffalo music world, you’re in luck. A mix of country, rap and metal will be making its way to the Queen City for frights and excitement. Candy may not be your thing, so deﬁnitely give some of these spooky good concerts a try. Thursday, Oct. 26 Tim McGraw, Faith Hill - KeyBank Center Two of country’s biggest names, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, will be making large noise downtown on Thursday with their Soul2Soul tour. Both McGraw and Hill are known for their numerous hits and their concert on Thursday should certainly exhibit their stardom. McGraw, known for tracks like “Live Like You Were Dying” and “It’s Your Love,” is set to release his album with the equally legendary Hill next month. The album, “The Rest of Our Life,” features a titular single, a slowed down, twang-laden number perfect

for country pop lovers. Past renditions of the Soul2Soul tour have been among the highest grossing in country history and this rural throw down in an urban cityscape should be no different. Thursday, Oct. 26 Motograter - Mohawk Place Looking to get in the Halloween mood before the big day? If so, Mohawk Place may be the move for you. Motograter, a nu-metal band originally formed in California, may not feature its original band members but they still rock your socks off. After years of no full-length efforts, the band released “Desolation” in August with positive reception. The sounds of the group are tweaked from their original self-titled collection from 2003 and it would be a hard effort to top. One of the album’s singles, “Suffocate,” had an appearance in 2003’s “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” a revised installment of the horror ﬁlm classic. Nonetheless, the absence of the band’s vocalist Ghost (Ivan L. Moody) is noticeable but they still ﬁll in the necessary gaps.

Friday, Oct. 27 Craig Finn - Town Ballroom Known best for his work with indie rockers The Hold Steady, Craig Finn will be performing his music solo this weekend at Town Ballroom. Finn, a singer-songwriter and guitarist, will be performing songs from his latest project “We All Want the Same Things,” released in April. The project received moderate to positive reviews and features a myriad of lyricism from the musician already well into his solo career. Finn has an eye for standout indie cuts like “God In Chicago” and “It Hits When It Hits,” ultimately aiming to tell stories that are often emotionﬁlled or narrative-friendly. If you’re looking for a more mellow approach to your weekend, Craig Finn’s show is right up your alley. Saturday, Oct. 28 The Lox, Griselda, Smoke DZA and more Town Ballroom Rap fans rejoice as some of the genre’s grimiest and other noteworthy MCs will be performing downtown this weekend. The Lox is composed of Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P, a trio of hard hitters best known for their time with Ruff Ryders. Louch previously performed in the Queen City over the summer, joining another ﬁne New York MC - Ghostface Killah - impressing a summer crowd during their Canalside set in July. The legendary Yonkers rappers will be

COURTESY / HANNA VOXLAND

Chastity Brown, a singer-songwriter currently based in Minneapolis, is performing at Buffalo’s Babeville on Nov. 14. Brown spoke with The Spectrum on her upcoming tour and her latest album “Silhouette of Sirens,” released this past May.

is dope as sh*t, that’s why they’re opening for me, check it out!” So I just love being part of a scenario that isn’t a typical tour. It’s exciting and especially when you live on the road, it’s nice to switch things up. For the Buffalo show, I’ll just be by myself but I think [Andrea] and I will be back up there together. I’ve performed last year at Babeville when I was on the road with Ani [DiFranco], which was super dope. I’m a nomad though, and I have a nomad’s heart. Being on the road, I just enjoy being in a different city each night. This album that I just released is still new. It’d be crazy to not want to be on the road and take every opportunity to share it with people. It’s hard work, but it’s still a privilege so I’m looking forward to not being entirely in Minnesota for the winter and testing out new sh*t, seeing how new songs feel. And no better way to test them out then in front of a live audience. email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com

joined by two Griselda rappers –Westside Gunn and his brother Conway. The two signed with Eminem’s Shady Records earlier this year and are making a buzz in their home city of Buffalo. The two are the deﬁnition of grit and hardcore, already making waves with their pairing “Hall ‘N Nash.” Aside from his work with Conway, Gunn will be collaborating with legend of the underground MF DOOM in a project expected to drop later this year. If the lineup isn’t overwhelming already, Harlemite rapper Smoke DZA will also be hitting the stage Saturday night. The rapper’s laid back and marijuana friendly vibes have landed him spots with other MCs like Curren$y as well as producers like Pete Rock over the years. Any and every rap fan should show out to this big-time concert at Town Ballroom, even if it means cancelling a plan or two. Sunday, Oct. 29 Peter Case - Babeville If you’re looking to hear some local talent this weekend, you’re in luck. Blues rocker and founding member of The Nerves, Peter Case will be taking his acoustic talents to the 9th Ward this Sunday. Case, a Buffalo-born singer, is dropping by Babeville for an intimate acoustic performance promoting his ﬁrst solo album since 2010. With The Nerves, Case played on the original version of “Hanging on the Telephone,” which was later covered by rock band Blondie. The singer has an extensive library and boasts a history of three Grammy nominations. His success speaks for itself and it’s worth your while to get a regional taste of blues and folk as the weekend concludes. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

FEATURES

Thursday, October 26, 2017

THE SPECTRUM

BEYOND the art of

COSPLAY UB club speaks on the importance of cosplay

WANLY CHEN / THE SPECTRUM

From left to right, club president Kaitlyn Johnson, member Jacqueline Conroy and member Brittany Sedor strike a pose during a Cosplay Club meeting.

WANLY CHEN STAFF WRITER

Dressing up as someone else can be the best way for some to feel like themselves and escape the stresses of daily life. The UB Cosplay Club embraces this, giving members a place to gather with people who share their passions for constructing and wearing costumes based on their favorite characters from video games and anime. Cosplay, a portmanteau of costume and play, has grown in popularity in the U.S. With conventions like San Diego ComicCon and hundreds of smaller ones in other cities, fans get more opportunities to share their costumes with fellow cosplayers. The cosplay community has also grown at UB. Cosplay Club President Kaitlyn Johnson said the club was able to co-head UB Con due to the growth of the club. Her persistence and her goal to be an inclusive club allowed it to ﬂourish. “We try to treat [the club] like a mini-family to the best of our abilities. I try to be as inclusive as possible,” said Johnson, a senior media studies and theater tech major. “The big aspect that all of us here try to push is that anybody can cosplay no matter your age, gender, race or religion.” Cosplay played an important role in Johnson’s personal growth. She said it allowed her to break out of her shell as she embodied the personalities of the characters. “It’s a great way to ﬁnd who you are as a person. In high school, I was the shy little person in the corner. I have changed so much with the club,” Johnson said. “I’m much more out there as a person and I’m more willing to talk and collaborate with

people. … It can be very empowering.” Lee Terwilliger, an adjunct Asian studies professor, talks about the importance of cosplay to fans. Terwilliger says fans often look up to characters and are able to identify with them, which creates a level of comfort while in costume. He said being able to be the character gives fans a stronger relationship to the fandom. “It’s important to them. You’re a superhero. You’re not an accountant, or someone at human resources or a secretary,” Terwilliger said. “You‘re in control and when you’re in this convention, people will address you as Sailor Moon or the queen or whoever you’re trying to be. It puts you in an interesting situation where you don’t get to see as much.” Cosplay is more than dressing up for Jacqueline Conroy, an educational psychology and quantitative methods graduate student. She describes cosplay as an outlet for her to play roles she normally can’t play and express aspects of her personality that she does not get to express in other parts of her life. “To me, [cosplay] allows me to break out of the monotony of being a graduate student and a TA,” Conroy said. “I have to have a serious role a lot. When I’m in cosplay, I can act gooﬁer, it allows me to escape from reality for a little while.” “I do a lot of Harley Quinn and Mad

Bookstores of Buffalo Book Corner

Queen City Book Store

Second Reader Book Shop

Talking Leaves

Burning Books Dog Ears Bookstore

Highlights from around Buffalo’s literary hotspots LINDSAY GILDER ASST. FEATURES EDITOR

With Kindles, Nooks, e-readers and digitized articles, many people have moved on

from reading hard copies. For those who still appreciate the feeling of paper between your ﬁngers or the smell of a good old book, these stores offer a selection perfect for a relaxing day of reading.

Moxxi. To me, those are aspects of my personality that I don’t get to show often,” Conroy said. “Mad Moxxi is a hyper sexual character. I normally have to be conservative, but when I’m Moxxi, I can flirt and have fun. I usually choose characters as extensions of outlets that I don’t let out that much.” However, stigmas within the cosplay communities or fandoms, are normally more pronounced. Johnson said this makes it hard for people to cosplay. Racism and sexism are two big obstacles that cosplayers have to deal with. “With a fandom, there’s always three percent that is completely horrible to everybody. There are some people who say you can only cosplay this character if you match the ethnicity or race,” Johnson said. “They say you can only cosplay Elsa if you’re white, skinny and tall or cosplay Garnet from ‘Steven Universe’ if you have dark skin. And we’re like ‘no, you can cosplay whoever you want.’” Drew Matthews*, a graduate student majoring in education, discussed how they break these stigmas in the cosplay community. Matthews, who identifies as gender fluid, describes how cosplay allows them the freedom to choose who they want to be, regardless of gender. “When I cosplay in a female character, it is because I identify as a female character on that

day,” Matthews said. “Being gender ﬂuid, I can pass as a girl and I can dress up as a girl. I can look in the mirror and say I look cute today.” Matthews said they still faces problems with their identity when they attend conventions. They talk about the clashes in values of other cultures that results in harassment. “Anime culture is really terrible for those who are male born who dress a little bit more femininely,” Matthews said. “There’s a lot of slurs that anime uses that people use in conventions. People who use those slurs are not a part of the [cosplay] community so they don’t know how it makes us feel. For them, it’s something normalized and humorous.” Despite the growing interest in cosplay, the strange looks that the community receives are anticipated and still common. Johnson hopes that society will grow to change and be more accepting of the cosplay community. “People can do very rude and harsh things to us,” Johnson said. “But I tell my club, as long as you’re doing your best, hopefully the people around you will too. But it’s always hard to ﬁght those kind of things.”

Talking Leaves 951 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 This iconic Buffalo bookstore is perfect for those looking to have a more personal experience. The staff is friendly and each employee has their own specialty, able to assist with anything from the perfect sciﬁ read to a children’s book for a loved one. The shop is in the heart of Elmwood Village and adjacent to Caffe Aroma, a cozy coffee shop perfect for curling up with a hot drink and your new book.

Dog Ears Bookstore & Cafe 688 Abbott Rd, Buffalo, NY 14220 Dog Ears Bookstore boasts an in-house cafe and a wide selection of goods, not just books. The café offers a selection of soups, salads and sandwiches, along with coffees and lattes. The bookstore sells a varied selection of popular books, movies, textbooks and off-beat gifts. There are plenty of nooks to sit back and enjoy a book, including a quaint patio for sunny days.

Burning Books 420 Connecticut Street, Buffalo, NY 14213 There aren’t many bookstores with strong, overt political views, but Burning Books is an exception. Along with selling a heavily leftist selection of books and zines, the shop also hosts a variety of different events like public readings, conversations on social issues and book releases. Burning Books sells titles like “A is for Activist” and “Make your Place: Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills” along with many others. Each book caters to topics underserved by bigger bookstores. The Book Corner 1801 Main Street, Niagara Falls, NY 14305 Located in Niagara Falls, The Book Corner isn’t the closest store. This store’s collection and aesthetic make it well worth the trip out. The store offers new, used and vintage books, spread out over rows of bookshelves. Three resident cats also roam the store, looking for the attention of wandering customers. The Book Corner is also the oldest, largest bookstore in Western New York. The store celebrated its 90th birthday this past May. It holds its own poetry readings on a separate ﬂoor and offers selections on the history of Buffalo and Western New York.

*Editor’s note: Names have been changed to protect students’ identities. email: features@ubspectrum.com

Queen City Bookstore 3184 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214 For the comic lovers of Buffalo, Queen City Bookstore is a great spot to ﬁnd your favorite titles. The store is family-owned and has been open for over 40 years, long enough to call itself “the king of comics.” The store offers a huge selection of different comics; everything from DC and Marvel to smaller companies like Image and Dark Horse. Queen City is hosting “Halloween ComicFest” on Saturday, with a themed crop of comics for the week. Second Reader Book Shop 1421 Hertel Ave, Buffalo, NY 14216 Located in North Buffalo, Second Reader Book Shop offers used books for buyers on a shoestring budget. The shop is packed with books ranging from old literature to children’s books. Despite the size being on the smaller side, the shop never feels cramped and has enough space to host the occasional poetry reading. Its location in the Hertel community makes it ideal for those living in the nearby University Heights. Dan McKeon contributed reporting to this story. email: lindsay.gilder@ubspectrum.com

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THE SPECTRUM

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SPORTS

Thursday, October 26, 2017

THE SPECTRUM

The edge:

defense while Akron ranks second to last. They are allowing almost 80 more yards per game and have given up four more touchdowns on the year. The Zips have an advantage in interceptions and have double the amount of interceptions of the Bulls. Despite Buffalo not causing as many turnovers, they have the better pass defense. They should make it a tough day for Woodson.

Buffalo vs Akron An analysis on whether or not UB can get back on track this week

RUSH DEFENSE: AKRON

DANIEL PETRUCCELLI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

The UB football team started conference play in the midst of a three-game winning streak and looked like they were going to be able to make some noise in the Mid-American Conference. But the Buffalo Bulls (3-5, 1-3 Mid-American Conference) are now on a three-game losing skid. It started with the seven-overtime marathon against Western Michigan and continued through last week when they fell to the Miami (OH) RedHawks 24-14. Injuries have been a huge issue for the Bulls causing freshman quarterback Kyle Vantrease to make his ﬁrst start last week. There are questions about who will start this week against the Akron Zips (4-4, 3-1 MAC). Head coach Lance Leipold said the team is the same position as last week and junior Drew Anderson will start if he’s ready, otherwise Vantrease will make his second start. Here is The Spectrum’s pre-game analysis. PASS OFFENSE: AKRON

Buffalo has managed to stay competitive with the pass offense no matter who is under center. Anderson’s status wasn’t clear in Tuesday’s press conference. Assuming Vantrease is starting this week, Saturday will be a big test. Akron has a much more settled situation. Senior Thomas Woodson has experience that includes a few starts from his freshman

Outdated UB’s Alumni Arena gym is anything but a gym worth going to

JEREMY TORRES ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The ﬁrst time I walked into the Alumni Arena gym, I thought it was a joke. There was no chance that this was the main workout center for a school as large as UB. I attended Brockport College before coming to UB. Although the campus and libraries were subpar compared to UB, their central workout facility was phenomenal. Everything was state of the art: brand new free weights and machines along with a cafe that served protein shakes. UB is the largest school in the SUNY sys-

MADISON MEYER / THE SPECTRUM

Junior linebacker Khalil Hodge and senior safety Ryan Williamson tackle NIU’s quarterback. Hodge and Williamson are the two leading tacklers for the Bulls defense.

year for the Zips. Although he hasn’t been perfect, his experience should allow him to outplay Vantrease. Buffalo has the better pass catching unit. Junior Anthony Johnson is hands down the best receiver in this game and has more than double the yards of any Akron receiver. Akron has a deeper unit, but when Buffalo sophomore K.J. Osborn or senior Kamathi Holsey are in a groove, they are as good as anyone on Akron. Both teams have failed to get the tight ends thoroughly involved in the pass game. The Zips take the edge in pass offense because of the amount of experience Woodson has. Vantrease hasn’t had the time to develop as much chemistry with his receivers. RUSH OFFENSE: BUFFALO

I believe this game will go Buffalo’s way, even with their quarterback issues. Reed should be able to get back over 100 yards for the ﬁrst time in four games. His success will open everything up and help Vantrease. If Vantrease can increase his efﬁciency, this is a very winnable game. Last season, Buffalo’s only MAC win came against Akron. This year, they should be able to beat the Zips for their second MAC win.

PASS DEFENSE: BUFFALO

tem, yet UB’s central workout facility does not hold a candle to the gyms at smaller schools. Brockport, Cortland and Stony Brook have state-of-the-art gym facilities that have been built within the last 10 years. The Alumni gym was built in 1982 and there are no current plans to replace the 30-plus year-old facility. In a survey of 100 random students conducted by The Spectrum, 73 percent of students answered that they worked out weekly. Out of those students, 55 percent work out at Alumni and 53 percent answered that they are unsatisfied with the gym. “Overall, the Alumni Arena [gym] is an absolute embarrassment of a gym compared to other schools,” said John Song, a competitive Olympic power lifter who lifts at the Alumni gym five to six times a week. “I cringe every time I see orientation classes visit the fitness facilities.” Song has a point. As you tour the campus, you see the amazing improvements they have made to Capen, the Center for the Arts and Greiner. As you approach Alumni, you expect the same modern feel. That’s not the case. What you enter is a hot, cramped and cluttered space that doesn’t fit the rest of the school’s aesthetic. During the 2016-2017 academic year, 12,033 unique UB Card holders swiped into the Alumni gym for a total of 175,494 swipes. That equates to roughly 15 swipes to the gym for the entire year from each user, according to UB Athletics. Anyone who typically uses a gym will use

up 15 swipes in less than a three-week span. These numbers tell a story within themselves; students who visit Alumni gym don’t tend to return. “Aside from the regulars who come in who have been working there for a while, the newer people who come in, you usually don’t see them again,” said Tyler Lynch, a senior and former Alumni employee. Recreation and Intramural Services pays for upgrades and maintenance with the student recreation fee – a component of the student comprehensive fee – and revenue generated by the department. UB has spent $554,500 between 2013 and 2017 on improvements and maintenance of the gym, according to UB Athletics. The new equipment purchased includes new cardio and weight equipment, in addition to a personal training area. The new weight equipment is a “big apparatus that sits in the middle of the gym,” Lynch said. According to UB Athletics, the university felt it was necessary to buy more of the popular equipment to prevent gym-goers from waiting around. UB would be better off saving the money allocated towards new equipment and instead building up enough funds to do a whole new remodel. “[It] does not make sense that UB spent countless amounts of dollars on a jungle gym of squat racks with turf in the middle. This has to be one of the most absurd things I’ve ever seen,” Song said. The university recognizes the issue of over-

crowding and in 2013, conducted a survey of through a consulting firm, Brailsford & Dunlavey, which concluded students had a desire to expand recreational and fitness programs. “We know first-hand the challenges of managing a shared facility for a university of this size and we support the concept of [a] new recreation facility,” said Sharon Sanford, associate athletic director for recreation and sport management. “In the meantime, we will continue to make improvements in our current spaces. … Our mission to inspire sustainable, healthy and active lifestyles through campus and community engagement.” To conduct surveys and recognize an issue is admirable, but pointless. The university can say and do whatever research they please but all of that information holds no weight when there are no plans to make improvement. The only way to fix the issue is through action, not words. UB is building an $18 million field house that will be funded through football revenue, philanthropy and donations. According to athletics officials, the field house will be open to all students who participate in Division I, club or intramural sports. For now, students must choose between experiencing a subpar gym every day or shelling money out of their pocket for a gym membership. With so much money dedicated towards athletics, the least they can do for non-student athletes is provide us with a gym that will keep us wanting to return.

ing something more to the basketball team. There is no pro team here and I feel there is a huge market for that. … I would like to see UB become more basketball focus and move into a conference like the Big East. We could pack the gym and pick up big upsets along with more national exposure.” All players interviewed were excited to be able to train on-campus year-round. “It is exciting, we are finally getting an indoor facility. Being here in Buffalo it gets cold in the winter, so it is nice to not have to travel to an off-campus facility just to practice,” said sophomore soccer defender Gurjeena Jandu. “There are a lot of people investing in us so I just want to make the most out of the opportunity.” Freshman soccer midfielder Marcella Barberic called the field house a “necessity.” Barberic is from the Buffalo area and played her pre-collegiate career in the area. She feels the field house is a huge benefit. “This will definitely help improve and grow the program. We can definitely have more fo-

cused practices in the winter and it will make it easier to get new recruits,” Barberic said. Program growth makes students like Lort excited for the new field house. Lort works as the UB equipment manager under UB athletics and helps teams set up for practice and games. Lort is a constant fixture at many UB home games and feels the field house could improve the athletic climate on campus. “Right now, the UB sports atmosphere is mediocre. Our fans show up for games and most of them leave at halftime no matter the score,” Lort said. “I think we are primed given our school size and the sports atmosphere in Buffalo to turn our athletic teams into something students will want to see.” Lort feels the Bulls need to win in order for the UB community to have pride in athletics. He also thinks the program will grow in student interest and revenue once the teams start performing.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Construction on the upcoming Murchie Family Fieldhouse next to UB stadium. The reactions to the $18 million facility has varied.

FINAL PICK: BUFFALO

Neither team posts an impressive run offense. Both teams are bottom-five in the MAC in rushing yards, though the Bulls rank fourth in rushing touchdowns. The problem is that out of UB’s 12 touchdowns, six came from players who will likely not see the field Sunday. Leipold confirmed Tuesday that junior running back Johnathan Hawkins is out for the rest of the year.

FIELD HOUSE OF DREAMS

MADISON MEYER / THE SPECTRUM

Redshirt sophomore Emmanuel Reed has taken up the bulk of the workload since Hawkins went down. He has almost 500 yards on the year and five touchdowns. But he picked up 371 of those yards during a three-game span, and only has 111 yards in the three games since. The Zips are working with a running back by committee. Senior Warren Ball led the way for the first four weeks but suffered from a knee injury in week five. The team has had lower rushing numbers every week since the Bowling Green game that injured Ball. Buffalo has a slight edge in this matchup. Reed is better than Morgan and Edwards and I think Saturday will allow Reed to get back into a rhythm.

Neither teams’ defense excels in the run game. Both teams are bottom-four in the MAC against the run. Akron has 33.5 less rushing yards allowed per game and ﬁve less touchdowns allowed than Buffalo. Both teams are led by dominant linebackers. The Bulls have junior linebacker Khalil Hodge who currently leads the nation in tackles per game. The Zips have junior linebacker Ulysees Gilbert III who is second in the MAC in tackles per game. Hodge is better, but the problem is that the rest of Buffalo hasn’t matched his level. Buffalo’s run defense has cost them games and I think that will make it harder on Saturday’s offense. Both teams will enter Saturday with a chance to get their run games on track against porous run defenses. Akron gets the edge here but only slightly.

Athletics stated the ﬁeld house will be paid solely by donations and money the department receives from the NCAA paid over a 15-year loan. Despite the ambition in the project, students are still reluctant to support the decision to build the ﬁeld house. “I think it is a good thing for one team but it is not necessarily OK to cut funding for a lot of other teams,” Rogers said. “It probably would have happened no matter what, but it made the cuts easier to explain.” Some students feel athletics is too focused on football and missing opportunities to grow other UB sports. “UB’s football program could grow from this but there is not a huge market for college football. I feel people are more interested in the Bills here,” said George Cunningham, junior psychology and business major. “I would have liked to see them giv-

This might be the most clear cut matchup in the game. Buffalo’s pass defense has been great this season and is probably the strongest part of the team. The injury to junior cornerback Cameron Lewis doesn’t help, but juniors Brandon Williams and Tatum Slack should be able to handle Akron. Buffalo ranks second in the MAC in pass

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