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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
MEET THE CANDIDATES: SA Senate candidates for 2016-17 school year discuss platforms ASHLEY INKUMSAH, HANNAH STEIN SENIOR NEWS EDITORS
UB students will get a chance to vote in the first campus election of the school year with the Student Association Senate election just days away. The SA Senate is responsible for distributing the SA budget and recognizing and derecognizing clubs, according to SA’s website. The Senate controls the yearly budgets for clubs with recommendations from the Senate Finance Committee. This budget is collected from the $104.75 student activity fee UB students must pay each semester. The SA Senate consists of 12 senators. The Spectrum spoke to two representatives from the Empowerment Party and one representative from the Integrity Party. The candidates brought up ideas such as having a “green fee” and creating a Facebook page that would explain the budgeting and distribution process for SA clubs’ money. SA Senate elections for the 2016-17 school year will be held from Sept. 20 at 9 a.m. until Sept. 22 at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Theater. Empowerment Party Name: Dillon Smith Year: Senior Major: Political science Current SA position: SA Senate Chair Dillon Smith said the Empowerment Party’s platform consists of safety, transparency, accountability and a greener campus.
VOLUME 66 NO. 6
Student Association Senate
The Empowerment Party would be the most diverse senate in UB history if elected with seven females and five males who represent “all different aspects of the school,” according the Smith. The party consists of a former BSU president, former treasurer of Latin American Student Association (LASA) and a non-SA student, among others. “We’re not just trying to do catch phrases that sound good. We want to make promises,” Smith said. “We want to say these things and mean them. What we say is a promise.” SA runs off student fees but not all of the fees are public information, according to Smith. He wants to develop easier access and more visible ways for students to see where their money is going. Smith said his party would have an “opendoor policy,” where students can discuss grievances or suggestions for SA. He said he wants to hold SA and SBI accountable and make sure club money is being spent fairly. Smith said his party wants to bridge the gap between North and South Campus. “Very often we forget that we’re one school,” Smith said. “As SA, we often forget about South Campus. We want to try to increase presence on South Campus.” Smith wants to develop a greener campus by having a green fee for students so money could be used to hold green projects and have “tangible results.” Vanessa Dwyer, a senior environmental geosciences major, who is also running to be a senator on the Empowerment Party, said her experiences have increased her desire to bring change to UB. Dwyer is the former president of Environmental Network (EN) and the founder of Fossil Free UB. Dwyer also worked on the campaign of divestment of fossil fuels from SUNY schools last year. “Senate is a team job and just having one individual wanting to make change isn’t enough because the problems you have to address are very large and hard to deal with,” Smith said. “You need a solid team
of individuals who are experienced and are dedicated to the greater good and are inspired to work in and out week in and week out to get these things done.” Smith said he would also wants to make services for victims of sexual assault more accessible.
SARAH CROWLEY
olence, said she understands sexual assault is a very real concern. She said more times than not, sexual violence occurs between people who know each other. Cynthia Wu, a transnational studies professor, said it is important to “historicize” the situation since public bathrooms weren’t gender segregated until the early 20th century. “When we think about gender segregated bathrooms as a supposedly stable, ahistorical, natural way of living in this world, we also have to push that and question it a little bit, because it wasn’t always this way,” Wu said. Wu said the argument that gender-neutral bathrooms will increase the risk of sexual assault is a “red herring.” “Trans women are by and large more likely to be victims of violence – physical violence, sexual violence, than anyone else in the general population and yet they’re being perceived as predators when they are in fact vulnerable,” she said. Maryann Glab, a junior chemical engineering major, said she thinks the addition of gender-neutral restrooms serve a good purpose in the university. “Definitely in college you want everyone to be as comfortable as possible, there’s no need to get your panties in a bunch over it,” Glab said. UB set aside two floors in the Red Jacket Quad, located in the Ellicott Complex for
Integrity Party Name: Riley Oates Party: Integrity Year: Junior Major: Economics and political science Current SA position: none Riley Oates said two of his “core ideals” are honesty and integrity. “Because of these two things I will bring accountability and transparency to the Senate,” Oates said. Oates is running independently against the Empowerment party. Oates was inspired to run independently after former SA president Minahil Khan ran unopposed in 2015. He said he contacted Smith about possibly running on the same party, however Smith never got back to him. He joined the UB Model European Union during his first semester at UB. He also cofounded the UB Debate Society, which he feels qualifies him for the SA senator position. “I find myself to be a very honest person,” Oates said. “I find myself to have morals that I hold myself to and sometimes it’s very difficult to hold yourself to those – that’s a common failure in today’s society.” Oates said he would like to increase transparency within the SA. He said he wants to create a Facebook page, which would explain the budgeting and distribution process. He would explain why he voted on a particular budget for an SA club on the Facebook page. “I want clubs to earn their grants,” Oates said. “I don’t just want to give a club money so one of the things I came up with that I think
Dillon Smith EMPOWERMENT
Riley Oates INTEGRITY would be a really good idea is a matching grant.” Oates said for example, if a club wants $1000, SA Senate could give them $1500 if they fundraise half of the initial price it sought. Most UB students don’t even know what SA Senate is, according to Oates. He said the SA executive board should be responsible for informing more students about the functions of the SA Senate. “I don’t think I have power to change anything,” Oates said. “But what I will be able to do is be a watchdog on the Senate and I will be able to make sure that nothing fishy happens,” Oates said. email: news@ubspectrum.com
UB students and faculty have mixed reactions to new gender-neutral restrooms ASST. NEWS EDITOR
POORVI THIGALE, THE SPECTRUM
A UB student walks into the bathroom. UB recently introduced gender-neutral bathrooms in the Oscar A. Silverman Library in Capen Hall.
Nicole Lowman doesn’t think a specific body part correlates with a sexual identification. Lowman, a second-year English Ph.D. student, said she thinks dividing bathrooms between men and women assumes that gender correlates with sexuality. Gender-neutral bathrooms are one of the many new additions in the recently reopened third floor of the Oscar A. Silverman library, located in Capen Hall. Gender-neutral bathrooms have recently become a major topic of conversation after North Carolina legislatures passed the North Carolina House Bill 2. The legislation, often dubbed as the “bathroom bill,” blocked transgender individuals from using restrooms for the gender they identified as. Lowman said she understands concern regarding sexual assault, but thinks sexual violence goes beyond bathroom labels. She said gender-segregated restrooms “presume heterosexuality.” “I’ve gotten a lot of pushback for this, but I really think that if a person is the type of person who is going to sexually assault someone, they are going to do it whether or not there’s a sign letting them,” she said. Lowman, who has experienced sexual vi-
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gender-neutral housing in 2012. The housing was “anticipated to attract a broad range of students, from those who identify with lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,” according to a 2012 news release. First-year and returning students can apply for this housing, according to UB’s website. Ram Subramanian, a junior computer engineering major, said the gender neutral restroom is a good idea, although he would never personally use it. “I have my own political problems with the whole thing, but I don’t really care, I’m not for it or against it,” Subramanian said. “If it makes people happy, I’m happy. I don’t want to see anyone hurt over a [bathroom].” James Herbstritt, a sophomore computer engineering major, said he thinks genderneutral bathrooms show Buffalo’s “tolerant atmosphere.” Herbstritt said the bathrooms usually come up in conversation with friends, but never in a controversial or negative way. He said gender-neutral restrooms are important to make everyone feel included. “It’s the little things, you know?” Herbstritt said. “Little steps like that can make people feel like they belong instead of [feeling like] an outsider and that’s important.” email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com
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NEWS
Monday, September 19, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Native American students, faculty gather in solidarity
LEANNA WALSH, THE SPECTRUM
UB students and faculty stand outside of the Student Union holding signs saying “Water is life” and “No pipeline on my Holy Grounds” in support of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
UB students and faculty stood outside of the Student Union holding signs saying “Water is life” and “No pipeline on my Holy Grounds.” They danced the Round Dance and said prayers to their Creator. They burned Indian tobacco and reminded each other that water and the Earth are “more important than money.” Onlookers of all race, gender and age paused while on their way to class to listen to the message. Native American protestors gathered in the Student Union field on Friday afternoon to support the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s protest of the North Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) project. UB’s HaudenosauneeNative American Research Group and the Native Graduate Students Association organized the gathering.
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tended Friday’s rally to show his support for the protestors. Demchak said the North Dakota governor and the sheriff ’s department is “just making the rules up as they go along.” “Rights have been violated,” Demchak said. North Dakota national guard was called in to set up concrete roadblocks to the site, while the governor of North Dakota has allegedly shut down cell towers surrounding the camp so that protestors cannot post live footage, according to Demchak. Samantha Ray, a freshman biomedical sciences major, said she came to the rally because she wanted to show support for her people. “Even though we are different tribes and we do have different cultures, we are all indigenous and we are all one people,” Ray said. “So we stand by each other in times of need; and if this contamination kills people or poisons people then it’s basically my family that’s dying.” email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com
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or “Not in my back yard” in objection. The route was changed to just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. On top of environmental concerns, the Sioux resist the DAPL construction because it has, and would destroy sacred sites, burial grounds and other lands, which they said are “protected by federal law,” according to the Smithsonian website. Protestors formed Camp of the Sacred Stones in April 2016 in the area near the Missouri and Cannonball Rivers. The then-small camp, is now an encampment of over 1,000 people and has recently become a literal battleground between developers and protestors. Over Labor Day weekend, developers began to bulldoze, despite a pending injunction filed by the Sioux for a delay of construction. Protestors, including women and children, climbed the wire fence separating them and the construction workers. Developers hired security that maced protestors and several people were bit by security dogs, according to Democracy Now. The Obama administration issued a temporary halt on construction until further environmental assessments, according to CNN. Stephen Demchak is a Navajo and Lakota PhD candidate in American Studies, who at-
APR 29
SARAH CROWLEY ASST. NEWS EDITOR
The Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) is a $3.8 billion 1,170-mile pipeline, which is expected to carry 500,000 barrels of fracked oil from the Bakken oilfields of North Dakota to Illinois, according to Democracy Now. The pipeline will lessen U.S. dependence on foreign energy, according to the Energy Transfer website. Native speakers at the protest talked about objections to DAPL, from environmental destruction to its “spiritual and cultural damage.” The pipeline, if completed, will be “another addition to the historical and contemporaneous traumas of the U.S. indigenous population,” one speaker said. Many people, including environmentalist and indigenous groups, say developers must find another solution. Agnes Williams, a Seneca, Wolf Clan and the Director of Indigenous Women’s Initiatives gave a detailed history of the problem. The pipeline travels under the Missouri River, which provides water to the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and is also a major tributary to the Mississippi River, a water source for over 10 million people, according to Williams. The Sioux are not the first to object to dangers of a possible leak or spill. Williams said the original route for the pipeline was to be north of Bismarck, the state’s capital, but people responded with “NIMBY”
APR 5
Students and faculty hold peaceful protest in support of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
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3 UB’s diversity policy
OPINION THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Gabriela Julia
MANAGING EDITORS
Tori Roseman COPY EDITORS
Saqib Hossain Emma Medina Margaret Wilhelm Dan McKeon Grace Trimper
Monday, September 19, 2016
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Racist incident at Kansas State brings about diversity question at UB
THE SPECTRUM
Last week, a Kansas State University student posted a Snapchat of herself and a friend in a dark facial mask with the caption, “Feels good to finally be a n****.” The university expelled the student, which resulted in a massive outcry from the Kansas State Black Student Union. The organization petitioned to have the university implement an anti-racism policy, a multicultural student center, needbased scholarships for multicultural students and a “required cultural competency course.” This brought discussions about racism and diversity to open forums in which the school’s diversity was in question. This makes us ask – is our campus truly diverse? UB boasts a 17 percent interna-
Monday, September 19, 2016 Volume 66 Number 6 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
tional student population. There was an 11 percent increase in minority student enrollment this year. What do these numbers mean? Lee Melvin, vice provost for Enrollment at UB, said UB has a recruitment team specifically responsible for attracting minority students and the team visits high schools to share minority students’ experience. This statement is extremely vague and we would like to know more specifics on how they attract students, but it does show effort. Unlike Kansas State, UB has a multicultural student center and a new required course on diversity. The editors at The Spectrum feel that while our campus does have diversity, more can be done to include and engage minority students. As stated before, UB has its own diversity center – but it’s usually empty. The diversity center needs to implement more appealing events to attract students to walk into the office. Sometimes they have movie screenings, but it is unlikely stu-
dents will attend since it isn’t a social or networking opportunity. It is also rare that students will go to random club meetings or nationality-based SA clubs without a reason, be it free food, a giveaway, or some sort of competition. As a university, we can do more to not only include minority students, but to get more nonminority students involved in multicultural events. We do not feel that a specific anti-racism policy is necessary. It is better to handle these situations as they come, the way that the university handled the “White Only” and “Black Only” signs last year. After the incident, the art department created a policy that further defined art and where installations can take place. Our Black Student Union issued a statement and held an open forum in the wake of the “White Only” and “Black Only” controversy. We worked through it as a school to ensure no one felt uncomfortable. There is a general anti-discrimina-
tion and harassment policy in place right now that includes race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sex, age and maternal status. It is a big umbrella in which race falls under, but is not directed specifically at racism. So far, this policy has proven effective and until we see an incident similar to that at Kansas State, there is no need to change it. The Kansas Black Student Union has expressed that they feel “misunderstood” on campus. UB has faced situations in which racism takes place – it happens all the time – but the university has been able to handle it. One student’s ignorance led to not only uproar, but action. If we were to see something similar at UB, our university would be forced to take action to protect its students from not just discrimination, but racism. In the meantime, UB should continue to focus on continuing to increase the campus’ diversity and enhancing minority students’ experiences. email: eic@ubspectrum.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Last week, Peter Clavin’s office was vandalized with homophobic slurs. Clavin is a graduate student instructor, teaching courses in African American Studies, a program currently run by the Department of Transnational Studies. As faculty who teach and conduct research on the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality, we are concerned about the safety of our graduate student instructors, and we are concerned about the continued marginalization of Black Studies and Gender Studies at UB. As civil rights attorneys and legal theorists have noted, regardless of gender, race, or sexuality, students and faculty have the right to come to campus and “learn free from fear.” How does UB create the kind of community that will promote not just diversity and inclusion, but also wellbeing and justice? What are the best ways to move forward
from the homophobic vandalism that appeared on a Teaching Assistant’s door? We appreciate that the university police department is taking this incident seriously, but increased policing is not the answer. We need more community accountability, not surveillance. This incident, which was directed at someone who teaches about race, occurred precisely because African American Studies, Global Gender Studies and American Studies programs and departments have been purposefully shrunk by the administration over the course of nearly a decade. We are now in one department called “Transnational Studies.” We are invisible, underfunded, perceived as small, unimportant, and – therefore – vulnerable. We recommend the following steps toward community accountability:
UB needs a surge of financial resources devoted to providing safe spaces for students of color and for LGBTQ students on campus. This includes both undergraduate and graduate students. We need increased student affairs programming on social justice. We need a stronger commitment to growing and promoting the curriculum on race, indigeneity, gender, and sexuality. Following the lead of other top universities, UB should make a public commitment to hiring more faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and fully funding graduate students teaching in these areas across the university. UB should highlight the historic importance of Black Studies and Women’s Studies on this campus. Programs in these areas were some of the very first in the entire nation. They deserve recognition and
space to thrive. UB needs to put resources back into the study of race, gender, and sexuality. Rather than alienate faculty and graduate students working in these areas, the university must provide financial support for such research. UB should highlight the historic importance of Native Studies on this campus. Additionally, the university should formally recognize that it operates on Haudenosaunee lands. Now is the opportunity to strengthen UB’s community of learners and to show here is how we lead the charge toward a more just community. LaKisha Simmons, Assistant Professor of Transnational Studies Cynthia Wu, Associate Professor of Transnational Studies
4 Spectrum editors nominated for Pinnacle Awards
FEATURES
Monday, September 19, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
GABRIELA JULIA Two writers and a photographer nominated for three national awards EVAN GRISLEY AND KENNETH KASHIF THOMAS FEATURES EDITOR AND SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
Two profiles and a photograph from The Spectrum are among the finalists for national college student awards. The College Media Association (CMA) Pinnacle award has nominated current editor in chief Gabriela Julia and former editor in chief Tom Dinki for two profiles they published during the spring 2016 semester. Current senior photo editor Kainan Guo has been nominated for the Photographer’s Forum College photography contest and Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) Photo excellence award. Julia was nominated for Best Sports Feature for her work on “Unbreakable: UB student-athlete returns to track after giving birth,” which profiles the life of a studentathlete after becoming a mother. “The story started off with just a conver-
sation in a Monday meeting,” Julia said. “It wasn’t until we had went through the editing process and it was published that I had thought about submitting it.” Dinki was nominated for Best Profile for his piece, “UB student doubles as male escort, gay porn star,” about a student who opens up about his work in the sex and adult film industry. “For me I wanted to tell two sides to the adult industry,” Dinki said. “I wanted to show a side most people don’t see, good and bad.” Guo was nominated for the ACP Photo Excellence Award for his cover photo of UB student-athlete Darien Johnson. “It was really exciting, thinking about the past two years, we never really won anything for photos,” Guo said. “I contacted my parents and told them I was nominated for a national award and they were really proud of me. I feel proud that I can make my parents feel proud of me.” As an independent student newspaper, The Spectrum doesn’t rely on funding from the University. “Despite our small size, lack of funding and no major we are still able to compete with those papers that have huge funding and huge staff,” Dinki said. “I think it would be incredible to see what [The Spectrum] could do with just a little more support.”
The stories represent milestones in the careers of the nominees but that doesn’t stop them from referring back to see where they can improve. “I still read the story and think about things I can change on it,” Julia said. “It showed me how important editing is. I was up until 6 a.m. before a production day editing it and making the story as appealing to the reader as possible.” All three of the nominees say their nominations came from going the extra mile. Guo feels that the nomination made it all worth it, especially after a tough year. “I feel the The Spectrum photo desk was not as strong as other desks, it was a tough year last year, we only had one person in the class,” Guo said. “I feel all the hard work late nights really made up for being nominated for this award.” The nominations represent a continuing trend of award-winning and nominated journalism at The Spectrum. “I think that it is really great, seven years ago The Spectrum had zero awards for the first 50 years it was here at UB,” Julia said. “You don’t have to go to a school with a huge journalism program or major in journalism. If you are really interested in a story and you work hard on it, that’s where the awards come.”
TOM DINKI
KAINAN GUO
email: features@ubspectrum.com
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT UB presents multi-gallery ‘Situations’ exhibition
Monday, September 19, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Brazilian-born artist’s first solo museum exhibition now on view in both of UB’s art galleries
JIMMY CORRA, THE SPECTRUM
Lydia Okumura, a Brazilian-born artist, created all three pieces shown and is displaying her work in UB’s new Situations exhibition. Much of Okumura’s work challenges the sense space, location, and depth.
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Lydia Okumura has made UB art galleries multi-dimensional. The walls and floors of the galleries are adorned with Okumura’s work. She is a Brazilian-born artist who is displaying decades of her work in the new exhibition titled “Situations.” The exhibit is in both the UB Art Gallery in the Center for the Arts on North Campus and the UB Anderson Gallery near South Campus. Both exhibitions were unveiled on Sept. 8. The pieces at the UB Art Gallery will be on display through Dec. 17, while the UB Anderson Art Gallery will be displaying its pieces through Jan. 8. Admission to both galleries is free and open to the public. Bob Scalise, the acting director of the Anderson Gallery, said that this is Okumura’s first solo museum exhibition. “[Okamura’s] been in a lot of shows, but she hasn’t had a comprehensive exhibition like this,” he said. Okamura, who has been a working artist for almost 50 years, uses simple materials to “blur the line between two and three dimensions,” the exhibit states. She does this through a variety of media, ranging from paint and string to stainless steel wire mesh. Each piece in the Anderson Gallery is of special interest to UB students and Buffalo residents. All of the metal works within the exhibition were produced in Buffalo and many materials are from local vendors. The pieces are located both inside and outside of the gallery. No surface is off-limits for Okumura. One of the most unique sections of the exhibition is located on the Anderson Gallery’s second floor, where her work is delicately intertwined with sample selections from the permanent collection of the UB art galleries. The multi-dimensional pieces within the exhibition test one’s sense of space, location and depth. One piece titled “Different Dimensions of Reality II” features three-dimensional aluminum plates with a painted wall behind
them that continues the pattern, requiring a discerning scan to determine where the plates end and the wall begins. Each piece within the gallery makes a similarly complex statement, yet is welcoming enough to be easy to appreciate for the casual viewer. Okumura’s background has largely influenced her work. She currently lives in New York, but was born to a Japanese immigrant family in São Paulo, Brazil in 1948. She moved to the United States in 1974 but worked as an artist long before that. The work on display in the “Situations” exhibition dates back to 1972. UB has selected Okumura’ work, which has previously been on display in numerous museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Scalise said the Anderson Gallery is interested in bringing more student visitors and would urge students to come “to see the rich resources of contemporary art that you have right in your own neighborhood.” Many museum-goers attended the opening of the exhibit but there has been a lack of students visiting the galleries. Scalise does not want students to be intimidated and hopes they begin to come into the gallery. “There is this stigma where [people think] museums aren’t approachable and people are afraid that they don’t know what they’re looking at,” Scalise said. “People, especially UB students, should know that [art is] very approachable; that’s why artists do this work, to engage the people.” The UB Anderson Art Gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. The UB Art Gallery in the Center for the Arts is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Saturday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Monday, September 19, 2016
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE SPECTRUM
UB student fuses creative forces Fusion networking event makes a statement in its second year
BENJAMIN BLANCHET STAFF WRITER
Nicole Rossi took pictures of dancers as they balanced in small spaces between delivery boxes and twisted their bodies in front of aged windows. Rossi, a senior communications major, asked dancers to model in grungy manners, hoping to convey an “unconventional definition of beauty” with her pictures. Rossi, along with 30 other students, gathered for Fusion: UB Dance and Photography in the Center for the Arts main lobby on Saturday, taking part in the afternoon-long networking event. After chatting with one another, photographers paired up with dancers and models. The groups then ventured off through North Campus and the city of Buffalo, taking pictures of dancers and models. Some students used this event as an opportunity to express their creativity. “That’s what I wanted from the dancers here – displaying your body in a way that it could be beautiful, but disturbing in a way. You want to see pointed toes and beautiful curvatures in the body,” Rossi said. “When you contort the body in a way that’s sort of not seen very often, it catches your eye and draws you in.” Deja Stevens, a senior dance major, started the event last year as a networking opportunity. “The goal for Fusion is to get together as many different artists to have a photo shoot for fun, to network and to get to know each other for relationships to be built,” she said. Stevens said she didn’t realize just how amazing the photos taken during last year’s event would turn out. “The most exciting thing about last year’s event was the surprise,” Stevens said. “Nobody knew how well the event would turn about to be, how well photos would be and that [participants] would just fall in love with their photographers.” The surprise worked in Fusion’s favor this year, attracting new students to the event to take pictures or otherwise model for photographers. Ginger Page, a sophomore dance and business major, missed the event last year but was inspired to get involved this year. “I came here today because of the passion that Deja has for [Fusion],” Page said. “Since this year is Buffalo themed and I’m a
Buffalo native, I really wanted to show my Buffalo pride by coming here.” Photographers, dancers and models also traveled to Allentown and the Tri-Main Center off Jewett Avenue. “I’ve never taken a photo shoot downtown,” Page said. “I’ve taken pictures by the Albright-Knox area but I really wanted to get the city feel since the city is evolving and becoming much better.” While some were influenced to attend Fusion for the first time, other students like Laura Nasca were familiar with Stevens’ event. Nasca, a senior dance and graphic design major, was only involved in the photography aspect of last year’s event. This year, she not only shot dancers posing on top of desks in Baird Hall and balancing between bookcases in Lockwood Library, but also modeled herself in one of the Tri-Main Center’s abandoned, spacy rooms. “I did the shoot last year and I was just taking pictures,” Nasca said. “This year, I decided to dance and take pictures, doing a
little bit of both. It’s always fun because you get to be on both sides of the lens.” Nasca thought carpooling with fellow students to downtown Buffalo was one of the best experiences from the show. “We learned from [last year’s event] what we wanted to do differently and to do additionally. That’s why we winded up heading downtown,” Nasca said. “We wanted to check out some new spots off campus, to explore and to get a different artistic vibe from the city where we live in order to create our pieces.” Students utilized natural light, staircases and tight window spaces while in different locations, such as the Tri-Main Center. “When you get to a warehouse like [TriMain’s], it’s the perfect opportunity to get down and dirty with the dancers,” Rossi said. “It has them showcase the raw, human qualities that are also sort of beautiful but mysterious and dark at the same time.” Stevens was happy with the turnout for the event and said she hopes to make a long-lasting impact at UB.
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
(top)Sophmore dance major Erica Sedor shows off her skills in the Center for the Arts at the Fusion event. The event brought artists together to collaborate and network with eachother. (bottom) UB dance majors Erica Sedor, Alli Bollinger, Tori Gorny, Savannah Sigmon, Rachel Kotas, Caroline Sheehan, and Victoria Parr strike a pose in the CFA lobby at Fusion, an event started by Deja Stevens for UB artists to network and collaborate.
“To see everyone dig into their creativity is all that you would hope for,” Stevens said. “To see things come to life is exciting.” email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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THE SPECTRUM
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8
SPORTS
Monday, September 19, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Looking ahead UB volleyball fights for victory amidst a freshmen-heavy team THOMAS ZAFONTE STAFF WRITER
This time last year, the UB women’s volleyball team had a number of wins under their belt. One year later and the Bulls are 1-12. The team got off to an 0-10 start – the last time the Bulls had lost ten games so early they finished the season 4-28. This marks the worst start the Bulls have had since 2000. Many attribute this to the young nature of the team, since more than half the team are freshmen. However, second-year head coach Blair Brown Lipsitz is looking ahead. Not to next season, but to the games ahead. Lipsitz believes her young, freshmen-filled lineup could find its peak at the most important part of the season as the Bulls open Conference play this Friday against Kent State. Buffalo won its first game of the year Saturday in their last game before Conference play began. “As the year goes on, I think we are going to excel,” Lipsitz said. “Even in the losses we find something great.” There are eight freshmen on the current
roster compared to only two upperclassmen: one senior and one junior. It is one of the youngest teams in program’s history. Fresh faces are taking leadership roles, since there are such a small number of upperclassmen. This also allows freshmen to play in key positions almost immediately. Freshman captain Scout McLerran is the main setter for the Bulls. McLerran came in with three state titles from her high school play and was named All State. She is not afraid to take on the role of a captain so early in her career. It’s evident that the setter is mature beyond her years – she takes charge and is vocal during practice. McLerran is just one brick to help rebuild the team after the loss of so many upperclassmen. The team hasn’t been successful yet, which could be from a lack of older mentors to help the young team. “It is a building year, we are building team chemistry,” McLerran said. “We are definitely young and on most teams it is more evenly distributed. We only have two examples of upperclassmen.” Others don’t see a problem with the freshmen, rather, the attitude of the team. Sophomore Megan Wernette, another
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
(top)Niagara players tip the ball over the net. This season marks the worst start the Bulls have had since 2000. (bottom)Head coach Blair Brown Lipsitz encourages her players in the game against Niagara.
captain on the team, believes the team needs to find an identity if they want to turn this season around. “We have had some big comebacks, we just got to carry that through and become a team that can finish,” Wernette said. “[We need to] establish a personality, establish what we stand for as a team.”
Transition year As UB football looks toward the future on the field, they must do the same on the sidelines
MICHAEL AKELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
If Saturday night’s game at Nevada was supposed to be the start of a new era for UB’s football program, it’s safe to say it didn’t go quite as head coach Lance Leipold planned. UB was blown out of the building Saturday night at Mackay Stadium, losing 38-14 in a game where there were few positives takeaways. Buffalo’s front seven, which was supposed to
be a strength of the team coming into the year, was gashed for 352 rushing yards, including 174 yards and three touchdowns from junior running back James Butler. Nevada led the game 31-0 late in the third quarter before Buffalo finally got on the board with a 57-yard screen pass touchdown from Jackson to senior running back Jordan Johnson. Freshman Tyree Jackson struggled for the most part in his first career start, going just 7-23 for 130 yards and a touchdown throwing the ball. He also added 87 yards on eight carries on the ground. Although Buffalo still has time to right the ship, their performance in the first two games gives no indication that they will be able to do so this season. This is a transition year for UB, and Leipold should, and most likely will, let Jackson play through the growing pains. For Jackson, a road game against a tough Nevada team was a difficult situation for a
freshman quarterback in his first career start to face. Saturday night’s game matched the furthest west UB has ever traveled for a road game in the program’s history. His first start may have been underwhelming, but his potential still remains immense. Sophomore running back Johnathan Hawkins, a former three-star recruit from Georgia, is another young player on Buffalo’s offense with big time upside. He figures to continue the rich history of great running backs for Buffalo once Johnson graduates. Hawkins should see more touches this year than last. He carried nine times on Saturday for 53 yards as Johnson’s top backup. Together, him and Jackson appear to have the makings of a dangerous backfield duo for Buffalo. If this turns out to be a lost year for the Bulls as they transition to a new core of players and look towards the future, it’s fair to start wondering whether they have the
The volleyball team still has an opportunity to turn their season around in their upcoming games. If the freshmen can pull together, there is hope to end the season on a high. The next game will be Sept. 23 at Kent State at 7 p.m. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
right coach for the job. Buffalo has now lost its last five games under Leipold dating back to last season. I’m not suggesting that Buffalo should hit the panic button and fire Leipold this early in the season. I’m not even saying Leipold should be on the hot seat just yet. But if Leipold can’t put a jolt into this team in the near future, it’s fair to wonder whether the former Division-III coach is in over his head at the Division-I level. It would be tough to give up on Leipold this soon, but with the team seemingly hitting the reset button on the field with eyes on the future, the same questions must be asked on the sideline. In Jackson, Buffalo is sitting on a rare talent it can’t afford to waste. The next few years will be pivotal for the program and UB needs to make sure it has the right coach for the job. Should Buffalo continue to let Jackson and Leipold grow together, or is it time to go in another direction sooner rather than later? The next few games should bring answers. If Buffalo continues to come out looking flat as they have in their first two games, it may be time to pull the plug. email: micheal.akelson@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @mikeakelson