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UBSPECTRUM.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2016
VOLUME 65 NO. 52
SOLOMON JACKSON 1995 - 2016
Jackson dies following medical emergency
Jackson remembered as ‘ultimate teammate’
JORDAN GROSSMAN
JORDAN GROSSMAN
SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
UB football player Solomon Jackson died Monday night, one week after suffering a medical emergency during a team conditioning session, the university announced Tuesday morning. Jackson was a redshirt sophomore defensive end from Stone Mountain, Georgia and was in his junior year academically as a sociology major. He was 20 years old. Jackson’s emergency occurred at the North Amherst Recreation Center – about five miles from North Campus – on the morning of Feb. 22, and he had been hospitalized at Buffalo General Medical Center ever since. UB has cited the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as to why it cannot release Jackson’s health information or cause of death, and Michael Hughes, Buffalo General spokesperson, said Jackson’s family has declined to release his cause of death. Several of Jackson’s former teammates and coaches said Jackson did not have any known medical conditions. Former teammates and coaches also said Jackson had been in a coma since the incident at practice. The Spectrum submitted a Freedom of Information Law request to Amherst Police on Feb. 23 for the report on Jackson’s emergency, but APD had not responded with such documents by the time of press Tuesday night. UB Athletics did not make football players and coaches available for comment on Tuesday, but head coach Lance Leipold did release a statement about Jackson Tuesday afternoon. He called Jackson a “Godly” man who had great values instilled in him by his parents Steve and Jakkii. “Solomon was the epitome of what you want in a college student-athlete,” Leipold said. Athletic Director Allen Greene, who with President Satish Tripathi visited Jackson and his family at Buffalo General last week, gave his condolences to Jackson’s family in a statement announcing Jackson’s death Tuesday morning. He said UB will share information when it becomes available. Buffalo General personnel told The Spectrum on the night of Feb. 22 that Jackson was in critical condition. Buffalo General would then not give an update on Jackson’s condition throughout the week, as Hughes said Jackson’s family had respectfully declined to release any information. Many friends and teammates, both current and former, of Jackson’s took to social media Tuesday to express their grief for Jackson’s death. Many used the hashtag #ForeverABull to honor Jackson. There was also a moment of silence held before Tuesday night’s men’s basketball game in Jackson’s honor. UB Athletics passed around signs with the number 41, Jackson’s number for the Bulls, along with the words “Forever a Bull, RIP Solomon Jackson.” Jackson appeared in all 12 games for the Bulls last season, and registered 13 tackles and two sacks.
Joe Licata vividly remembers a UB home game that he wasn’t particularly proud of. The former UB football star quarterback had just thrown an interception and was distraught about his play. Solomon Jackson then came up to Licata on the sidelines and told him “We’re going to need you. We’ll get you the ball back. Keep doing your thing. We believe in you.” “That’s just him,” Licata said. “He always believed. He always had faith in his guys. He was an ultimate team player.” For 10 seconds at Alumni Arena on Tuesday night, fans, students, UB Athletics administrators and members of the Buffalo and Miami Ohio men’s basketball teams stood together in silence to honor that ultimate team player. Jackson died Monday night, one week after suffering a medical emergency at a team conditioning session off campus on Feb. 22. UB Athletics, while releasing statements from Athletic Director Allen Greene and football head coach Lance Leipold, did not make current coaches and players available for comment Tuesday, and Jackson’s family could not be reached. But some of Jackson’s peers, former teammates and high school administrators who spoke to The Spectrum are choosing to remember Jackson as more than just Buffalo’s sophomore defensive end, but a hard working and caring person with an infectious smile. “He should be remembered as an outstanding person,” said Jackson’s Tucker High School principal James Jackson, who has no relation to Solomon. “Sometimes, we get caught up on the football piece … To me, he’ll always be remembered as a great person. I have three boys. If my boys end up being like Solomon – the way they carry themselves – then I’ve done a great job as a parent.” James Jackson was getting ready for work Tuesday morning when he received a call from Jackson’s father, Steve, around 7:47 a.m. Steve told him Jackson had “gone on to glory.” Initially, James Jackson felt shock. He couldn’t comprehend how this could happen to a person that he said has never had any known prior injury other than a pulled hamstring. Mackenzie Loesing felt the same way. Loesing, a former guard for the women’s basketball team, had a personal friendship with Jackson that went further than the UB Athletics community. When she first learned of Jackson’s passing, she was “devastated.” Fighting back tears, Loesing described the first encounter she ever had with Jackson during student-athlete summer conditioning before UB students arrived to campus. “He went into that big bear hug,” Loesing said. “That’s really representative of who he is as a person. He’s just a warm person from that first moment, he radiated warmth and wasn’t afraid to spread that contagious smile of his.”
email: sports@ubspectrum.com
ubspectrum.com
41 TOP PHOTO BY ANGELA BARCA, MIDDLE PHOTOS BY YUSONG SHI, BOTTOM PHOTO BY GABRIELA JULIA, THE SPECTRUM
(TOP) Solomon Jackson during his time with the UB football team. (BOTTOM) Students hold signs memorializing Jackson at Tuesday’s basketball game.
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CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
@ubspectrum
2Students seek to end fossil
NEWS
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
fuel investments at UB Fossil Free UB starts divestment campaign
HANNAH STEIN STAFF WRITER
Of UB’s entire budget, 5 percent – or $50 million – is invested in fossil fuels, according to Fossil Free UB. UB has committed itself to becoming climate neutral by 2030, but Fossil Free UB, an organization on campus, said action must be taken sooner. Fossil Free UB is part of Fossil Free, an international network of campaigns that advocates for the end of fossils fuel use and investment within a five-year span with the ultimate goal of reinvesting in clean energy. It aims to take the money from the fossil fuel industry and place it into the green industry with solar power and energy alternatives. UB’s group meets tri-weekly with pertinent discussions on how to bring fossil fuel divestment to UB. The group is planning more events in order to bring awareness to their campaign. “They have never had to change, and now we are going to pressure them to change,” said Vanessa Dwyer, the leader of Fossil Free UB and president of the Environmental Network. Ryan McPherson, UB’s chief sustainability officer, said while other schools might be moving quicker toward sustainability, UB is looking on ways to improve their own sustainability measures. “We’re trying to figure out how we can do this in a way we can maximize the revenue for the university but doing it in a way that aligns with our principles,” he said. “Many smaller schools have moved a little bit quicker. We’re encouraging to continue the dialogue with that, to stay engaged in the process for a better tomorrow and to navigate for the best
way possible to maintain sustainability.” McPherson said UB formed the Socially Responsible Investment Committee three years ago in which faculty, students and staff “assess what types of equities from a sustainability standpoint the foundation has.” Since September, when Fossil Free UB was brought to campus, support has been gathered from Student Association clubs like UB for Israel, the Outdoor Adventure Club and the Environmental Network, as well as Students for Sustainability Council. Their plan is to continue gathering support from clubs, students, administration and faculty and to then present it to President Satish Tripathi during Earth Week. “I believe in the divestment movement because it’s at the point where we have to make up our minds whether to divest,” said Dillon Smith, a junior economics major, SA Senate Chair and a SUNY SA delegate. “The science is there to prove that it’s constructive and I feel it is completely in the power of the students to have a say in our future.” Since October, Dwyer has been communicating with organizations such as the National People’s Action and People United for Sustainable Housing Buffalo about how to make this campaign successful on campus. When Dwyer met with representatives from SUNY Cortland, she learned their campaign was rejected on the spot because of a lack of student support and petition, so she said student awareness and involvement are crucial. “I believe divestment is going to be the most effective strategy,” Dwyer said. “If you take the power away from the multibillion dollar industries, they don’t have much they can do left.” In March 2007, UB signed the Universi-
Department of Geography
Summer 2016 Courses
Session J (May 31- July 8, 2016) GEO 101 Earth System Science Online GEO 103 Geog. of Economic Systems Online
GEO 334 International Business Cultures Online
ty Presidents’ Climate Commitment. There was additionally a Climate Action Plan in 2009. Dwyer however said she’s not seeing any follow-up action that proves they are trying to be sustainable. “A university that is celebrated for sustainability initiatives should be in the forefront of the movement to slow climate change through fossil fuel divestment,” according to a statement made by Fossil Free UB. A Fossil Free UB petition will be going around campus in the upcoming months to get students and faculty involved, Dwyer said.
Ultimately, Fossil Free UB said it hopes to get all of UB involved in the campaign and to eventually get every SUNY school involved. “You have more power as a student than you realize and if you utilize that, you can make huge amounts of change,” Dwyer said. “This an important issue to the students in the Buffalo community and that by divesting from fossil fuels, we’ll be able to have a positive effect on fighting climate change and that is the biggest issue of our time.” email: news@ubspectrum.com
HANNAH STEIN, THE SPECTRUM
Fossil Free UB is a group working toward making campus “greener.” Rather than spending money on fossil fuels, the organization said they believe UB should be investing more in green energy, such as solar power.
STAY LONGER REACH HIGHER
Session M (July 11-August 19, 2016) GEO 330 Dynamics of International Business Online GEO 333 International Trade Online GEO 481 (Undergraduate) or GEO 506 (Graduate) Geographic Info Systems T R 6:30pm - 9:40pm (Lecture) T R 5:00pm - 6:20pm (Lab)
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3
OPINION
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board
Statement from Athletic Director Allen Greene UB Athletics Community,
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Tom Dinki
MANAGING EDITORS
Alyssa McClure Gabriela Julia COPY EDITORS
Renée Staples Saqib Hossain NEWS EDITORS
Marlee Tuskes, Senior Ashley Inkumsah Evan Schneider FEATURES EDITORS
Tori Roseman, Senior Tomas Olivier John Jacobs, Asst. ARTS EDITORS
Brian Windschitl, Senior Kenneth Kashif Thomas Luke Hueskin, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
It is with deep sadness that I write to share that we have lost one of our own, UB football player Solomon Jackson, who passed away last night. Our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathies go out to Solomon’s family as together we mourn his tragic and untimely death. From the outpouring of prayers and support over the past week since Solomon was hospitalized, it has been abundantly clear just how many lives he touched on a daily basis through his contribu-
PHOTO EDITORS
CARTOONISTS
Joshua Bodah Michael Perlman CREATIVE DIRECTORS
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGERS
Nicole Dominguez Lee Stoeckel, Asst. Evan Meenan Asst. ADVERTISING DESIGNER
Derek Hosken
THE SPECTRUM Wednesday, March 2, 2016 Volume 65 Number 52 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
to make memorial and funeral arrangements, we will share more information as it becomes available. In the meantime, I know I am joined by the entire Athletics family in expressing my deepest personal sympathies to Solomon’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. Sincerely, C. Allen Greene Director of Athletics University at Buffalo
Opening up about my drinking and depression helped me cope
Yusong Shi, Co-senior Kainan Guo, Co-senior Angela Barca .
Professional Staff
very early age and brought them to all he undertook. He was active in his community and in his church – a genuinely kind spirit who was devoted to his family and to the wellbeing of people around him. All of us who had the pleasure and good fortune of knowing Solomon will remember him as a truly bright light on the field, in the classroom and around campus. We will remember him for his love of the game and his love of life. The best way we can honor his memory is for each of us to keep those values close in our own lives. As Solomon’s family prepares
A six-mile ‘walk of shame’
Jordan Grossman, Co-senior Quentin Haynes, Co-senior
Pierce Strudler Anthony Khoury, Asst.
tions and character – as an athlete, as a student, as a friend and mentor to others, and as an active and engaged member of our campus community. As a redshirt-sophomore defensive end from Stone Mountain, Georgia who was pursuing a major in sociology, Solomon demonstrated tremendous promise as a student-athlete, both on and off the field. President Tripathi and I visited Solomon and his family early last week at the hospital, and from our visit it was clear Solomon was a young man of great character and integrity. He held these values at a
JOHN JACOBS
ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
Last Halloween weekend, my housemates and I went out partying and everyone made it back safe. Except for me. They thought I was dead. It was the day before Halloween and we took a party bus downtown to an open bar. I was dressed as the rapper Eminem dressed as a candy M&M. My costume was about the only good choice I made that night. We got there and the bar was pretty much empty. I was eager and depressed, so I started drinking right away. I didn’t want to feel the depression anymore so I tried to drink it away. My drink of choice was equally depressing. Ordering “sex on the beach” is a weird experience because it feels like you’re propositioning the bartender. I didn’t care about the slight amount of awkwardness because fruity drinks are the best. Manly? No. Delicious? Yes. I drank too much in the next hour. Suddenly I was “that guy.” Anyone who’s been to a bar or a party knows what I’m talking about. “That guy” who doesn’t understand personal boundaries and will talk to anyone, and by talk I mean scream obnoxiously in their face. I remember talking to a group of
guys. They must not have enjoyed my company because one of them punched me in the back of the head. I remember drinking more after that. After that my memory is blank. Nothing. I existed and was conscious for another three hours or so but I have no memory. The next day I woke up at noon alone. I had no clue where I was or how I’d gotten there. The house I was in was empty. I turned my phone on and called one of my housemates so they would know where I was and could come get me. My phone died after the first ring. I left the house and buttoned my jacket all the way up so no one could see the gold chain or the red shirt with the big white ‘m’s’ on the front of it. I picked a direction that looked good and walked, walked and walked. I thought about stopping a stranger and asking to use their phone but I didn’t know my roommates’ numbers by heart. Plus, I wasn’t exactly sure how to word my situation to a stranger. Excuse me ma’am. I’m terribly hung over and don’t have a single clue where I am. May I borrow your phone? Finally, after about an hour of walking, I realized I was by Daemen College, which is relatively close to South Campus. Luckily, I’d ended up in a familiar place. I walked another mile or two to South, took the bus to North Campus, and walked from North to Sweet Home Road. I must have walked about six miles that day. Talk about a walk of shame.
I came into the apartment. Only one roommate was home, the rest were out looking for me. He was relieved, shocked and incredibly pissed. “Where were you?” he said. “We thought you were dead.” The last time they’d seen me I was ridiculously drunk and was complaining about getting punched. Then I just disappeared. They called the cops when I didn’t show up or respond to their dozens of texts by noon. They were planning on looking for me in the alleys of downtown Buffalo that afternoon. Some people might think, “Why didn’t your friends keep track of you to begin with?” But I’m a guy. We don’t watch each other that closely when we drink. Plus, it was an open bar and everyone was having trouble keeping track of themselves that night, let alone someone else. I don’t blame my friends or the bartender or anyone else for what happened. I blame myself because it was my bad choice. I was depressed and pretty badly so. There is no specific reason why I was depressed – that’s the scary thing about depression, it doesn’t really need a reason. Some days I wouldn’t even get up for class and the days that I did I was in a haze. I existed but didn’t feel anything. I drank like that because it temporarily made me feel better. Admitting this isn’t something that I’m proud of. I don’t like admitting I need help with little things like directions, let alone my mental health – but I’m trying to
be more open. Things didn’t get better immediately and I struggled with depression for a couple of months. After that night I realized that alcohol wasn’t helping so I stopped drinking all together for the rest of the semester. I think it’s impossible to get your life together when you’re constantly getting blasted out of your mind every weekend. My life isn’t completely where I want it to be right now but it’s better than it was last semester. Some days I wake up and feel like doing nothing but I think that’s normal for a college kid. The depression comes back every once in a while but now I know how to get rid of it when it does. Exercising and talking to other people are the two things I find most helpful. Things only got better for me because I opened up and actually talked about my problems. I talked to my friends, family and a counselor. Most guys my age don’t want to talk about their problems because they think admitting they’re flawed is synonymous with admitting weakness. I thought this too for a long time and it stopped me from getting the help I needed. Breaking news: everyone is flawed. If someone judges you for being honest about your struggles they’re not worth your time. If you’re struggling, talk to someone who’s willing to listen. Open up. Things get better when you let them. email: john.jacobs@ubspectrum.com
Why planting Acorns won’t get you trees The spare-change app doesn’t measure up
KENNETH KASHIF THOMAS ARTS EDITOR
As people constantly search for the next easy and convenient product, diet or app, they find themselves looking back and wondering why they ever got into a trend. Recently, people have taken to the spare-change app Acorns, based out of Newport Beach, California, in the hopes of growing their own money trees. Rounding up your change from purchases, the app builds a diversified portfolio managed by the Vanguard and Blackrock investment firms. At face value the app is an amaz-
ing concept, but after using it and gaining a deeper understanding of it, the luster of first appearances quickly fades. The first problem with the app comes with its intended use, which is to create a fund to use with spare-change rounded up from purchases over the course of at least 20 years. Are you comfortably leaving cash in an app-based institution for years when you’ll be changing phones on a yearly basis? Also, is a little over $1,000 really that enticing when you’ll be getting it when you’ll most likely already be established financially? While the backing of firms such as Vanguard or Blackrock is great, you’re better off doing two things: Either putting your funds in a high-yield savings account or opening an account with these firms directly. This is where we get to the sec-
ond issue of the app: fees. The app has two ways of charging its users. For accounts under $5,000, the app charges $1 a month and charges 0.25 percent for accounts over $5,000. While it doesn’t seem like much to pay, why would you pay anyone to hold your money? If you have $5,000 to invest why would you put it into an app that specializes in investing people’s spare-change? The reason you would be better investing anything under $100 into a savings account is because when you’re investing such small amounts into an investment account, you won’t see any significant gains – maybe a few cents on a good market day. The app is best used by those with no knowledge of investing or saving to get interested in the topic and confident enough to do it on your own.
Think of it as finance training wheels – it shows you what your portfolio consists of, fractional shares of various bonds and stocks and, hopefully, will create an interest for you to go out and look into it outside of the app. Conveniently, there is a feature that allows you to make $5 just for inviting a friend that signs up for an account, which is not a bad way to make some side money. In addition, there are no account minimums and students can sign up for free if they use their school email address. As a previous user who liquidated his account, I would encourage those looking to become somewhat savvy in investment to use it and play around with it. But don’t expect a money tree from your acorn – you might find yourself paying out sooner than later. email: kenneth.thomas@ubspectrum.com
4
NEWS UB ranks ahead of several public universities Wednesday, March 2, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Athletics, diversity and competitive research opportunities give UB national attention
UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO CURRENT RANK:
DIVERSITY BREAKDOWN:
LAST YEAR’S RANK:
41 47
ACCEPTANCE RATE:
2.5% NON-RESIDENT ALIEN
57.80% 52.60% CURRENT RANK:
LAST YEAR’S RANK:
27 32
52.2% WHITE
15.6% NON-RESIDENT ALIEN
4 YEAR GRADUATION RATE:
STONY BROOK
Information according to Buffalo Business First rankings
0.2% NATIVE AMERICAN
6.7% HISPANIC
0.1% PACIFIC ISLANDER
BUFFALO STATE CURRENT RANK:
7.4% BLACK
LAST YEAR’S RANK:
241 206
15.3% ASIAN
BINGHAMTON CURRENT RANK:
LAST YEAR’S RANK:
4 YEAR GRADUATION RATE:
ACCEPTANCE RATE:
4 YEAR GRADUATION RATE:
ACCEPTANCE RATE:
4 YEAR GRADUATION RATE:
41.30%
47.60%
61.60%
22.40%
44.10%
67.90%
6.7% BLACK
57.1% WHITE
54.5% WHITE
5.4% BLACK
11.1% HISPANIC
2.5% MULTIRACIAL
26.2% ASIAN
14.3% NON-RESIDENT ALIEN
1.5% NONRESIDENT ALIEN 0.1% NATIVE AMERICAN 0.2% PACIFIC ISLANDER
11.9% HISPANIC
2.5% ASIAN
LAST YEAR’S RANK:
0.1% NATIVE AMERICAN 0.1% PACIFIC ISLANDER
ACCEPTANCE RATE:
4 YEAR GRADUATION RATE:
59.10% 66.10% 77.4% WHITE
9.3% NONRESIDENT ALIEN
3.2% BLACK
10.6% HISPANIC
6.6% ASIAN
25.7% BLACK
0.2% NATIVE AMERICAN, 0.1% PACIFIC ISLANDER
CURRENT RANK:
18 20 46 35
ACCEPTANCE RATE:
38.9% WHITE
GENESEO
6.9% HISPANIC
2.6% MULTIRACIAL
14.9% ASIAN 2.5% MULTIRACIAL
3.3% MULTIRACIAL
0.2% NATIVE AMERICAN 0.1% PACIFIC ISLANDER
3.0% NON-RESIDENT ALIEN
GRAPHIC BY PIERCE STRUDLER
SARAH CROWLEY STAFF WRITER
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UB proved to be a front-runner in many areas – including athletics, diversity and research – compared to other universities, according to a recent poll. A recent Buffalo Business First study ranked UB 41 out of 477 public universities, marking a six-place jump from last year’s ranking. As UB edges into third place among other SUNY schools, other universities like Stony Brook, Binghamton and Geneseo have all dropped off since last year’s ranking. The study draws on 20 indicators of academic excellence, prestige, affordability, diversity and economic strength. For some UB students and administrators, the university’s reputation goes beyond the numbers. Chris Krysztofowicz, a sophomore English major, said he sees UB’s diverse student body as a reason for the university’s growing prestige. “I bet a lot of it is our diversity,” Krysztofowicz said. “Everyone talks about it nowadays, but it really does contribute to the academic experience just being around so many new cultures and perspectives.” Racial diversity accounts for a little more than 2 percent of the factors weighed in ranking the schools. The report uses the Gini-Simpson Index, which calculates the odds that two random students selected would be of different races. UB scored a 67 percent for student diversity and 42.8 percent for faculty diversity. According to UB’s demographic statistics, 48 percent of students are white while almost 79 percent of UB’s faculty is white. While UB’s recruitment and academic changes aren’t influenced by these rankings, positive attention speaks to the success of many new initiatives the school has undertaken in the last few years, according to UB Spokesperson John Della Contrada. Della Contrada cites the success of UB’s “Finish in 4” program, an initiative aimed to help students graduate in a timely manner with less debt, as a reason for its prestige. Finish in 4 has helped UB’s four-year graduation rate rise to 26 percent above the national average, Della Contrada said.
Other improvements include the renovation to UB’s Oscar A. Silverman Library, as part of the “Heart of the Campus” initiative, as well as a brand-new undergraduate curriculum, which will begin fall of 2016. Della Contrada said the curriculum, which will account for one third of the undergraduate course catalog, will set UB apart from its sister universities in the SUNY system. Business First gave UB a 136 score for prestige. This is determined by the school’s recent ranking by Forbes and last year’s rankings by The Business Journals. This figure is low relative to UB’s other scores. In addition to academic achievements, Division I athletics will continue to help with UB’s national visibility, according to Della Contrada. “Winning conference championships, one national championship and competing in national championship tournaments have raised UB’s visibility on the national stage and have attracted interest from prospective students who see Division I athletics as a very appealing component of the campus experience,” Della Contrada said. Brenna Zanghi, a freshman English major, said a more comprehensive image of UB’s academic strengths could benefit the school. “The school has such a strong liberal arts program that I feel like a lot of people overlook when considering UB, they think it’s only for STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education] majors,” Zanghi said. The report did not breakdown ratings for individual programs, but with national visibility and prestige accounted for, UB’s mainstream image does become a matter of importance. Della Contrada said that UB would be launching an identity and brand initiative this spring that will highlight UB’s strengths in the arts and humanities, STEM and professional school programs. email: news@ubspectrum.com
5 Oscar winners and presenters use
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
platform to discuss larger issues Politically infused Academy Awards leaves viewers talking MAX KALNITZ STAFF WRITER
Oscars presenters and award winners used their stage time to shine light on issues ranging from global warming and campus rape to racial diversity at the awards show itself, in what was a politically infused 88th Academy Awards on Sunday night. From host Chris Rock’s opening monologue about the lack of black nominees, all the way to “Spotlight” producer Michael Sugar’s plea for the Vatican to end child sexual abuse during the final acceptance speech of the night, Sunday’s Oscars left people talking about more than just Leonardo DiCaprio finally winning Best Actor or “Mad Max” taking home six awards. The most prevalent issue discussed at the Oscars was the #OscarsSoWhite controversy. For the second straight year, no actors of color were nominated for any leading or supporting awards, male or female. Some black celebrities boycotted the ceremony, such as director Spike Lee and actor Will Smith. There was even a protest outside the Dolby Theater led by Rev. Al Sharpton. The tension may have even affected the ratings – as Sunday was the third lowest rated Academy Awards show in history. Ben Koford, a freshman civil engineering major, said he was upset over the lack of racial diversity amongst the nominees. “I feel like there is a bit of separation between white culture and black culture in society, so when it comes to these award shows, they are generally created for a white audience and overall just appeal to white culture,” he said. “I think black actors should be getting more recognition at the Oscars because they have similar levels of impact on culture as many white actors do.” And Rock did not hide from controversy, dedicating his entire 10-minute open-
COURTESY OF FLICKR USER DISNEY | ABC TELEVISION GROUP
The 2016 Oscars, despite being the award show’s third lowest TV rating since its inception, was still ripe with controversy this weekend. From Chris Rock’s inflammatory monologue to Leonardo DiCaprio’s first Oscar win, the award show had quite a few memorable moments.
ing monologue to the topic and bringing up the lack of diversity with jokes throughout the night. Rock called the Oscars the “the white People’s Choice Awards” and said Hollywood is racist, citing a lack of opportunities for black actors and actresses. He also poked fun at those who boycotted, saying that 2016 is the first Oscars boycott because black people had “real” things to protest in the 1960s, and that Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who did not attend in protest, wasn’t invited anyway. Kushal Bhardwaj, African American Studies professor and a UB Athletics academic adviser, applauded Rock for handling the pressure of hosting. “Chris Rock was put in a very unique position as an entertainer,” he said. “After years of racial backlash happening in society, from bigoted presidential candidates to what we see on TV, as we move towards inclusion we need to come to the table and speak our minds. Chris Rock hit that dead on the nail.” Bhardwaj said Rock’s monologue could help start more discussion about diversi-
ty issues. “We laugh because things are funny and we laugh at things because they’re true,” he said. “The most awkward and delayed stuttered laughs we heard during Chris Rock’s monologue, maybe after those laughs we can take a better look at ourselves. Not just as an Oscars committee but as a representation of our nation as a whole.” After five previous nominations, Leonardo DiCaprio finally won his long-awaited Oscar for Best Actor. DiCaprio won his award for the film “The Revenant,” which also landed Alejandro G. Iñárritu the award for best director. Bhardwaj said that “The Revenant” speaks to the cultural divide in America. “It is strangely problematic that so many black artists don’t get the chance to be in that organic survival story like Tom Hanks and ‘Castaway’ or Leo and ‘The Revenant,’” he said. “The type of survival stories that the Oscar crowd likes are urban survival stories, the problem is in the questions we ask. What type of black people are palatable? What type of black people do we like? Rapping like N.W.A.
or boxing like ‘Creed,’ even stellar performances seem to still not get the kind of notification of other movies.” Still, some students were just happy for DiCaprio, as many felt it was long over due. Jemy Chen, a sophomore electrical engineering major, said he was also pleased that DiCaprio finally won. “He’s a well deserved actor – to be awarded and recognized for his effort is something many of us hoped to see,” Chen said. Even DiCaprio used his platform to discuss issues, as he highlighted climate change in his acceptance speech. DiCaprio said filming for “The Revenant” had to move to the “southern most tip of the world” just to find snow and that “we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating” to end climate change. And there were several other political moments as well. Prior to the final awards of the night, Lady Gaga sang her song “Til It Happens To You” that she wrote for “The Hunting Ground,” a documentary about sexual assaults on college campuses. She was accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden and victims of sexual assault. They encouraged viewers to take the pledge to report any act of sexual assault and to not be a bystander. “Til It Happens to You” lost to Sam Smith’s “Writing On The Wall” from the most recent James Bond movie. “Spotlight” was awarded best picture, which depicted The Boston Globe’s investigation of the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal. Those who worked on the film used their time on stage to advocate for the power of investigative journalism and to call upon the Vatican and Pope Francis to end any abuse in the Catholic Church. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
Zodiaque Dance Company takes audience on dance voyage FRANCESCA HARVEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
The Zodiaque Dance Company held its spring semester performance in the Center for the Arts this past weekend. The dancers exhibited a number of diverse styles and forms throughout the show, representing the culmination of a semester-long effort.
Rachel Hospers, a junior dance major, said that performing in Zodiaque Dance Company was something that has helped her grow into the person she is today. “One of the numbers, I was in called ‘Pantheon Rising,’ choreographed by Jon Lehrer, was incredible. Working with him, it challenged me and the rest of the cast in so many ways,” she said. “I loved this piece so much because it required incredible strength, endurance, and athleticism. It is empowering to this all-female cast to be apart of such dynamism.” The company held its spring performances in the CFA’s Drama Theatre this past weekend from Feb. 24-28. The dance troupe is composed of members of UB’s theater and dance programs and puts on a performance once each semester. The company is in the midst of its 42nd season. Zodiaque’s choreography is rooted in modern dance, though dances performed numbers containing hip-hop, lyrical, musical theater and ballet styles. The company’s focus on diversity brought out many different styles and genres of dance. In each act of the performance there were four numbers, plus the bows at the end, which showed a tribute to American jazz dancer, Luigi. Paul Urriola, a senior music theater major, said he was very impressed with the “Here In This Eden” duet piece, choreographed by Jon Lehrer. “Senior dancers, Evan Matthew Stewart and Angel Mammoliti left it all on the stage,
as this may be the last time the two share the floor for a long time. They were incredible to watch,” he said. This dance was the show’s only duet, but it left the audience captivated. Many of the dancers performed in multiple numbers throughout the show, bringing something new to each piece. The performance required each dancer to perform as a character in the routine and the storytelling throughout the night was done through the dancing. “The piece was set up as an exhibit or experiment. Nine students were selected, all who have some unknown secret power,” said choreographer Rebecca Guile-Wind. “It was set up to observe the transition of letting go of fear, moving into a new light, and revealing their powers.” While some audience members may have walked into this show thinking it was going to be like an episode of Dance Moms, but walked out realizing that the mature content of the piece was much more than that. Guile-Wind ended Saturday night with a quote that was also used in the program under her piece’s name. “If you weren’t afraid of your power, what would you do with it?” she said. For the members of the Zodiaque Dance Company, their power was on full display during their performances. Each dancer used his or her passion for an art form and created a story that took every audience member on a journey they will hopefully never forget. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
6 “I hate religion because . . .”
FEATURES
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Event seeks to strike religious conversations between students JOHN JACOBS ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
From simple topics like the best show on Netflix to the burdensome opinions on presidential candidates, communication is a large part of college life. But even considering the open-minded environment that is a university setting, some topics remain slightly taboo. Take religion. “Religion is very controversial, so some people want to stay away from it,” said Garfield Walker, a junior biomedical sciences major. A recent event at UB aimed for students to have a conversation about this controversial topic. Intervarsity, a Christian group that meets on campus every week, sponsored an event called “I hate religion because . . .” on Friday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 in Student Union 210. The name of the event was more controversial than the actual event. Through the event, Intervarsity members aimed to connect with people who might not have that much of a religious background. “We wanted to do an event where we can build trust with people who aren’t that reli-
LILY KAUFMAN FRYDMAN, THE SPECTRUM
(From L to R) Elliot Lovisos, Christian Koehler, Priscilla Kabilamany and Justin Jacob attended Friday’s “I hate religion because ...’ event in the Student Union.
gious on campus,” said Ryan Thomas, a junior aerospace engineering major and vice president of Intervarsity. Thomas blames college students’ lack of trust in Christianity on a failure of the Christian Church. “I think oftentimes the Church seriously fails to live out their purpose for a lot of really young kids, like those in elementary and middle school,” Thomas said. “Then they finally get to college and they have a ton of freedom and they can make their own choices and they decide, ‘Man, all that stuff I did when I was a kid made no sense.’ I think it’s totally understandable.’’
Other members of Intervarsity agreed with Thomas’ feelings about some college students not being very invested in religion. “We know that there’s a lot of skepticism and cynicism towards religion, particularly in this generation,” said Nate Schutt, UB’s campus minister for Intervarsity. “We wanted to begin to build some relationships with people on campus that might consider themselves skeptical towards religion because those are people we’re not hanging out with a lot.” Those who attended the event were split up into around 10 different tables with about five people sitting at each. The night began with easier questions such as “What’s your
Around Town
Sabres game As well as being the month during which snow hopefully stops falling, March is also the last full month that the Sabres play, with April 9 being their last scheduled game. Buffalo’s hockey team has nine home games at the First Niagara Center during the month of March, with games occurring on March 1, 3, 5, 8, 12, 16, 18, 26 and 31. Prices range from $48-155 depending on which day you go and where you sit. Grab some friends and see the Sabres before they exit the rink for the last time this year. Blake Shelton Unless you’re completely obliviously, you probably know that Blake Shelton is a country singer. But what you might not know is that he will be coming to Buffalo on St. Patrick’s Day. Shelton, who has won the CMA Male Vocalist of the year award for the last five years as well as being a coach on NBC’s “The Voice,” will perform at the First Niagara Center on March 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $29.75-69.75. So the good news is you should have at least a quarter left over no matter what. Don’t spend it all at once. Rihanna “Work work work work work work” (Ri-
Events for the most bipolar weather month JOHN JACOBS ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
March is a strange month. The weather enters a bipolar state where it’s snowing one day and then sunny and warm the next. The classes start to get very difficult but there’s no end to the semester in sight. It sounds terrible but that’s only because it is. Buffalo can still be an interesting place this time of year, despite the weather and the course load. So take a break from “studying”- also know as watching cat videos on YouTube while contemplating whether you chose the right major – and explore the city you call home with these events. Marian McLaughlin Concerts are something every college kid should attend, but most college kids can’t afford them after spending $300 on a biology book that they only open once. McLaugh-
lin’s concert is an exception. The concert only costs $10 if you buy tickets before showing up, or $13 if you’re a procrastinator and buy them the day of. McLaughlin, a folk singer, guitarist and songwriter, will be holding the concert on Thursday, March 3 at 341 Delaware Ave. The doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. John Witherspoon John Witherspoon, know for his comedy work on Adult Swim’s “Black Jesus” as well as his work as Ice Cube’s father in the “Friday” movie trilogy, will be in Buffalo this month. Witherspoon will be performing from March 3 through March 5 at the Helium Comedy Club. Tickets range from $20-33 dollars depending on which night you choose to go and whether you select reserved or general seating. Take a break from laughing at your GPA and laugh at a comedian instead.
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name and major?” and slowly progressed toward more weighted questions like, “What’s your experience with the Church been like?” Each topic had a time restriction but an open exchange of opinions was encouraged. While the event did strike up conversation about religion between the people that attended, some students were disappointed by the lack of diversity that the event offered. “I was under the impression that there would be a bunch of atheists here discussing factual information and that we could have an intellectually stimulating conversation,” Walker said. “However, when I came I saw that it was a Christian group and most people here were part of the group.” Walker added that he would have liked to see a better mix of people from different faiths at the event. Although the event wasn’t as diverse as he might have hoped it would be, he still believes that it was helpful. “I still got to talk to some people about their opinions,” Walker said. “I had more of a science-based approach while others made it more about their emotions but we still had an interesting conversation.” email: features@ubspectrum.com
COURTESY OF FLICKR USER DOUG KERR
The New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres face off at First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo (pictured). March is the last full month to catch a Sabres game.
hanna voice). Rihanna might not have been talking about college in this song, but the words still fit. College is full of work. But everyone, even the most dedicated student who falls asleep in the library and drools all over their textbook, needs a break. So take a break from working and listen to Rihanna sing about it instead. Rihanna will be at the First Niagara Center on March 23 at 7:30 p.m. for The Anti World Tour. Tickets range from $30.50-126. email: features@ubspectrum.com
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8
SPORTS
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
SOLOMON JACKSON
“
Jackson remembered as ‘ultimate teammate’
“
To me, he’ll always be remembered as a great person. I have three boys. If my boys end up being like Solomon - the way they carry themselves – I’ve done a great job as a parent.
If he were here, he’d encourage us to stay positive and keep trying to move forward.
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– Joe Licata, former UB quarterback
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– Jackson’s Tucker High School principal James Jackson
You’ve never seen him down. He was always smiling and always cheerful. He will be missed but at the same time, I believe he is with God in heaven.
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– Branden Oliver, former UB running back
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It’s just devastating to see someone with so much potential to have his life cut short. – Mackenzie Loesing, former UB women’s basketball guard CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
It was a smile that affected everyone – from his student-athlete family to his close friends and even his former teammates. Licata said he found out about Jackson’s death from Bulls freshman center James O’Hagan. He told Licata that the team had a meeting, where the news was broken to Jackson’s teammates. Licata said it’s not easy to understand death, especially for a player he said seemed to have no prior health issues. But Licata grieves the way he said Jackson would want the team to. “I know everyone was very emotional. It’s tough. It’s our brother,” Licata said. “Everyone’s just trying to find positives, trying to think about the person that Solo was – the person that Solo is. He was an awesome friend. He was always very encouraging. If he were here, he’d encourage us to stay positive and keep trying to move forward.” Jackson’s high school defensive coordina-
PHOTOS BY ANGELA BARCA AND KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
(Top) Solomon Jackson was a sophomore defensive end for the bulls. (Bottom) Members of the band, with ‘41’ written on their cheek, play during Tuesday’s basketball game, and members of the basketball team bow their head during a moment of silence for Jackson.
tor and head coach Bryan Lamar remembers Solomon Jackson the player and the person. When Jackson was a senior in high school, Lamar would pick him up every day from his house on their way to school. They rarely spoke business – that was left for the football field. Most of their conversations were about music and life. “Solomon is as good of a kid as you’d want to be around,” Lamar said. “He had an infectious smile. He was an extremely hard worker, but he had a jovial smile. He was loved by everyone. I don’t think he had an enemy in the school.” Jackson’s principal wishes he could have had a closer relationship with him, but the opportunity never arose, mostly because Jackson was never called into his office and never got in trouble. “I’ve been in education for over 20 years and he’s as good of a kid as I’ve ever come across,” James Jackson said. On the football field was a different story.
Jackson was “relentless,” according to Lamar. He never took days off. Jackson always went 100 percent at practice. Lamar considered Jackson “unblockable” during his senior season of high school. Some of that translated to Buffalo last season. Jackson was a rising young player on the team’s defense and finished last season with 13 tackles and two sacks. “It’s sad to think someone that genuinely good, that has such a bright future, a guy that could have been an NFL talent,” said Cletus Emokpae, a senior communication major. “And he was a genuinely good person.” It always amazed Emokpae how Jackson never let being a football player succumb to his real personality. Emokpae said Jackson was one of the best people he had ever met in Buffalo. Emokpae had planned on transferring to a school near Atlanta – close to Jackson’s hometown of Stone Mountain, Georgia. Emokpae did not know much about the culture of Atlanta, but Jackson did. Jack-
Solomon is as good of a kid as you’d want to be around. He’s a phenomenal person. He was on our swim team. He had an infectious smile. He was an extremely hard worker, but he had a jovial smile. He was loved by everyone. I don’t think he had an enemy in the school.
– Jackson’s Tucker High School football coach Bryan Lamar son proceeded to tell Emokpae everything he needed to know about being a student in Atlanta and offered to give advice had Emokpae ever needed it. Emokpae never went to Atlanta, but that story still resonates with him. “It’s like he owed me that,” Emokpae said. “You don’t forget stuff like that.” It still shocks Jackson’s friends that he is not with their respective communities anymore. Some will miss him for his laugh, others for his smile. Some will miss his ability to be a leader and ability to be the perfect teammate. “The most amazing quality of Solomon is his love for people and everyone around him,” Lamar said. “He had selflessness about himself. You find kids that work hard. You find kids that are focused. But he was a genuinely caring person.” Editor’s note: Cletus Emokpae worked as a Spectrum staff photographer in the fall of 2014. email: sports@ubspectrum.com GABRIELA JULIA, THE SPECTRUM