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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2017 PAGE 3 Constitutional convention offers chance to affect change Convention offers chance for change unfettered by Albany’s corrupt politics
PAGE 5 November movie guide Your monthly collection of cinematic selections
UB Foundation-owned housing rates climb while grad students fight for living wage
Sean Bunny wants college students to get involved with public service
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CREEKSIDE VILLAGE* GREINER HALL (DOUBLE) SOUTH LAKE / FLINT VILLAGE* HADLEY VILLAGE APARTMENTS FLICKINGER COURT APARTMENTS* * two bedroom apartment
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SARAH CROWLEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Every year students pay more money to live on campus at UB. A 10-month lease in Greiner Hall costs $882 more than it did in 2014. A year-long lease in the Flickinger Court Apartments, the only on-campus housing for graduate
Janet Jackson rouses downtown Buffalo Pop music icon performs medley of classics at KeyBank Center
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students with families, costs $3,652 more than it did in 2015. Meanwhile, the nonprofit organization that owns and maintains the properties netted more than $1 million in profit during a 12-month period in 2015 and 2016. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Women’s basketball season preview The Bulls are ready for a strong season with start this Friday THOMAS ZAFONTE
BENJAMIN BLANCHET SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
At 51, Janet Jackson still has it. The Grammy-award winning music icon appeared on Saturday night at the KeyBank Center, one of her stops on her ongoing State of the World tour. Jackson performed over 30 songs to a crowd of thousands downtown, impressing through a series of electric dance numbers and uptempo pop jams. “I think she still has the same energy, she’s still powerful in her stage presence and I thought it was really strong performance,” said Trent Tremaine, a Buffalo resident who attended the concert and saw Jackson perform in Toronto two decades ago. “She didn’t lose a beat, even at 51, she’s still an entertainer to be reckoned with. On ‘That’s The Way Love Goes,’ everyone was grooving and getting out of their seats, so that was a real hot track for her. That beat and her sexy moves, I was definitely impressed.” The nearly two and a half hour performance started off with a bang. Banners draped from the arena’s ceiling and introduced the singer with flashes of imagery dealing with world hunger, greenhouse gasses and violence against black men in the United States. Jackson appeared, providing attendees with cuts like “The Knowledge” and “State Of The World” from her album “Rhythm Nation 1814,” backed with drums and sporadic lights. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
The Bulls (0-0, 0-0 MAC) are ready to make the most out of their season and their senior players, and make history for UB once again. Two seasons ago, head coach Felisha Legette-Jack led the women’s basketball team to their first MAC championship. The Bulls feel they have the experience, skill and team culture to have another championship season now that the players from the 2015-2016 season are seniors. “We are ready; this team is always ready to take the court,” Legette-Jack said. “This is the chance of a lifetime; to watch these young ladies blossom before our eyes. They are unbelievable on this floor, have been working on their craft and I think they are going to challenge a lot of young players and a lot of teams.” Legette-Jack has brought success to a program that has not been seen since the mid ’90s. She is the most successful women’s basketball coach since the team has joined the MAC. Much of her recent success is credited to her players. The program had two of its best seasons, earning 20-plus wins both years, with senior guard Stephanie Reid at the helm. The team has an experience factor and proven talent to build around. “We have such a great group of five [seniors] that I am excited to see what their legacy will be here and to watch them get better and for me to get better as well,” Legette-Jack said.
PAGE 8 You’re fresh, but he’s fresher UB B-boy dishes on breakdancing in Buffalo
UB law school alum takes ‘White Lives Matter’ a shot at unseating WNY signs posted throughout congressman Chris Collins UB’s North Campus
The Faculty-Student Housing Corporation made over $1 million in profits last year
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SARAH CROWLEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
It was 2 a.m. on Nov. 9 and East Amherst native Sean Bunny was sitting up with his wife, who was crying. Donald Trump had just been elected president in one of modern history’s most shocking elections. Bunny did the one thing he could think of to stop his wife’s tears––he promised to run against Republican Representative Chris Collins in the next Congressional election. Bunny left his job as a prosecutor at the District Attorney’s office on Oct. 18 to formally begin his campaign against the 27th district’s incumbent, joining two other Democrats hopeful at unseating Collins. What Bunny lacks in a political war chest, he makes up for in years of public service in the military and in law. After graduating from Syracuse University, Bunny was accepted to Army Officer Candidate School and was deployed to Iraq in 2009. Bunny returned from Iraq as a Battalion Chief of Operations after being promoted to Captain. His last day in the Army was Christmas Day 2010 and he started at UB School of Law on Jan. 2, 2011. Bunny began working as a prosecutor in city courts before working in the District Attorney’s office, after graduating from UB. “I was a very happy prosecutor doing my job and I would still be a very happy one right now had the results of last year’s elections went differently,” Bunny said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
NEWS DESK
“White Lives Matter” signs have been spotted on UB’s North Campus and in the Allentown area. The signs, which are satirical, immediately created a buzz on campus. The posters are purportedly endorsing incumbent Sheriff Tim Howard. The posters read, “White Lives Matter. The Aryan Resistance is proud to endorse candidate Tim Howard to keep Erie county white.” There is a link at the bottom of the flyers, where users can donate to the NAACP. The flyers were meant to illustrate purported connections between Sheriff Howard and white supremacist groups. This incident harkens back to a similar event that took place at UB in 2015. An art student hung “white only” and “black only” signs in front of bathrooms in order to raise awareness about white privilege. University Police were made aware of the incident around 5:30 p.m. Friday night, according to UB spokesperson John Della Contrada. Della Contrada said he has just seen one complaint on social media and is trying to locate where the flyers are on campus. The same flyers are also posted on telephone polls in Allentown. University Police are investigating the matter. “Members of the UB community can be assured that racially discriminatory conduct has no place at UB and will not be tolerated,” Della Contrada said. UB Police ask members of the UB community to report any sightings of the flyers immediately to police at 716-645-2227. This is a developing story. email: news@ubspectrum.com
Amherst Democratic Committee holds rally for local candidates Local Democrats urge voters to vote blue on Tuesday
ELIJAH PIKE / THE SPECTRUM
Bernie Tolbert, candidate for Erie County Sheriff, speaks to a crowd of supporters at a “Get Out the Vote” rally on Sunday. The rally emphasized the importance of voting in the upcoming local elections on Nov. 7.
MADDY FOWLER NEWS EDITOR
The Amherst Democratic Committee held a “Get Out the Vote” rally on Sunday where local Democratic leaders spoke to a crowd of energetic supporters on the importance of voting in the upcoming local elections. State Senator Tim Kennedy was one of several local Democratic leaders who
spoke, including the three Democratic candidates: Sheriff candidate Bernie Tolbert, Comptroller candidate Vanessa Glushefski and County Clerk candidate Steve Cichon. “We will not allow the Republicans to stand in the way of progress here in Buffalo, Western New York and in New York State,” Kennedy said in his endorsement of the candidates. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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NEWS
Monday, November 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
Amherst Democratic Committee holds rally for local candidates CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul offered a resounding endorsement for the candidates, citing their “integrity” and “good morals.” She also drew comparison with the Republican candidates, Tim Howard, Stefan Mychajliw and Guy Marlette. “[The Democratic candidates] are individuals with accomplishment, integrity and good morals,” Hochul said. “And what a contrast we have this year against people who are down in the ditch and throwing everything at our guys and our women.” Incumbent Sheriff Tim Howard has been the subject of controversy since he spoke in uniform at a “Spirit of America” rally in March. While the rally was billed as a “non-partisan” gathering to support President Trump, the participants waived Confederate and Nazi flags. Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner called on Howard to resign following Howard’s appearance at this event. Tolbert described Howard’s 12-year tenure as Sheriff as “incompetent” and expressed concerns about Howard’s appearance. “We’ve got a sheriff who thinks that appearing at a rally where there’s Nazi symbolism, where there is a Confederate flag, where there’s white supremacists—he thinks that’s okay,” Tolbert said. “Half of your constituents are going to be hurt, insulted and offended that you did that. We need a sheriff who cares about the entire community, who cares about everyone.” Tolbert is a former FBI special agent and served as senior vice president of security for the National Basketball Association. He aims to improve the management of the Erie County Holding Center, which he feels is an “embarrassment” and a “drain” on taxpayers. His other platforms include reducing street violence and addressing the heroin and opioid epidemics. Glushefski is running against incumbent Mychajliw for County Comptroller. Comptrollers serve as the chief financial officer for the county and non-partisan watchdogs over county financial dealings.
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Glushefski, a Certified Public Accountant, believes her financial background makes her a stronger candidate than her opponent, a former journalist. If elected, Glushefski would be the first CPA elected Comptroller. “I know that qualifications matter,” Glushefski said. “If you don’t have a qualified person at the helm who is giving us non-partisan financial information that we need to make good decisions, then we’re all in a lot of trouble.” Not only does the public rely on that financial information, but the county legislature relies on that information too, Glushefski explained. “If we are going to be a prosperous Erie County, we need to make sure we have someone in there who is going to do the job right and do the job with integrity,” Glushefski said. Steve Cichon is running for county clerk against Assemblyman Michael Kearns, a Democrat running on the Republican line. County Clerks are in charge of managing public records. Cichon believes Western New York can “do better” by electing Democratic candidates. “Can’t we do better than a sheriff who thinks basic human rights is some crazy, liberal idea? Can’t we do better than a comptroller—our fiscal watchdog—who makes up numbers?” Cichon asked. “If you think we can do better, then vote [the Democratic line] on Tuesday.” Erie County Legislator Patrick Burke also emphasized the importance of voting, especially for students. He wants students to know the power they have. “Their votes could change the dynamics of the election. And we are seeing now first-hand how much voting matters,” Burke said. “For national election [students] didn’t show up when we needed them to and what’s happened is literally a devastating prospect for the country. But they they can change that.” email: maddy.fowler@ubspectrum.com
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UB law school alum takes a shot at unseating WNY congressman Chris Collins
SARAH CROWLEY / THE SPECTRUM
Sean Bunny stands in the village of East Aurora. Bunny is running for Congress against Republican incumbent Chris Collins.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Bunny said he’s tired of the political circus Washington has become and wants to bring the focus back to Western New York’s constituents if elected next November. He feels Democrats have neglected the working class and need to look at some of the negative impacts globalization has had on their own party. He said he hopes to bring jobs to Western New York with an infrastructure bill. “There is a moral side to all of this—allowing someone who doesn’t necessarily want to go to a four year college a chance to have a life with dignified work,” Bunny said. “It’s something that I don’t think we’ve done a good enough job talking about in the Democratic party. I don’t think this current administration is going to fulfill those promises, but I’m glad that Trump put the issue out there and it’s something we’re talking about.” Bunny has also come out against the tax plan recently proposed by House Republicans, which Collins has publicly supported. Bunny supports the plan’s increase of the standard deduction to help middle class families, but he feels the plan is mostly “slashing taxes for the wealthy and corporations.”
“I don’t agree with Chris Collins on his health care approach; I don’t agree with his tax care approach and as much as he likes to talk a big game about jobs and manufacturing. We haven’t seen an infrastructure bill and we certainly haven’t seen anything to help Western New York,” Bunny said. Policy isn’t the only area Bunny wants to distance himself from Collins on. Bunny feels Collins has spent too much time defending the Trump administration on national TV and not enough to represent Western New Yorkers. “Every time you see Collins on TV, he’s not talking about improving Route 5 or getting more federal money for the thruway,” Bunny said. “It’s always trying to defend something ridiculous that the White House said. My priorities wouldn’t be to defend this White House or any other White House, it would be to the 27th district of Western New York.” Bunny said he has always regretted not being more involved with politics sooner. He encouraged college students to join political groups on-campus or get involved with other forms of public service. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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OPINION
Monday, November 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Hannah Stein
MANAGING EDITORS
David Tunis-Garcia Maggie Wilhelm COPY EDITORS
Dan McKeon, Chief Saqib Hossain Emma Medina NEWS EDITORS
Sarah Crowley, Senior Maddy Fowler FEATURES EDITOR
Max Kalnitz, Senior ARTS EDITORS
Benjamin Blanchet, Senior Brenton Blanchet SPORTS EDITORS
Thomas Zafonte, Senior Danny Petruccelli Jeremy Torres, Asst. MULTIMEDIA EDITORS
Troy Wachala, Senior Allison Staebell, Senior CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Pierce Strudler Arielle Channin, Asst. Alyssa Brouillet, Asst.
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Stephen Jean-Pierre Shawn Zhang, Asst.
THE SPECTRUM Monday, November 6, 2017 Volume 67 Number 20 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
Constitutional convention offers chance to affect change Convention offers chance for change unfettered by Albany’s corrupt politics Every 20 years, New Yorkers vote on whether or not to hold a constitutional convention that could change how the state operates. If voters check “yes” on the back of their ballots, three delegates would be voted in from each of 63 State Senate districts and 15 at-large members would be chosen in November 2018. The convention would take place on April 2, 2019. Any recommendations made by delegates would need to be approved by voters on Election Day in 2019. Since 1967, voters have consistently and widely been against the convention. The convention has drawn criticism as some fear that issues such as abortion and
the guarantee of state pensions to unionized public workers and teachers could be altered or taken away by the delegates. And many Spectrum editors expressed hesitation about supporting the convention because their parents are teachers. One editor said he will vote “no” because he fears the convention could take away his mother’s pension. However, these concerns are largely fears of the unknown. For one, New York is a very liberal state and the elected delegates would be highly unlikely to vote against these issues. And at past conventions, major rights or protections have only ever been grant-
ed, not rolled back. The last constitutional convention in 1967 led to concrete, progressive reforms. That convention protected the right to a sound, basic education; authorized the legislature to establish programs to meet educational needs and to provide for health care, pensions and unemployment insurance; increased wages for public workers; and guaranteed workers the right to bargain collectively. The constitution has not been revised since 1967. It’s outdated, plain and simple, and it needs a revision. It’s no secret that Albany is incredibly corrupt. A constitutional convention would allow us to elect non-career politicians who are not entrenched in the cesspool of Albany politics. For those who fear push-back on rights, it is important to re-
member that not only do constituents get to vote on who goes to the convention, but any potential amendments to the constitution must also be approved by voters. The constitutional convention is, by its very nature, remarkably democratic. But despite its potential advantages this point in the election, it is very unlikely that the convention will pass. So in lieu of a convention, what can we do to create change in New York state? How do we address the corruption in Albany? The answer is simple: Vote. Especially in local elections, where your voice will have the most clout. Apathy is the biggest enemy of change and students and young people have historically had low voter turnouts. It’s time to change that. email: eic@ubspectrum.com
The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100
Silencing the hate The misusage of the R-word
WANLY CHEN STAFF WRITER
I used the forbidden word only once. The moment the word escaped my mouth, I felt a cold awakening of the pain I just inflicted. My sister bowed her head with disappointment. With just one word, I showed her that I had fallen to the peer pressures of society. That word was “retarded.” I never should have said it, especially as someone with an autis-
tic brother. My older brother is 27. He still cannot speak, read or write. In all his hospital papers and yearly checkup documentation, I check “yes” for mental disability because his mental capabilities never grew past the age of three. This is an insult to him because he is pretty damn clever. He knows he’s not allowed to have cookies or sweets, but that doesn’t stop him. He would salvage through the kitchen cabinets when he was alone, take the sweets and continue to his room. He would repeatedly take the tin, raise it and drop it. The first time this happened, I thought it was just his new habit. I was bewildered to find a grinning boy with a mouth full of cookies. It’s unfair to call him mentally retarded just because he cannot vocalize what he wants. He is mis-
chievous and a big, giant baby, but it never crossed my mind to see him as dumb. I’m aware that he is a special kind of older brother and that he is my responsibility to protect. But that time in middle school, I betrayed the unspoken bond between us. I was 12 and the R-word was the king of insults. Just the bare utterance of the word would result in a burst of laughter. My friends and I used the word that denotes an intellectual incapability and we abused it. We never presented the opportunity for people like my brother to reclaim the word because they have no means of doing so. That, in its bare nature, is the power of cowardice. I never said the word again, but I often hear it used. Use of the Rword in everyday interactions is jarring to me. It is a word used as an insult like any other word – stupid, dumb, idiot. But the meaning of the R-word is so significantly different that it shouldn’t be said casually. It wasn’t until I entered college
that I felt the power dynamic of the word change. A student in my English class who was fond of the R-word said it throughout class and snickered as if he had just made a great joke. As he was searching for laughs and validation each time, the class sat in silence. What prompted the students in that English class to remain silent is something I still don’t know. It could be a number of reasons, but I realized we are adults who are held accountable for our choice of words. I began to ask my friends not to use it anymore. It’s not your word, I told them. I’d like to think my brother would agree. In some future, I imagine my brother will finally break out of his silence and tell people that he is no different from them. He’d be his own hero, running around the streets and wiping it clean of the tainted word. Poof, gone. The R-word is more than just a bullet; it is their silencer and we have no right to use it. email: features@ubspectrum.com
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NEWS
Monday, November 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
UB Foundation-owned housing rates climb while grad students fight for living wage CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Graduate student stipends have not kept pace with the cost of student housing, which has increased steadily over the last decade, alongside student tuition and fees. While graduate students protested for wage increases outside UB’s annual Celebration of Excellence ceremony on Thursday, a local attorney argued in front of State Supreme Court Judge Diane Devlin that open-government laws should apply to the nonprofit Faculty-Student Housing Corp., which has turned a profit of more than $1 million in four of five recent years for which financial figures are available. Since its 1990 incorporation, the FacultyStudent Housing Corp. has built six of UB’s major housing complexes: Flickinger Court, South Lake Village, Flint Village, Creekside Village, Hadley Village Apartments and Greiner Hall. As one of the UB Foundation’s affiliate organizations, the nonprofit’s stated mission is to “support the educational purposes of the University at Buffalo and to lessen the burden of government by acquiring, constructing, renovating and maintaining residential facilities for students/faculty.” Its website boasts a near-100 percent occupancy rate for its properties, made possible by an agreement with UB to funnel students to these six properties before filling other dorms, according to court documents. The Housing Corp. negotiates rates in order to pay off debt on the housing projects. Its agreement with SUNY further allows it to create excess revenue for itself and indirectly, the UB Foundation, said Laura Hubbard, vice president of finance and administration, in an affidavit she filed in response to alumnus John Lipsitz’s petition against the Housing Corp. Lipsitz, a former professor at the School of Law, argues that the Housing Corp. should make its records and meetings public. He doesn’t think students know where their money is going. Lipsitz draws a distinction between the
funding structures of the Housing Corp. and the UB Foundation. In a previous court case, the university argued that the UB Foundation’s funds mostly consist of private donations and should thus not be subject to state transparency laws. “These are not donations,” Lipsitz said. “They’re not private money where you reach into your pocket and say, ‘I wanna give $100 for my school.’ These are mandatory fees if you’re living on campus, and it really should be treated as public money going to the university. I don’t know if students know their payments essentially end up in the coffers of the UB Foundation when they pay the rent, or however it’s characterized, for their dormitory space.” UB Foundation Director Ed Schneider did not respond to requests for comment. In her affidavit, Hubbard said the relationship between SUNY and the Housing Corp. is at most “arms-length.” “SUNY collects the rental payments from the student tenants on the Housing Corp.’s behalf and then immediately remits them to the Housing Corp.,” Hubbard said in her affidavit. “At no time do these rental payments become state or SUNY funds. SUNY merely collects the rental payment on the Housing Corp.’s behalf.” Lipsitz disagrees. He says the overlap between the Housing Corp.’s public and private affairs is blatant and manifest in practices across the campus. For example, UB uses housing payments to leverage control in the academic sphere, placing holds on student accounts and transcripts until payments are made, Lipsitz said. He argues the student rentals boil down to mandatory state fees, especially since most students from outside the Buffalo area are likely to feel some pressure to live on campus. UB seems to agree that living on campus is, if not essential for some students, at least ideal. The Campus Living website says students who live on campus are more academically successful, more likely to make friends and more likely to be “overall happier with their
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UB experience, according to research.” In 2001, when the housing boom on UB’s North Campus was just getting underway, then-President William Greiner told The Buffalo News UB’s competitive housing would “put heat” on the University Heights landlords to clean up their act. Sixteen years later, that hasn’t been the case. Students still opt to live in the University Heights neighborhoods over on-campus apartments – despite well documented problems with housing safety violations, absentee landlords and the area’s problem with burglaries and violence – because the apartments there are affordable. Just 10 percent of graduate students live on campus, in part because of increasing apartment rates coupled with stagnant stipends, former Campus Living director Andrea Costantino told The Spectrum last spring. Jake Sanders, a third-year graduate student in the English department, said he has to work two other jobs on campus to supplement his teaching stipend, and is still sometimes short on money. “Rents have risen in Buffalo in the past five years, gradually, and a lot of us have a hard time struggling to pay rent, eat food,” Sanders said. “We just want to be able to keep up with the costs of living.” Last April, the Graduate Student Association asked Vice President of Student Life Scott Weber and Costantino to look at the reasons on-campus housing has grown unaffordable for many. Flickinger Court, the only on-campus apartment complex for graduate students with children, saw a 20 percent rate increase, which former GSA President Tanja Aho said effectively pushed many families off campus. The resolution asked UB administrators to commission a report on graduate students’ on-campus housing issues; address the concerns of on-campus housing affordability; inform all residents and conduct a public forum before increasing housing rates; and provide an annual expenditure report online. Forms the Housing Corp. is required to file with the IRS show the nonprofit netted nearly $2 million in the fiscal year between 2011 and 2012. The next year, it brought in about $1.2 million. The year after that, it began transferring $740,000 annually back to the university, but still brought in $1.7 million after the transfer. The Housing Corp.
lost about $1 million in fiscal 2014-15 before rebounding for another $1 million profit in 2015-16, records show. Affordable housing is a key part of the Living Stipend Movement, a campaign by and for graduate students to bring TA and RA stipends up to a “living wage.” The movement asks UB to raise all stipends to a minimum of $21,310. Administrators have given several answers for why they can’t raise stipends. The market decides the stipends, said Craig Abbey, associate vice president and director of institutional analysis. An English TA can’t expect the stipend of an engineering TA, he said. The university also can’t raise stipends even if it wanted to because the departments determine the stipends, according to Graham Hammill, vice provost of graduate education and dean of the graduate school. Departments may have to make tough decisions if they want to pay TAs more, he said. But President Satish Tripathi and Vice Provost Charles Zukoski publicly acknowledged on several occasions that the stipend situation is a real problem, which they’re actively looking into improving. Tripathi also said he doesn’t classify TAs’ work as labor. They aren’t employees, he said in a Spectrum Q&A. Teaching is part of their learning experience. He also argues that the overall package, including tuition and health care, is competitive nationwide. Willis McCumber, a second-year Ph.D. student in the English department, said he knows graduate school is supposed to be stressful, and a certain level of financial tenuity is kind of part of the “experience.” But it’s wearing him down. “Teaching is a major aspect of what we do, and a major way we grow as scholars, to work on our teaching. It’s tough. If my car broke down, my teaching would just sort of be over in some ways,” McCumber said. “And just living with that awareness, sort of gnaws away at your ability to do that job. I have a housemate, and I actually rent month-to-month downtown. It’s another aspect of the sort of precarious life, that, as I say, it’s part of being a grad student, having this kind of lifestyle, but these extra pressures are like another layer.” McCumber said it could be worse. TAs in other departments make less than they would in the English department. email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com
Janet Jackson rouses downtown Buffalo CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The vibe suddenly shifted when Jackson brought out the beat for “BURNITUP!” as the singer rocked a black bodysuit and opened up the stage, revealing her backing band. Later on, she blew speakers up with the auto-tune-friendly “Feedback” while following up with vintage numbers like “Rhythm Nation” and “Miss You Much.” Jackson relished her older tracks, delivering peak energy with her dancing and singing while barely a soul in the crowd sat. The singer continued with the anthemic “Together Again.” Concertgoers stood as rainbow lights flashed around them. Other songs from “The Velvet Rope” like “What About” exhibited hard emotion as dancers enacted scenarios of violence and abuse. It all led to “If,” backed with a serious shred of a guitar and parade of poppiness which revealed Jackson showering fans with pure showmanship. The song that followed, “Rhythm Nation,” collected claps and synchronized musicality to create an army of sound in the arena, in a nearly militarized manner. Jackson ended with “Well Traveled,” a perfect piece to complete her musical journey in the Queen City as she closed out another tour stop with widespread cheers. Buffalonians like Sheryl Chambers, saw Jackson for the first time since previously looking forward to see the singer in the ’90s. “Janet’s show got cancelled at the Memorial Auditorium and we were really hurt but she hasn’t changed, she’s still Janet,” Chambers said. “I loved ‘Pleasure Principle,’ it makes me want to dance and I can’t dance. ‘Black Cat’ stood out but overall, she
TOUSSAINT CHEN / THE SPECTRUM
Music icon Janet Jackson performed a medley of hits as part of her State of The World tour in Buffalo on Saturday. Throughout, the multi-talented singer dazzled through synchronized dance and flurries of jams which pleased thousands of fans in attendance.
brought back really good memories. She’s Janet and there can never be another.” Concertgoers like Johnathan Worden of Buffalo noticed Jackson’s admiration for her dancers –– especially that of dancer Allison Buczkowski, a native of Western New York. “She was pretty awesome and I didn’t know she was from Buffalo but I was rooting for her,” Worden said. “She’s really not supposed to be [on this tour] and the odds are stacked against her, the fact that she’s here is really just so great for her –– not only for women like her but just for her. For Janet to embrace that and all the diversity in her dances, was truly incredible.” email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com
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FEATURES
Monday, November 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
Spectrum editors win national collegiate journalism awards Two stories take home second and third place finishes MAX KALNITZ SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
Two stories from The Spectrum received national awards from distinguished collegiate journalism organizations. The College Media Association (CMA) awarded former managing editor Tori Roseman and former senior sports editor Michael Akelson with Pinnacle Awards, each for a story they published during the spring 2017 semester. Roseman also received an honorable mention from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) for the same story. Roseman’s story, “Isolated: International UB students not integrated,” won second place for Best Investigative Story from the CMA. The story explains the disconnect between international students and domestic students on campus. “It’s really crazy, but at the same time I put a lot of work and effort into that story and I feel like I told a story that a lot of people weren’t even thinking about,” Roseman said. “It came out at a super relevant time with the travel ban and immigration political issues earlier this year. Honestly, it was a combination of it being really timely and a really important story.” Roseman spent two and a half years investigating and writing the story and faced serious backlash from university administrators. She’s happy that after all of her hard work, the story received recognition beyond campus. She also credits the story to her growth as a journalist, writer and student. Roseman, who is currently studying law at Hofstra University, says she uses the skills her story taught her every day. “When I started writing the story I was a kid, a beginner journalist, that took on a big piece and I wasn’t really sure how to do
things,” Roseman said. “I was learning as I was writing the story. I had no experience interviewing or filing out FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) forms. It was a lot of administrative backlash and blockage that I had to circumvent.” Roseman is humbled and excited to win these awards, but wants the spotlight to focus on UB’s journalism program and newspaper instead of her own work. She credits her success to the Journalism Program Adviser Jody Biehl for working with her one-on-one and teaching her how to be a successful writer. “I almost don’t understand how we still get so much backlash and aren’t recognized by the university and the student body,” Roseman said. “In the last five years, we’ve won so many awards and all of our writers have gone out to be extremely successful in their careers. It’s amazing to me that the school still doesn’t acknowledge any of that success that’s churned out by a program with one advisor and a staff of 20 students.” The CMA also awarded Akelson’s story, “Blindsided,” third place for Best Breaking News Story. The story discusses the shock of student athletes after men’s soccer, baseball, swimming and diving and women’s rowing were abruptly cut from the school’s athletics budget. “The award is cool, but I’m more proud of the article itself. It caused a lot of noise on campus after what I think was an irresponsible decision on the university’s behalf,” Akelson said. “I didn’t even know that I was up for an award, but of course I’m happy to hear that people are recognizing my work.” Akelson wrote the majority of his story in the hours directly after UB made the decision to cut the four teams. He knew the story was important, but didn’t expect it to earn so much attention from UB and the
NOVEMBER MOVIE GUIDE Your monthly collection of cinematic selections DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA MANAGING EDITOR
Well this one snuck up on me. November holds two of this year’s biggest releases in the first two weeks, along with a few other curiosities to fill in the back end of the month. Let’s dive right in because I can’t wait to talk about… “Thor: Ragnorok” Nov. 3 Marvel continues to venture further into their cosmic canon as everyone’s favorite prince of Asgard, Thor, finds himself imprisoned on an alien planet and forced to battle gladiator-style.
COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX.
“Murder on the Orient Express,” directed by Kenneth Branagh, is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel and premieres Nov. 10. November will see the release of two of the year’s biggest films: “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Justice League.”
“Ragnorok” brings back some familiar godly faces, including Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Idris Elba — fresh off the bomb that was “The Dark Tower” — as Heimdall. Joining the cast are Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster, Thor’s captor; Cate Blanchett as Hela, the goddess of death; and Tessa Thompson as the bounty hunter Valkyrie. Mark Ruffalo is also making his return as Bruce Banner, aka the Hulk — strongest there is, pleased to meet you. “Ragnorok” will serve as the first entry in an unofficial Hulk trilogy as well as continuing the story of our buzz-cut-but-still-strapping god of thunder, taking elements from Greg Pak’s “Planet Hulk” comic. The previous “Thor” films have been enjoyable, though not among the best Marvel has to offer. But “Ragnorok” has managed to look fresh and exciting due to director Taika Waititi’s involvement and some truly inspired viral marketing — thanks Darryl. The film looks to be forgoing the original’s space-Shakespeare seriousness and the sequel’s cosmic “Game of Thrones” meets “Two Broke Girls” tonal inconsistency. This is the most interesting a “Thor” film has looked and frankly the most excited I’ve been for a Marvel film in some time. That’s saying a lot since Marvel continues to churn out consistently watchable films while their Distinguished Competition (DC) has given us only one solid entry, four years into their cinematic universe. “Murder on the Orient Express” Nov. 10 Kenneth Branagh, the man who brought us the first “Thor” movie, directs and stars in this Agatha Christie adaptation — now with 100 percent more Imagine Dragons. Detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh) boards the Orient Express train and is approached by a fellow passenger to be his personal bodyguard. Poirot declines because that is a weird thing to ask a stranger on a
^ MICHAEL AKELSON ^ Won third place for Best Breaking News Story
^ TORI ROSEMAN ^ Won second place for Best Investigative Story
surrounding community. “I thought to myself ‘I have to do this story.’ Everyone else’s stories were talking about the numbers and budgets but no one was interviewing the students affected,” Akelson said. “If I didn’t speak up for the students, no one else would’ve. No one else had the contacts that I did and I’m so happy I was able to tell this side of the story.” After Akelson’s article was published, UB Athletics received backlash from the affected teams and students showing their support for their fellow students. Akelson is proud he played a role in bringing attention to some of the “sketchy” decisions made by the university. “How could you call in these teams for an abrupt meeting and drop a bombshell like that on them without any other notice?” Akelson said. “The university handled this issue poorly and I’d like to think that my article played a role in all the events that followed the decision. The swim team’s sit-in and all the alumni showing their disapproval was in response to my article. There’s nothing I’m prouder of than that.” Akelson thanks former editors-in-chief Gabriela Julia and Tom Dinki for helping him edit his article and analyze Athletics’ budget during his reporting. Along with Roseman, Akelson believes that his time at The Spectrum and the leadership under Biehl has been an invaluable experience that has
set him up for success with his current job. Akelson is currently a video editor at NeuLion, a site for streaming collegiate and professional sports games. He is entertaining the idea of returning to print journalism to continue his coverage of sports. Julia, who won a Pinnacle Award in 2016, is excited to see her fellow staff excel and be recognized for their hard work. “It’s always exciting to see The Spectrum being recognized; stuff like this is bitter sweet. It’s amazing to see what students can do with no funding or recognition from UB, yet we still get national awards every year,” Julia said. “I think about how much more amazing work we could put out if we did get money and could pay our students.” Julia values the hands-on experiences she had during her time reporting at UB. Julia admits that some of the things she learned working at The Spectrum, she still hasn’t learned in graduate school. “Having that hands-on experience was amazing and it’s important to look at the impact of the adviser on a paper,” Julia said. “Jody’s not even getting paid but she stays up just as late with us editing papers. That dedication excites students and makes them dedicated and determined to work. It’s not a school project or club, it’s real-life experience that will give you real life skills.”
train, but the next morning the passenger is found stabbed to death. Poirot decides to solve this classic lockeddoor mystery and his fellow passengers become suspects, made up of a star-studded cast and Josh Gad. Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley and Penélope Cruz are joined by Johnny Depp, whom we can only assume is very jealous that Branagh gets to have the most ridiculous facial hair in the film.
Superman because we recognize the brand, but has done no work to make these depictions into anything close to likeable characters. Patty Jenkins was able to pull it off with Wonder Woman, but can that goodwill carry a film when audiences don’t give a flying fish about this Aquaman or the Flash?
“Justice League” Nov. 17 Can DC give us two good movies in a row? Probably not. But everyone is going to see this movie anyway. “Justice League” finds our heroes recovering from the fallout of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” just like most of the audience. Batman and Wonder Woman must gather Aquaman, Cyborg and the Flash in order to combat the coming forces of Apokolips. Zack Snyder has sole directing credit for his third installment of the DCEU, but he left the project in May after the death of his daughter. Joss Whedon was brought on board to punch up the script and direct reshoots, which gives hope that the film will be a cut above Snyder’s previous efforts. It looks as though DC decided to play Marvel’s game by bringing in the man who gave us “The Avengers” to helm their big team-up flick. “Justice League” should be DC’s last chance at cementing their cinematic universe as a serious competitor to Marvel’s, which is what they’ve been trying to do since “Man of Steel,” by giving audiences a dark and gritty alternative to Marvel’s lighter fare. This trailer is filled to the brim with quips and Batman riffing with Aquaman and the Flash, presumably to show audiences just how Marvel-ous a DC film can be. But the point that DC has missed, and has been missing since 2013, is that audiences don’t go to Marvel movies in droves for quips and to see their favorite heroes punch each other for a bit before making up. Marvel made audiences fall in love with these characters over the course of years, so when they did team up, it meant something. DC assumes we care about Batman and
email:max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com
“I Love You, Daddy” Nov. 17 Oh, Louis. Louis, Louis, Louis. You’re not making it easy on yourself. Louis C.K. has had an interesting couple years. He was the biggest name in stand-up comedy and the closest thing sitcoms had to an auteur before his television series “Louie” ended. He self-funded a web-series, “Horace and Pete,” which was quietly rolled out and met with acclaim, all while rumors of him harassing female comedians on tour began circulating thanks to a blind item by Gawker and some vague podcast interviews which are no longer available and the people involved have explicitly stated were not in reference to C.K. C.K. has repeatedly refused to address the rumors in interviews and said that any acknowledgement from him will only lend credence to something that deserves none. I want to believe you, Louis. And I think I do. But is making a movie about a sleazy 68-year-old filmmaker who tries to woo a 17-year-old girl really the best look at the moment, buddy? In what appears to be an homage to Woody Allen, a filmmaker who is no stranger to sexual assault allegations? Chloë Grace Moretz stars as the young lady, while the appropriately creepy John Malkovich plays the old filmmaker. C.K. will play the role of Moretz’s father who tries to prevent his daughter from falling for the creep. C.K. is a gifted filmmaker. He directed all five seasons of “Louie” and shot “I Love You, Daddy” entirely on black and white 35 millimeter film. The film will mark his first cinematic directorial effort since 2001’s “Pootie Tang.” I’m excited for this movie, Louis. I’m with you all the way. I just hope the art does not imitate life in this case. email:david.garcia@ubspectrum.com
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SPORTS
Monday, November 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON PREVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
One of the Bulls’ greatest strengths is their ability to play in transition. The Bulls outworked the Bloomsburg Huskies (0-0, 0-0 PSAC) in their first exhibition game by creating multiple turnovers with 19 total team steals against Bloomsburg. The Bulls tuckered out the Huskies, who only scored 15 points in the second half. The Bulls have the ability to make outrunning teams a common narrative this season. “I have never run so much in transition, it is so fun. I have been missing out,” said senior center Cassie Oursler after the Bloomsburg game. “It took me all these years of college, but I see the fun in getting the feed from Reid and putting your hands up to the basket.” Oursler had 20 points and seven rebounds in the exhibition game. The Bulls had a weak shooting effort against Bloomsburg, despite their ability to create scoring chances in transition. The team went 20-63 shooting and only recorded one three-point shot the whole game. “I think we shoot the ball a lot better than we showed,” Legette-Jack said. “We were taking quick shots and I think we have three or four people who can take and make threes. That is something we will work on for our next performance.” The Bulls have looked sensational on defense after focusing on that in the offseason. The Bulls can still dominate with their ability to create turnovers and not give good looks to the opposing team. It showed in their early exhibition game as the Huskies had only 11 baskets in the game. “I think the team did really well defensively in the second half,” Reid said. “I think that was something we needed from the beginning and as the leader of the team that has to come from my example. … In the second half I think we really turned it up and starting pressing and going after the ball.”
UB law school alum takes a shot at unseating WNY congressman Chris Collins CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
SPECTRUM STOCK PHOTO
Senior center Cassie Oursler gets ready to make a shot. The Bulls start their season this Friday against the Delaware Blue Hens (0-0, 0-0 CAA) at 1 p.m. at Alumni Arena.
The season officially starts against the Delaware Blue Hens (0-0, 0-0 CAA) on Friday. The Bulls’ non-conference schedule is impressive with games against several big conference teams. From Nov. 23-24, the Bulls will play in the San Juan Shootout against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) and the Clemson Tigers (0-0, 0-0 ACC). The Bulls will travel to Tempe, Arizona to play the Arizona State Sun Devils (0-0, 0-0 PAC 12) in the Arizona State Classic on Dec. 2.
Even with the big matchups this month, none of those games have crossed LegetteJack’s mind. “I just want to take this season slow. We have five seniors so we should enjoy every moment,” Legette-Jack said. “This is such a special group and we really are just taking it one game at a time.” email: thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com
“It’s always important to get involved, but especially for college students. There’s a ‘West Wing’ line from years ago; ‘decisions are made by people who show up,’” Bunny said. “We’re the ones the country is going to get turned over to when Donald Trump and Chris Collins are all off the planet. It’s important to get involved and to understand what problems we need to solve and how we need to do things differently.” Some political observers say Collins could be more vulnerable this election than in past cycles. The House Ethics Committee has been investigating Collins for potentially unethical dealings related to his involvement with an Australian biotech company. But there is still the matter of Collins’ extensive network and fundraising abilities. Last month, Vice President Mike Pence visited Buffalo and raised $400,000 for Collins and other local Republicans. Bunny says he’s not intimidated. “I think the reason you saw the vice president in town to raise half a million dollars, the reason they’re already kind of putting up press releases about me, the reason Chris Collins was here in East Aurora a few days ago handing out something to a Vietnam veteran, I think he’s scared or at least knows he’s vulnerable,” Bunny said. He knows Collins is always going to have more money, so he is going to focus on doing the “best job he can” to get his message out. “I’m not really all that intimidated by Chris Collins. You couldn’t have a bigger contrast between the two of us. It feels like I’m taking on Mr. Burns from ‘The Simpsons,’” Bunny said. “It’s somebody who really doesn’t seem to have too much respect for the average Western New Yorker. I’m actually enjoying the challenge a lot.” email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com
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SPORTS
Monday, November 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
YOU’RE FRESH, BUT HE’S FRESHER
Members of the UB Breakdancing club performing. The UB Breakdancing club helps cultivate breakdancing and learn the craft on campus.
UB B-boy dishes on breakdancing in Buffalo JEREMY TORRES ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Nineties hip-hop music echoes through the flag room in the Student Union on Monday evenings, drowning out the usual piano playing. The room becomes a stage for Justin Ceniza, dressed in a backwards baseball cap, hoop earrings and a jumpsuit Run-DMC would envy. Ceniza, a senior psychology major, is the president of UB’s Breakdancing club. B-boys and B-girls around Buffalo have gathered at the club to express their art and love for dancing since the club was founded in 2006. The four main components of breaking: toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes –– not only appear electrifying––they tell a story. Each contortion of the body represents the constant innovation and growth Ceniza has made over his 10 years of breakdancing. “It doesn’t happen overnight,” Ceniza said. “We get a lot of new members at the beginning of the semester and they want to learn all of the dope stuff. But all of the dope stuff doesn’t come until you put hours worth of time into it.” Compared to traditional dance styles such as hip-hop, jazz and ballet, breakdance training is less formal. It evolved out of the Bronx and practitioners h o n e their skills by watching others, gaining inspiration.
When Ceniza was 14, he watched an older kid in his high school breakdance, kickstarting his passion. Ceniza was in awe of how the dancer moved and began practicing on his own. “I learned off YouTube ‘how to’ tutorials. I also got tips from people,” Ceniza said. “I just wanted to get better. The more and more I watched YouTube videos, battles and competitions, I would think ‘I can be that good, I can do it.’” Despite watching and innovating, breakers never copy moves, according to Ceniza. “In the hip-hop breakdancing scene, there is something called ‘biting,’ which is kind of like copying someone’s moves,” Ceniza said. “You can use them as inspiration. You like an idea or flow that they have, you can kind of twist it and make it your own.” Much like street rappers, break-dancers compete in battles and cyphers. Battles are often one-on-one and each dancer attempts to upstage their opponent. Cyphers consist of a group of dancers in a circle; each dancer hops in the circle to show what they got. “It is like, ‘yo you’re fresh, but I’m better,’” Ceniza said. “People go in one after another to show my style is better than yours… I think that’s where people can express themselves outwardly without speaking.” The break-
Soccer team’s sub-par season does not reflect the talent on the team
THOMAS ZAFONTE
The Bulls should not have had a 7-9-3, 5-4-2 MAC record this season, nor should the Bulls have lost in the first round of the MAC tournament. The Bulls arguably have the best three
dancing scene is small in Buffalo. The community comes together the last Saturday of each month to compete in “Battle @ Buffalo,” hosted by Verve, a local dance studio. UB hosts a spring breaking-battle in April. Other schools such as University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology host battles to help bring breakers together. In breakdancing, having a crew allows for versatility throughout a dance set. Different styles paired together create a dynamic that allows for more unique combinations of choreography. The club helps elevate breakers’ ability by surrounding them with dancers of different skill-sets who share a love of dance. Ceniza’s fellow club members said his passion for what he does is a huge benefit to the club. “The dedication and passion [Ceniza] has rubs off on us so we are able to achieve a higher standard of breaking ability,” said Auston Manivong, a 20-year-old Buffalo native B-boy. Many of the club members
are involved in the crew “Floor Fetish.” Brendan Tom, an alumnus and Workforce Recruitment & Position Specialist at UB, created the crew in 2013. The group has expanded to include B-boys across North America, from California to New Jersey and up into Canada. Tom met Ceniza through the breakdancing club and saw they both shared a similar passion for breaking. “We have different styles of dancing and that is one of the interesting parts of breaking; Justin has a very different style,” Tom said. “I think that is why we work well together as a crew… As a team we make up for each-others’ weakness.” Ceniza practices four days a week with the breakdancing club. From teaching beginning members the basics of breaking to helping choreograph sets with his crew, B-boying is a way of life for Ceniza. That amount of breaking can strain the body and Ceniza understands he will not be able to break forever. “I know I’m not going to be able to break forever. In fact, most B-boys retire before they are 40,” Ceniza said. “It is a tough dance to continue going. I try my best to take care of my body. I don’t do drugs or anything. I don’t drink heavily. Just try and take care of myself because it is something I am really passionate about. I would like to keep doing it until I can’t do it anymore.” email: jeremy.torres@ ubspectrum.com
FIRST IN TALENT, FIFTH IN THE MAC
SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
ALLISON STAEBELL / THE SPECTRUM
players at their respected positions in the MAC; junior forward Carissima Cutrona; senior midfielder Julia Benati; and sophomore defender Gurjeena Jandu. So how come we couldn’t even get a .500 record for the season? The answer is schemes. More specifically, the new scheme the Bulls’ coaching staff implemented this season to help improve the offense. The Bulls had a problem scoring on the road last season. They never lost a home game, but couldn’t win an away game. Shawn Burke spoke about how the team would be adopting a new offensive scheme before the season began. He said the focus would be on incoming freshman forward Gianna Yurchak. She came to UB having a phenomenal high school career. She set her school’s all time records for most goals, 70) and most goals in a season (30.) Yurchak is an incredible talent who can really produce for the Bulls
moving forward, but was it a smart move to assume that she was collegiate ready to play year one? No. I don’t even coach soccer and I know this. Playing collegiate versus high school is night and day in terms of the level of physicality and time put in. Yurchak only had three goals and three assists the whole season. Though she was named for the allMAC freshman team, a scheme should not have been built around her the moment she showed up at UB. It is unfair to the returning players and unfair to put so much pressure on Yurchak. A heavier focus should have been to get the ball to Cutrona when she was closer to the net, instead of making her create her own chances every time she went downfield. Most of the Bulls’ losses came in games where they out possessed and outshot their opponents. The looks just weren’t there as the Bulls never got into great scoring position through the whole season. Despite my criticism, I still think Burke is a good coach for the Bulls. In his first year as head coach, he turned a lackluster Bulls team into dominant MAC champions. He knows the talent he has and even when a player isn’t producing the numbers
he wants; he doesn’t assume it can’t be fixed. Burke was aware of the team’s issues and never pushed them off in any interview I had with him this season. With that said, it is time for a change of schemes. Though the Bulls fixed their road problems, a whole new batch of scoring issues have developed. Now we are on to the next season where not only will Benati be gone, but so will senior goalkeeper Laura Dougall who received an all-MAC second team selection this season. Despite still having a strong backfield –– something the Bulls have never lacked under Burke –– the Bulls are going to be missing a major asset in the net. I am hopeful that freshman goalkeeper Julia Whipple will be able to step up after starting all four years at Hamburg High School. I feel Burke is already preparing for this. I find it hard to believe that a coach that has shown his ability to play to players’ strengths can’t see that this new scheme did not work. I think the Bulls will go into next season like they did this one: with a stockpile of great talent with questions on consistency issues. But this time their issues won’t just be on the road. email: thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com