The Spectrum Vol. 64 No. 79

the Independent Student Publication of the University at Buffalo, Since 1950

The S pectrum ubspectrum.com

Friday, may 8, 2015

Volume 64 No. 79

Facing the system

PHOTO OF DANIEL LAMPKE IN SILVERMAN LIBRARY BY JENNA BOWER

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The story of one former student’s struggles as a Level 2 sex offender SARA DINATALE EDITOR IN CHIEF

Larry Lampke just had heart surgery and was lying on a mattress set up in his living room when officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security brought his son Daniel through the front door.

His damaged heart raced.

What had happened to his shy, socially awkward son? Had he done something or had something been done to him?

Daniel had always kept to himself and seemed clenched up and wrapped inward.

Lampke never imagined that his son’s quirkiness and his mental condition – which he only recently learned is a very mild form of autism – would, in part, propel Daniel through the New York court system and land him on a list of high-level sex offenders.

Sex offender.

Just the words are menacing and off-putting.

Some people assume Daniel is a rapist.

He is not.

Lampke remembers the shock that set in when officers told him his son had child pornography on his laptop. Officers found the laptop when Daniel was crossing the Canadian-American border in the summer of 2013, shortly before he began his freshman year at UB. Daniel, now 22, had five images of children between 11 and 16 years old and one short video on the computer, according to his lawyer.

Daniel is articulate when it comes to complex subjects like chemistry and linguistics.

But he struggles to talk about himself and to explain why he downloaded the illegal images. He says he was lonely and curious, but admits he’s not sure why he did it. His lawyer suggests people with autism can be emotionally younger than their actual years.

On March 21, 2014, Daniel pleaded guilty to attempted possession of child pornography.

And on July 30, 2014 – after Daniel had already spent two full semesters at UB as a linguistics major and found his first girlfriend – the state labeled him a Level 2 sex offender.

A judge gave Daniel the label after he was run through a point system that ranks an offender’s risk of reoffending.

Because the court deemed Daniel “psychologically abnormal,” the judge – Kenneth Case of Erie County – bumped his level up a notch higher than his original Level 1 score.

Now, the Level 2 label could remain with Daniel for life.

This label has already forced Daniel to leave his UB on-campus housing – where he had spent almost eight uneventful months after his arrest, but prior to his conviction.

It’s also prevented him from getting a job or

attending classes at UB. Who would want to house or hire or even befriend a sex offender?

Because Daniel was denied housing on UB’s campus, the university determined he could not be in any on-campus dorms. In August of 2014, he was caught in his girlfriend’s dorm room and arrested.

Last Wednesday, he got his punishment: He’s not allowed on campus for a year.

The punishment doesn’t matter to Daniel.

He dropped out of school at the end of the fall semester, ending his hopes of becoming a linguistics researcher. It was too hard to be a sex offender and a student.

After his Level 2 listing, he couldn’t find a place to live. At times during the fall semester, when his parents couldn’t drive him the 45-minutes from his Evans home, he slept in the library. According to the rules of his probation, Daniel is not even allowed to access a computer or go on the Internet until 2020.

“It’s something I wish I had never done,” Daniel said of downloading the images. “I definitely acknowledge that I broke the law.

I’m not saying that I didn’t – it just doesn’t seem like it fits. I realize I have to have some kind of punishment because I broke the law but it just doesn’t seem to fit.”

On Aug. 25, Daniel became the most talked-about topic on campus.

At about 5 p.m., UB sent a campus-wide email to the nearly 40,000 students, faculty, staff and alumni with a buffalo.edu email address alerting them that Daniel Lampke, a Level 2 sex offender and registered student, was taking classes. The email included a link to a color photo of Daniel and a description of his crime. The photo is the one that appears on the New York State sex offender registry and – like a mug shot – shows an unsmiling, slightly scruffy-faced Daniel, his big rectangular glasses overwhelming his pale face and wide eyes.

The message went out on the first day of Daniel’s second year at UB. It left him shocked, afraid and embarrassed.

Such an email, said UB Spokesman John Della Contrada, is protocol, based on a SUNY policy in accordance with Megan’s Law, which requires UB to notify the campus when a Level 2 or 3 sex offender is enrolled or working on campus. It made no difference – nor did the UB email state – that Daniel had already been on campus and taking classes the entire year before without incident. It did say he was not a threat to anyone on campus and warned students that anyone who harassed him would get in trouble.

It was the first time UB sent out such an email because it was the first time a Level 2 offender was registered at UB, Della Contrada said.

SUNY’s policy doesn’t require UB to look into the charges before issuing the alert.

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Friday, May 8, 2015

and a report was filed with UB.

Police Blotter: 4/28 – 5/4 All information according to University Police 4/28 2:57 a.m. – A cleaner reported that an unknown subject urinated in trashcans at the Health Sciences Library on South Campus. A report was filed with UPD. 12:21 p.m. – An unknown caller reported a woman was sitting on the ground in CVS in The Commons screaming in a foreign language. The subject received medical transportation.

2:34 p.m. – A caller requested an ambulance to the third floor of Davis Hall for a 23-year-old woman who had passed out, struck her head, bit her lip and was bleeding.

The subject regained consciousness and received medical transport. A report was filed with UPD. 8:25 p.m. – A UB student reported being harassed via text message and wished to speak with an officer to explore options for protection. A report was filed with UPD. 11:18 p.m. – A caller reported that an unknown subject entered his locked Goodyear Hall dorm room on South Campus between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. and stole $100. A patrol was dispatched to the scene

4/29 1:45 a.m. – A caller reported that three males were threatening to fight others in the fourth floor lounge of Goodyear Hall on South Campus. A patrol arrived but the subjects were gone upon arrival.

10:28 a.m. – A mother of a UB student requested a welfare check on her son who had not contacted her in three weeks. The mother was unaware of any physical or mental issues he may have. A patrol contacted the subject and reported he is OK and will call his mother.

11:42 a.m. – A UB employee reported that someone might be living in an unoccupied cubicle on the fourth floor of Lockwood Library. The caller reported finding a sleeping bag, laptop and other personal effects in the cubicle, which can be opened by keypad only. The subject might have been climbing over the wall. A patrol arrived and found the items in cu-

bicle No. 143 and the items were returned to the station.

3:03 p.m. – A caller reported a fight in the vestibule of the Student Union on North Campus between five parties. No weapons were involved in the fight and the patrol on location reported it being a verbal argument only. A report was filed with UPD.

were seized and students received SWJ papers.

5:33 p.m. – A UB student reported that her Gravity longboard rolled out from under her and was struck by a shuttle bus while on Putnam Way in front of the Student Union. The long board, valued at $160, was destroyed. No injuries were reported.

5/1 2:33 p.m. – A student reported that another student in the Ellicott food court on North Campus shoved her at approximately 12:30 a.m. A patrol left a voice message with the student and referred him to Student Wide Judiciary (SWJ).

3:51 p.m. – A patrol received a walk-up complaint of marijuana from a hall director in Lehman Hall in Governors Complex. The patrol confiscated marijuana paraphernalia from two students and brought one subject into custody.

The other subject admitted to having $500 cash in a lock box from the sale of narcotics. The items

5/3 2:50 a.m. – A caller requested a welfare check on a lone female in the Ellicott Complex heading toward Richmond Quadrangle. The female had long black hair and was wearing a No. 14 Buffalo Bills jersey. Patrol was unable to locate the subject.

5/4 7:58 p.m. – A patrol was dispatched to an elevator entrapment on the third floor of the Student Union. The individuals were freed from the elevator and the malfunction was reported. email: news@ubspectrum.com

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Friday, May 8, 2015 ubspectrum.com

Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF

Sara DiNatale

MANAGING EDITORS

Rachel Kramer Emma Janicki, Asst.

OPINION EDITOR

Tress Klassen COPY EDITORS

Alyssa McClure, Copy Chief Anne Fortman Natalie Humphrey NEWS EDITORS

Tom Dinki, Senior Ashley Inkumsah, Asst.

Charles W Schaab, Asst.

FEATURES EDITORS

Gabriela Julia, Senior Dan McKeon, Asst.

James Battle, Asst.

ARTS EDITORS

Tori Roseman, Senior Brian Windschitl SPORTS EDITORS

Jordan Grossman, Senior Quentin Haynes Bobby McIntosh Asst.

PHOTO EDITORS

Yusong Shi, Senior Kainan Guo Angela Barca, Asst .

CARTOONISTS

Harumo Sato Joshua Bodah

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Jenna Bower Kenneth Cruz, Asst.

Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR

Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER

Kevin Xaisanasy Alex Buttler, Asst.

Melina Panitsidis, Asst.

ADVERTISING DESIGNER

Tyler Harder Derek Hosken, Asst.

THE SPECTRUM Friday, May 8, 2015 Volume 64 Number 79 Circulation 7,000 The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length.

If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address.

The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by MediaMate.

For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at (716) 645-2452.

The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100

OPINION

Justice denied

Decision to overturn verdict misguided and unneeded

Closure remains a fleeting prospect for the loved ones of William Sager, who died after being pushed down a flight of stairs at Molly’s Pub last May. A jury determined in January that Jeffrey Basil, the manager of the University Heights-area bar, was guilty of second degree murder – seeming to bring to an end a long and painful story for those involved and offering a modicum of justice with the conviction.

But all that was eradicated

by State Supreme Court Justice Penny Wolfgang’s decision to vacate the verdict.

According to Wolfgang, a lone prejudicial juror voided the entire process because she had an arrest record and a history of involvement in the military that was not disclosed during jury selection.

The juror had served in the Air Force Reserve, which she did not reveal during the selection process.

The juror, however, contends that she was not asked whether or not she had served in the military.

The lack of disclosure regarding her past in that case would not be the juror’s fault, as Wolfgang suggests, but instead an error on the part of those responsible for selecting as unbiased a jury as possible.

If this detail about the juror is critical enough to end up overturning a conviction, it’s deeply problematic that officials involved in the case failed to give her an opportunity to disclose such information.

The juror did provide incorrect information about her arrest record when asked if she’d

Although UB President Satish Tripathi feels he has a noticeable presence on campus, The Spectrum editorial board doesn’t recall seeing him around much – though his presence was certainly noted by Spectrum staff when Tripathi took the time to sit down and meet Sara DiNatale, the paper’s editor in chief.

A 2013 poll found the vast majority of UB students – 82 percent of the 700 surveyed – don’t feel Tripathi is visible on campus.

But Tripathi doesn’t have to spend more time walking along the Spine to make a noticeable impact on the quality of UB students’ academic experiences.

If he can make good on his promises regarding South Campus’ renovation and improvement to the University Heights neighborhood, then students will surely take note.

As UB’s medical school prepares to move downtown in 2017, it’s up to Tripathi to ensure that South Campus doesn’t become a ghost town.

The campus has great potential – with grassy hills and a

The moments that matter My formal goodbye to my last four years at The Spectrum

SARA DINATALE EDITOR IN CHIEF

ILLUSTRATION BY JOSHUA BODAH

ever been accused of a crime.

That is her mistake – she says she forgot, which is understandable considering the arrest was in 1997 – but an arrest for grand theft auto almost two decades ago seems unlikely to bias an individual in a murder case.

The issue of the juror’s military history is – potentially – more problematic, because Sager was a military veteran.

Consequently, the juror’s past could have been a source of bias, making Sager seem like a more relatable and sympathetic victim, and encouraging the juror to convict Basil based on her personal feelings rather than the evidence at hand.

With that in mind, it would appear that Wolfgang’s decision to overturn the murder conviction is a sound one.

Except there’s another critical detail about the juror in question, one which dramati-

cally weakens Wolfgang’s argument. The juror – accused of being biased against the defendant – initially did not support a guilty verdict for Basil. Along with two other jurors, she had to be convinced by the rest of the jury to convict him.

This renders Wolfgang’s claims of bias and deception moot.

Additionally, two other jury members had a history of military service and an alternate juror had an arrest record.

The decision to single out this juror, who did not intentionally conceal her history and clearly was not negatively biased against Basil is unfounded and unfair to all those involved in this case. What was surely a source of relief for Sager’s loved ones - a guilty verdict and a long-awaited conclusion - has now been denied. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Tripathi should establish his presence through promises fulfilled

UB president’s priorities need to be reinforced through action

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more classic spacious quad than North Campus, the area could be a thriving space for students, but only if there’s a reason for students to go there.

The plan to move the School of Social Work and the Graduate School of Education to South Campus is promising, but those programs need buildings to move into – buildings that need renovations, or downright replacing.

Tripathi has pledged to finally get rid of so-called temporary buildings – which, after a 50-year stay on South Campus seem not so short-term. That would certainly improve the look of South Campus, and more importantly, act as an indication Tripathi intends to make good on his promises.

The current restoration of Hayes Hall, a $50 million project that won’t be done for another year, will hopefully be just the beginning, as Tripathi has said he plans to improve the infrastructure of multiple buildings on campus.

Of course, it’s also critical that conditions off-campus are improved, as crime remains an issue and students still don’t feel safe in the area.

Though Tripathi’s meetings with Common Council member Rasheed Wyatt and his continuation of housing blitzes seem

helpful, his feeling that UB is taking an active role in the area is less, because more needs to be done.

Better buildings and academic activity need to be supplemented by a neighborhood where students feel protected.

Because ultimately, a revitalized South Campus and a safer community surrounding it would mean a lot more than seeing Tripathi’s face at Tim Horton’s.

And outreach and interaction can come in many forms – Tripathi can make his presence felt on campus in more ways than one.

He doesn’t have to meet with students face to face to encourage them to see eye to eye with him.

If Tripathi makes communicating with students in any form a priority – such as taking more polls, listening to students’ requests and noting the concerns the student body puts forth via The Spectrum – that would be a welcome sight on campus. It’s also important Tripathi seriously listens to the larger Buffalo community as he makes plans to alter the landscape of downtown and University Heights – it is called University at Buffalo after all. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

I’ve been involved in the production of roughly 320 editions of The Spectrum.

I’ve written more than 100 articles since my freshman year – and that’s just for this publication.

I can’t even begin to estimate how many hours I’ve spent in The Spectrum office.

It’s a lot.

Like actually a disgusting amount.

I still live at home and my father has spent the last four years joking he never sees me. Almost every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday I get home from work when my dad’s already in bed.

But every night before I head back into the house, no matter how late it is, I always take a moment. I turn off my gold Toyota Corolla. I take a deep breath. I let the last song finish out on the radio and try to remind myself to relax.

My days for the last four years have been crazy and unpredictable. Some nights I’m up until 3 a.m. finalizing page layouts or fact checking stories.

Moments matter – the ones we take to relax, the ones we’ll treasure forever or, as a reporter, the ones we’ll collect and write stories about.

When driving on campus Wednesday – my third-to-last day as the newspaper’s editor in chief – I stopped at a crosswalk and saw the subject of one of my first big feature stories, written when I was a sophomore, cross the street.

It was the man who told me about the worst moments of his life, as someone who survived the Rwandan genocide.

Thursday, I saw an associate law professor who was the main source for my second-ever story for The Spectrum walking outside the Student Union – the story in which I wound up talking to an exconvict who spent 32 years in prison when I was just 18 years old, fresh out of high school.

I’ve spent my college career collecting and cataloging thousands of moments in the pages in The Spectrum.

And there have been the moments I hated.

Like when it took UB’s records office six months to give me documentation I requested through a Freedom of Information Law request about the law school. The times sources have scoffed at me because I’m a college journalist. The amount of times I’ve been told, “The Spectrum sucks,” from people I know have never picked up a paper.

There’s been bouts of frustration with The Spectrum’s funding because we get no fiscal support from the school and run entirely off our own ad revenue.

There was the moment I realized UB simply wasn’t designed for journalism.

And there was the moment I realized that’s the best thing that could have ever happened to me and my career.

UB’s great for journalism because it isn’t made for journalism. We don’t have a huge journalism school with multiple professors ensuring our campus officials know how journalism works. We don’t have hundreds of kids competing for the front page of The Spectrum, but a lean staff of dedicated writers.

I’ve told the story of my decision to attend UB in the pages of The Spectrum before – that in the grand plan I made for my life at age 16, I needed to go to Syracuse University to be a successful journalist.

When I got accepted into SU’s journalism school but couldn’t afford to go, I had a moment.

The sobbing, frustrated, ‘Do I really have to go to UB?’ kind.

And that moment made me. That moment made me work so hard.

That moment led me to this campus, to this newspaper and to so many beautiful people – whether it’s the friends I’ve made in this office or the people’s stories I’m so thankful to have told.

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Friday, May 8, 2015

UB discusses same-sex marriage amid potential landmark Supreme Court decision MARLEE TUSKES

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

When New York State made same-sex marriage legal in 2011, Paris Canty and his then-boyfriend felt relieved. Although Canty, a senior psychology major and president of the UB LGBT Alliance, said he doesn’t plan on getting married anytime soon, it was nice to know that “your relationship can reach that next level one day.”

And now the United States Supreme Court may potentially make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

The Supreme Court is currently reviewing Obergefell v. Hodges – a federal lawsuit that challenges same-sex marriage bans in Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky – and the Court will decide whether states have the right to ban gay marriage and to not recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Although marriage equality is legal in 37 states, some states like North Dakota and Georgia have same-sex marriage bans, meaning a legally married same-sex couple’s marriage would not be recognized there.

The Court is predicted to make its decision on the case in June or July.

Rachael Hinkle, a professor in UB’s Department of Political Science, said that the argument for same-sex marriage is based on the Equal Protection Clause in the 14th Amendment that states no state can deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal

protection of the laws.

“I think it’s nice to think about what we’re actually talking about,” Hinkle said. “Our Constitution guarantees that citizens get equal protection of the law, and that should mean something.”

Hinkle said although typically marriage is a matter left to the states, the Supreme Court has intervened in marriage laws in the past and cited the Supreme Court’s decision in Loving v. Virginia to ban laws prohibiting interracial marriage in 1967.

“This isn’t the first time we’ve been here,” Hinkle said.

She also said that the “trend is going in the direction” of marriage equality.

David Scarfino, vice president of the UB LGBT Alliance and a freshman intended occupational therapy major, said he feels as though it’s time for federal intervention rather than waiting for each state to pass a law.

“I think that if it ever came down to all the states having the power to decide for themselves, it would take longer and not every state would have marriage equality due to conservative thought,” Scarfino said.

Although Canty said he believes marriage equality should eventually become a federal law, he thinks it would be better if the states decided for itself to pass it. Canty, whose family is from Georgia, said he thinks that only certain “hubs” would be accepting of

“Our Constitution guarantees that citizens get equal protection of the law, and that should mean something.”

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same-sex marriage.

“If we let the states make the decision for themselves, it will be more accepted,” Canty said.

Andrew Baumgartner, a senior nuclear medicine and psychology major, said that he thinks it is the Supreme Court’s job to rule in favor of making same-sex marriage legal.

“It’s their job to protect the rights of the minority,” said Baumgartner, who is also the treasurer of UB LGBT Alliance. “Why should popular vote be the deciding factor for my ability to get married? That’s a degrading notion.”

Canty said that although marriage equality would be a huge step for the LGBTQ community, it’s not the only issue the community is fighting for and would not necessarily be the biggest to overcome.

“Even though it would be a milestone, it would be small one,” he said. “A bigger milestone would be trans[gender] rights or recognition of economical standards.”

Scarfino and Baumgartner both said they agree that there are other issues just as important – if not more important – than marriage equality.

“While marriage equality is definitely a hot topic and needs to be discussed

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The Supreme Court is currently reviewing whether states have the right to ban same-sex marriage and not recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

and passed through the Supreme Court, I would hope that it doesn’t overshadow other controversial issues that are pressing the community such as trans[gender] rights, homelessness, poverty, etc.,” Scarfino said.

“Sometimes I feel that people tend to focus on just marriage equality as a way to neglect other important issues that the LGBTQ community faces.”

Canty said he believes that if the Supreme Court rules in favor of marriage equality, it would be a relief because then “it’s written, it’s done.”

“I feel like it would mean that America is going in the right direction,” Canty said. “It would be a definite point in history – it would show that peoples’ minds have changed.” email: news@ubspectrum.com

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ubspectrum.com

Friday, May 8, 2015

Buffalo Bucket List No. 20: Oozefest

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Success is a journey, not a destination

DAN MCKEON

FEATURES EDITOR

The Buffalo Bucket List is a series of articles highlighting my journey to achieve the full college experience in Buffalo, from Buffalo wings to Oozefest.

It’s a UB classic. Oozefest is a traditional volleyball tournament played in the mud pits

by South Lake Village Apartment Complex.

The tournament, put on by the UB Student Alumni Association (UBSAA), is designed to celebrate the end of the year in a fun and dirty way.

Luckily if you miss the event before you graduate, you can always come back. Both alumni and students are allowed to participate, so long as they register a team by the registration date and pay the fee.

Oozefest was introduced in 1984. The event was originally known as Oozeball and actually featured an event earlier in the week called Oozeball Night, which was celebrated at a local bar that advertised $.50 shots for Oozeball participants.

In 1995, Oozfest – note the difference in spelling – was made up of 96 teams and 768 players. That year the American Society of Civil Engineers did surveys of the ground to see if the field by Alumni Arena would eventually become the permanent ground. It didn’t, as we now know.

Eva Livecchi, the coordinator at the time, told The Spectrum in 1995 that “people like the idea of slipping and sliding all over the place.”

In 2004, Oozefest featured 128 teams, doughnuts for breakfast, subs for lunch and root beer pong.

Kyle Mackee, the head Oozefest referee that year, said, “The mud is what brings people out.”

In 2013, “Seven and a Half White Men” continued their three year Oozefest winning streak, beating 191 other teams with around 1,500 students. The team was made up of alumni who reunited every year for Oozefest.

Many people dressed up like characters from Despicable Me, Power Rangers and characters from the Super Mario series. Dressing in costumes has become a major part of the event.

Zach Ferhman, a sophomore chemical engineering major, said he is excited to play for his second time this year and said everyone

MARISSA FIELDING

STAFF WRITER

should play or at least spectate at Oozefest before graduating.

“They literally have a section of land squared off for the sole purpose of making it as disgusting and muddy as possible,” Ferhman said. “Not only will you have fun playing volleyball, but it’s great seeing everyone’s team uniforms and costumes.”

Many students share similar reactions.

It’s a uniquely UB event that should not be missed. Not every college can boast a mud volleyball tournament that has become a historical, entertaining and important part of student culture Oozefest takes place every year before finals, usually the first or second weekend in May depending on how the calendar works out. It is the last hurrah of the academic year before finals begin. It’s an excuse to go out and have fun with your friends one last time before buckling down and studying.

If you’re a senior, this can be one of your last events at UB. No one will be able to see your tears through the mud!

And with Oozefest, the Buffalo Bucket List, much like the year, comes to an end. I hope this list will give you plenty to do and achieve at UB before you graduate.

Remember: college is what you make of it. While you’re entitled to stay inside and do nothing, you’re also welcome to go out and experience Buffalo, the world and everything life has to offer. From culture to sports, from all-nighters to binge watching Netflix, college is a time full of experiences. Go ahead and make the college experience your own. email: dan.mckeon@ubspectrum.com

There have been a plethora of times when other people, including myself, have viewed someone’s life and wished it to be their own.

That is something almost everyone has experienced in college, whether it may be freshman year, or four years down the road. You might even be like me, a graduating English major without much of a plan after graduation. No matter the case, everyone should look back and be proud of the person they have become. You should never wish to travel in someone else’s shoes – instead, learn from all your own different experiences.

I’m not saying everyone should rely on fate to guide us, but we should all have faith that life’s journeys and our decisions will safely guide us to our destination.

My experience at UB has guided me through numerous doors I never expected to even see. From incredibly intelligent and wise professors, a multitude of immensely unique friends and experiences one would only dream about, my experiences have shaped me.

To start, a memory I will always look back on and smile during my hardest hours of my new journey is the time I stopped in London with my Berlin, Germany study abroad group.

After a long night of venturing out around the town on New Year’s Eve, Jordan Oscar, Emma Fusco, Brian Windschitl, Natalie Humphrey, Andy Koniuch and myself all shoved ourselves onto the extra mattress our

The moments that matter CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

It’s that moment that would inadvertently lead me to a summer at The Buffalo News, the paper I grew up reading, a summer at The Oregonian for an unforgettable three months reporting on Portland and my to-be summer at The Boston Globe.

I had to make a film this semester.

I’m still having a hard time calling myself a “filmmaker,” but I guess my media study minor makes me at least an amateur one. I cov-

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host provided and laughed about the night’s festivities. But we mostly laughed at the moment Andy Koniuch thought it would be an intelligent idea to try and jump over two newspaper stands and ending up sitting in both of them.

It was a crazy notion that I had finally made the decision to venture to a foreign country with a group of strangers who are now great friends.

This team of people along with others, such as the editor in chief, Sara DiNatale, and professor Jody Biehl, introduced me to The Spectrum, which also altered my college experience and made me grow as a person.

Berlin and The Spectrum have helped prepare me for my next journey, wherever that may be.

One thing I know for certain is that I am prepared for any interviews I will take on!

The knowledge I have obtained through my education, the people I’ve met and my experiences in college have helped me through the many decisions I have had to make and changes I have had to go through during my college career. I can easily say that is something that I would not have known back in middle school or high school. It is a knowledge I will take with me for the rest of my life.

Specifically, thank you, Spectrum team, for helping push me to exceed my own expectations of myself.

Stephen Guetti, thank you for teaching me that comedy is the cure to almost all serious events in life. Also, for showing me the ropes in media and what hard work looks like.

Jordan Oscar, Emma Fusco and Natalie Humphrey, thank you for helping me during the stressful moments in life, like the time I waited two hours in line for a burrito at Mustafa’s that ended up being chicken instead of vegetarian.

Thank you to all other friends, old and new, who have helped with my stressful, lifealtering, adventurous and fun college experience. I hope that as I walk down the new path in my life, I will see all of you venturing down there with me. email: mjfieldi@buffalo.edu

ered our senior photo editor for the film.

He told me on camera his favorite part of taking pictures is to “capture the best moment.”

I don’t know how to “capture” my time at The Spectrum in any specific way. There’s almost too much to capture. Almost too much for my mind and heart to hold.

My moments as a college journalist have come to define my life.

It’s weird to think after this column runs, I won’t be a college journalist, but a journalist.

A journalist who wouldn’t be much of a journalist without the last four years of her life. email: sara.dinatale@ubspectrum.com

God Bless, James Neumann & Staff

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ubspectrum.com

6

Friday, May 8, 2015 COURTESY OF LARRY LAMPKE

Larry Lampke with his son Daniel.

Daniel’s father has taken an active role in helping his son through legal hurdles since he was caught with child pornography.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Had officials probed into Daniel’s case, they may have learned Daniel, who was never accused of touching anyone in any way, has a higher level sex offender ranking than some offenders who have molested children. They may have learned that Daniel’s ranking was upped from a Level 1 – which would have required no public notification – to a Level

He spends his days watching TV, reading and applying to jobs for which he won’t get hired.

2. Daniel’s lawyer, Rodney Personius, said the court saw his autism as an aggravating factor, rather than a mitigating one.

Personius said he thinks the judge may not have made Daniel a Level 2 if he knew it would mean a massive email notification across campus because he didn’t want to cause Daniel any harm.

But no one at UB asked questions. And even if anyone had, it wouldn’t have made a difference. The law treats sex offenders harsher than most criminals.

According to New York State statistics, Daniel, like the 467 other Level 2 offenders in Erie County, has a “moderate risk” of reoffending.

That risk dictates his life.

“This punishment for what he had on his computer … just for that alone for the punishment he has, and for his life before as far as being law abiding and being in school, being smart, having aspirations … it’s just terribly, terribly unfair,” his father said.

Daniel’s story calls into question the way judges decide sex offenders’ levels and the trickle down effect of that label, especially in the university setting. Despite the good intentions of the law, the label has ruined a young man’s life.

He’s lost his sense of purpose, his friends, his hope for the future. Once people know he’s a sex offender, they recoil from him as if he were toxic. He spends his days watching TV, reading and applying to jobs for which he won’t be hired.

One of the last bits of his former life he could still hold onto was his girlfriend – part of his main support system throughout the last year. She asked her name not be used in this piece for a “variety of personal reasons.” By May of this year, she could no longer stand the pressure of dating a Level 2 sex offender and the couple, who met at their freshman orientation, broke up.

Daniel’s optimism has waned over the course of the last seven months, as he navigates life as a sex offender.

Daniel’s story Daniel’s life shifted irrevocably when UB sent out that warning email.

“It seemed like everything changed after that, like everybody knew my face,” Daniel said. “It seemed like everybody was looking at me. I didn’t know how to react.”

Daniel said his “mild autism” already made it hard to talk to people. The email just amplified it. He constantly wondered if people were talking behind his back.

That day, as he walked through a campus that now recognized his face, he probably looked like he usually does. Daniel sticks out, according to his dad. He keeps himself

JENNA BOWER, THE SPECTRUM

Daniel stands inside Capen’s library, where he slept some nights last semester because he couldn’t find a place to live and was kicked out of his on-campus apartment.

coiled up in a way – his arms always snug and tense against his chest.

His dad pushes him to relax because he worries people make the wrong assumptions based just on his posture.

Daniel acknowledges his crime. He goes to court-mandated therapy that has helped him understand why it’s not OK to have images of children being abused. He now knows it’s a form of abuse and why it’s il-

legal.

He wishes he never did it. He says he’s sorry, but still can’t explain why he broke the law.

“It’s very difficult to explain what actually happened – my thought process,” Daniel said. “I guess the main thing is just, I grew up so lonely I had to develop ways to cope that some of them were not healthy. It’s a mistake. It’s a mistake I made. It’s not the fact that I like children, that I want to touch children – that’s not the case. It’s the fact I was looking for ways to cope with my loneliness and my lack of experience with just about everything.”

Daniel admits he never had a “true relationship” before meeting his girlfriend. He was ignorant – sexually and otherwise. He made a lot of Internet friends because it was easier to talk online than face-to-face.

When he spoke to The Spectrum for the first time in October, his now ex-girlfriend held his hand. She helped Daniel with every part of his life post-conviction. Seven months ago, Daniel said he wasn’t “sure he’d still be here without her.”

“As I’ve come to understand it,” his girlfriend said at that first meeting, “he was sort of in a place mentally because of his autism that he was sort of disillusioned to the world, and I think that he struggled to make the connection between images of children and child abuse.”

Daniel was never charged federally because his case was moved from federal to

local court in Evans. His original charges were higher than what he currently carries, but they were lowered when Daniel pleaded guilty.

Kicked out of campus housing Daniel got six years of probation and – unless his level status gets changed – will be on New York State’s sex offender registry for life. Daniel can bring his case back to Judge Case once every year to potentially have his level lowered. His father worries his court-mandated therapist, however, won’t back Daniel if he goes before the judge again soon.

In the summer of 2014, Daniel, his family, his lawyer and then-girlfriend, all expected – and pushed for – him to receive a Level 1 label.

Level 1 would mean he’d have a low risk of reoffending. Nearly 42 percent of the county’s 1,365 registered sex offenders are Level 1. The levels dictate what information is shared with the public. Daniel, as a Level 2, has his exact address listed on the public registry.

If Daniel had a Level 1 label, UB never would have made its campus-wide announcement. Level 1 offenders also aren’t listed on the searchable public registry.

Lampke wonders if UB would have considered letting his son stay on campus in his own room if he was a Level 1. UB doesn’t have an answer to that question.

“It is difficult to say if any one level might result in a greater or lesser likelihood of a particular outcome decision in a student’s case,” said Senior Director of Campus Living Brian Haggerty, in an email.

Haggerty said he couldn’t comment on a student’s specific case and therefore wouldn’t say why Daniel was denied housing.

Daniel appealed the decision and was denied again. His father said UB didn’t base the decision on complaints from students, but on the fact Daniel was convicted of a sex crime.

Being a Level 1 could mean he’d have an easier time finding an off-campus apartment – but even then, all the levels carry a stigma.

At the very least, if he was a Level 1, he’d know after 20 years without incident, his name would be removed from New York’s list of registered sex offenders.

Today, Daniel lives with his family in Evans. He can’t find housing elsewhere and has no money or a job. He quit UB at the end of the fall semester, largely because he had nowhere to sleep. At one point, he spent several weeks sleeping in Capen Hall’s library.

The punishment Daniel didn’t know it, but the moment he downloaded those images, he became part of a growing scourge – online pedophilia.

The rise of the Internet in the 1990s virtually destroyed the progress law enforcement officials say they had made in eliminating child porn trafficking. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, by the 1980s the problem was almost eradicated in the United States.

Today, producing and collecting images of sexually abused children has never been easier, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Between 2005 and 2009, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s Child Victim Identification Program had a 432 percent increase in child pornography movies and files submitted by law enforcement to the organization for identification.

The federal government considers it a growing problem.

And the punishments are severe.

Once sex offenders are convicted, they’re all treated mostly the same by the system and the public.

“... it just seems like no one is willing to let me be a normal person because it’s too much of a risk.”

ubspectrum.com

Friday, May 8, 2015

Sex offenders of all varieties get clumped together, said Buffalo lawyer John Nuchereno, who’s practiced law for 37 years and regularly handles sex offense cases.

“It’s not to say some sex offenders shouldn’t be confined forever, but it’s the cases of the person when it’s a one-time thing and they’re not going to be a menace in the future but are treated the same way,” Nuchereno said. “For those who you want to punish, [the system] works; for those who are unique, it doesn’t work at all.”

Daniel’s father believes the system has inappropriately punished and stigmatized his son.

“I truly believe he would never do it again,” Lampke said.

Daniel agrees, insisting it was a mistake he’s learned from.

The court doesn’t agree – at least not yet.

Daniel has yet to try to have his level modified.

An accredited doctor assessed Daniel’s mental health and said Daniel’s mental state “decreases the Defendant’s ability to control impulsive sexual behavior,” according to court documentation.

Daniel and his father don’t agree with that assessment, but Daniel has been trying to better himself through therapy for months.

“Some of the things that Dan had told [the doctor] as far as what he thinks is OK and what might not be OK are disturbing,” Lampke said. “But at the same time, they are thoughts, and it never means he’s going to act upon them.”

When a defendant is deemed “psychologically abnormal” like Daniel was, he or she is automatically assessed as a Level 3 sex offender.

But judges have discretion. Judge Case bumped Daniel to a Level 2 and not 3 – a Level 3 ranking would’ve been even harsher on Daniel.

Various court employees said the judges who decide leveling typically strive to be fair and impartial. The judges are expected to handle their flexibility with the legislation correctly. Ultimately, it’s judges – not solely the Sex Offender Risk Assessment guidelines – that decide the fate and level of the offenders. The goal, employees said, is to keep the public safe but also allow those who deserve rehabilitation the chance to have it.

But some defense attorneys still question the point system used for risk assessment.

And Daniel struggles to realize how he can rehabilitate himself when he can’t even get a job in the backroom of a Walmart.

“When they came out with this assessment they really weren’t thinking about images,” Nuchereno said. “It doesn’t fit, it really doesn’t. It’s very inaccurate.”

Personius said the guidelines, as written, are “very concerning.”

“It has an element of randomness to it,” Personius said.

People who work for the state and regularly with these cases say those concerns are why there is a hearing to determine an offender’s level. At that time, the defense can argue against the state’s recommended level assignment. The framework of the law requires the assessment to happen, but judges can veer from it – whether up or down – as long as they put a legitimate reason on the record.

What exactly is the point system?

There are 15 factors that help determine a sex offender’s risk assessment. The Sex Offender Registration Act took effect in 1996. The act requires New York’s Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders to “develop guidelines and procedures to assess the risk of a repeat offense by a sex offender and the threat posed to the public safety,” according to Correction Law §168-1(5).

Offenders get varying numbers of points based on things like their age when they committed the offense, if a weapon was involved and the ages of the victim – the younger the victim, the higher the point value. When an offender hits more than 70 points, he or she is leveled a Level 1 offense – more than 110, Level 2.

Daniel scored 70 points. He got 20 points because there were two victims within the images and another 10 because he was 20 at the time of his arrest, for example.

The guidelines were updated in 2006, but still don’t specify between what Nuchereno calls “in-the-flesh” acts and child pornography crimes.

Nuchereno takes issue with how the children in the photos are assigned ages, because unless the child is identified, there may not be definitive proof of how old they are, which affects the points doled out.

He worries this can lead to inflated leveling.

But in 2012, the Board of Examiners re-

7 SARA DINATALE, THE SPECTRUM

Daniel stands outside the Academic Spine on one of his last days as a UB student. He felt forced to drop out of college when finding a place to live near campus became impossible.

Other Level 2 offenders in Erie County Daniel Lampke, though rated a Level 2 sex offender, was never accused of touching a child, while some people with the same level or lower have molested children.

BRIAN INNIS

ELIZABETH STOLL

Felony Sex Offense

Rape-2nd, Sexual Intercourse

Description: Non-NYS Arresting Agency: U.S.

Air Force - Rome

Victim Sex/Age: Male,

14 Years

Sentence: 30 Months

Description: Attempted

Victim Sex/Age: Male,

13 Years

Sentence: Probation, 10 Years

State Prison

JASON DOWNEY

Description: Sodomy -

third degree, sexual contact promoting/possessing sexual performance by a child Victim Sex/Age: Male, 15 years Sentence: One year to three years state prison

JOSE COLON

Description: Sexual Contact

Victim Sex/Age: Female, 4 Years

Sentence: One year(s) local jail

LEWIS TEED

SELEDAS WORRELL

sexual intercourse, attempted criminal sex act2: Oral/Anal sex-actor, 18 years or more/victim under 15 Victim Sex/Age: Female, 13 years Sentence: Probation: 10 years

contact With individual less than 11 years old Victim Sex/Age: Female, 8 years

Description: Deviate

Description: Sexual

Relationship to Victim: Non-Stranger - Person in position of authority

FLETCHER WILLIAMS

Description: Attempted Rape - first degree, sexual intercourse, deviate Sexual intercourse sexual contact Force Used: Threat, immediately and physically overpowered Sentence: Probation 10 years

JOSEPH DUDEK

Description: Attempted

Rape - first degree, sexual intercourse, kidnapping/ unlawful imprisonment Force Used: Coercion threat immediately and physically overpowered hit with hand/ fist/club choked Sentence: 12 years state prison state prison

VERA BALDWIN

Description: Sexual Contact

Victim Sex/Age: Female, 19 Years

Sentence: 5 Years to 15 Years State Prison

Weapon Used, Force Used: Immediately and physically overpowered, threat

*ALL INFORMATION COURTESY OF NEW YORK STATES PUBLIC REGISTRY OF SEX OFFENDERS

leased a position statement on the scoring of child pornography cases and the nuances they can pose, stating: “The Board remains concerned about child pornography offenders, and in the majority of cases, believes they have a sexually deviant interest in children which poses significant risk to public safety; however, recognizes that each person convicted of child pornography poses risks that are unique to that individual. These images are in essence crime scene photos of children being sexually abused, and the increased demand for these images result in further sexual victimization of children.”

And the way the points add up and what a judge sees fit can mean variation among offenders. Some people, such as Daniel, who have never touched a child can be rated higher than someone who has had sexual contact with a child, based on the court’s determination if that person is likely to act again.

That bothers Daniel’s father. He’s kept any eye on other cases, collecting newspaper clippings. He has about 20 stacked up and sitting on his kitchen table. He’s seen other offenders who have touched children

get rated the same or less than Daniel.

There’s one clipping in his ever-growing packet that he points to as the most disturbing.

“I hope it was a misprint,” he says about the short article published in The Buffalo News in October 2014.

A 71-year-old man, Mikhail Kusluk, was rated a Level 1 sex offender after sexually abusing a 6-year-old girl by the same judge who decided Daniel’s level.

“He was classified as a Level 1 and he had sexual contact with a 6-year-old girl,” Lampke said, struggling to believe Daniel was considered more dangerous than a man who admitted touching a child. “You would think more contact would be the higher [level].”

The Spectrum contacted Judge Case’s chambers and his court could not comment on Daniel’s case because of the potential for Daniel, pursuant to the corrections law, to come in before the judge and ask for modification, which he can do annually.

Life after conviction Daniel knows the state views him as a po-

tential danger.

“I just want to be a normal person again and it just seems like no one is willing to let me be a normal person because it’s too much of a risk,” he said.

And with that risk also comes a decently hefty price tag. Being a sex offender isn’t cheap. He has to pay a probation fee of $35 a month, which will total $2,520 after his six years of probation are up. If his probation officer wants him to get a drug test, that’s $50. His weekly court ordered-therapy is $60 per session and he got a $1,500 fine for his crime.

Unable to find a job, Daniel is overwhelmed. He’s can’t work in the fast food industry because someone under 18 might work at those establishments, too. He can’t work anywhere with minors.

Daniel never served jail time and was charged with a misdemeanor. But being on probation as a sex offender is like being on house arrest in a lot of ways – especially for Daniel, who has an aversion to driving.

He describes his life today as a husk of what it once was. Daniel now spends his days shuffling between meetings with his probation officer and his court-mandated group therapy. He carries what he calls a “dumb phone” – a flip phone that can’t connect to the Internet or take photos as part of his probation restrictions. He spends a lot of time playing video games and searching manually for jobs.

On New Year’s Eve 2014, Daniel could have seen his grandfather, who lived in Pennsylvania, for one last time. But the paperwork required for a sex offender to travel out of state is too complicated, Lampke said, and Daniel’s probation officer said it wasn’t possible.

“He missed out on the opportunity and the next opportunity he got was to be carrying his [grandfather’s] casket,” Lampke said.

Daniel’s father and mother have both been supportive during the ongoing struggle.

“We both love him unconditionally,” his father said.

But Lampke has taken a more active role in his son’s legal situation. He was at home on the mend and out of work dealing with his heart – which wound up requiring three surgeries – when Daniel was first facing his charges.

He’s become involved in a way he wishes he had sooner.

Daniel had been an Internet junkie since high school, Lampke said. He’d go in chat rooms and make online friends. Lampke questioned the influence they had on his son. He wanted to limit his computer time, but was never successful.

“I had to bite my tongue a lot but I knew something like this was the kind of thing that could possibly happen and it did,” Lampke said, fighting back his emotions.

He continues to collect his news clippings, following legislation that would affect sex offenders closely and other people’s decisions. He hopes maybe they’ll help one day in court when Daniel tries to modify his level.

But he worries about his son’s lost potential. He says if UB let Daniel stay living on campus, he’d at least have had a chance at getting his education.

There aren’t any other high-level sex offenders pursuing an education at UB right now, though there is one Level 1 offender registered as a part-time student, according to UB Chief of Police Gerald Schoenle.

But sex offenders rarely get a higher education, according to Derek Logue, a registered sex offender in Ohio who was convicted of sexual contact with a minor 22 years ago.

In that time, he’s become a sex offender rights activist and author and says he’s seen how difficult it is for sex offenders to stay enrolled in college.

“It’s not very often sex offenders go to college,” Logue said. “Most of us are racked with fear from the treatment we’ve gotten on the inside and from the community.”

And right now, college prospects are not Daniel’s focus.

He says he hopes he can at least get a factory job. email: sara.dinatale@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

8

My last college move

EMMA JANICKI

ASST. MANAGING EDITOR

For me, college has been four years of trial and error and a whole lot of self-discovery.

I started out at SUNY Binghamton, feeling a million miles away from myself.

A year at SUNY Geneseo shrunk my world down to just a few academic buildings and empty walks through the New England campus after dark, dim lights just barely skimming the sidewalks.

And then I made the big move back home to Buffalo.

I spent a year going to classes and heading home afterwards. I worked a lot, moved out of my parents’ house and felt generally despondent about the whole school thing.

So, I figured it was probably time to find “my thing” – you know, get involved, make friends, blah blah. At the beginning of the spring semester of my junior year I got a mass email: The Spectrum was hiring.

And so, for my first thank you: Aaron Mansfield, thank you for taking a chance and hiring me as assistant features editor when I had very few qualifications. I can’t thank you enough for bringing me onto this team, and your brilliant leadership skills (and impeccable style) are something I can only hope to approximate.

Although I was far more reserved in the office, to everyone on the spring of 2014 staff – my first Spectrum family – you motivated me to stick with it. Every one of you had such admirable talent and passion. Thank you for showing me the way.

The past three semesters working for The Spectrum have been eye-opening and intensely challenging, but they’ve also been a labor of love.

Most of us at The Spectrum work for free. For the very small number of us who get paid, our

time sheets read 40 hours per week – definitely an underestimate – and we make well below minimum wage. We’re one of the hardest working groups at UB, but we don’t get a single thing from the university. We’re ragtag misfits in the world of college journalism, but we produce some of the best work in the country. We’ve competed nationally and have won against impressive journalism schools. We may not have much, but we do a darn good job.

I’m immensely proud of the work I’ve produced here. I investigated professors selling their own textbooks to students; I interviewed a Harvard professor about his new book; I tried to open the campus’ eyes to the city I love; I’ve written columns on everything from abortion to the UB English department to not wearing bras; and I’ve learned to see a story everywhere.

I couldn’t have done any of that without the support from everyone who’s worked tirelessly in our windowless, gray office. (Really guys, decorate the office next year.)

Sara DiNatale, even though we washed each other’s backs in Berlin, I still respect you. But really, your passion, ambition and sheer talent is inspiring. I absolutely cannot wait to see what you do at The Boston Globe this summer (not bad for a public school girl, eh?) and at whatever other newspaper is smart enough to hire you. You’re going to kick butt in your cute glasses and the world had better watch out.

Rachel Kramer, you’re one whirlwind of a lady! Your eye for details and seeing exactly what a story needs still boggles me. I know that no matter what, you’re going to take on social media by storm, getting likes wherever you go.

And the award for hardest working person on the planet goes to Alyssa McClure. I bow down to your ability to flawlessly tackle exams, endless papers, crazy professors, having two jobs and working such long hours at The Spectrum. You’re the Queen of Stamina and Moxie and I am definitely not worthy.

I am going to miss the subtle but brilliant sarcasm and humor of Tom Dinki, next year’s fearless leader. I know you’re going to do great work with the paper, just always keep my persistent feminist voice nagging at you.

Jenna Bower and Kenny Cruz, you amaze me with how you make our words look so pretty and attractive. Your infographics are just so styling and that typography – be still my heart! Your office antics during those late nights always perked me up. Keep it so real.

Friday, May 8, 2015

Remember when we got mouth-watering Turkish food, drank beers in a dim café set to a bad ’80s soundtrack and then fell asleep on the bus? Brian Windschitl, you may drive me absolutely nutty with your sentence structures and insistence on creating synonyms that make no sense, but you’ve become one of my dearest friends. I already miss smoking more cigarettes than I’d like to admit on the streets of Berlin with you and using a random stoop as a confessional, so we’re just going to have to keep meeting up for our Indian-foodand-life-talks tradition. And as always, chill out; you’re going to do fine.

Tori Roseman and Gabriela Julia – I’ve truly enjoyed watching both of you grow into leaders on this paper. I’m so excited to see how far you progress. And interviewing Anthony Raneri of Bayside with Tori is downright one of my all-time favorite Spectrum moments.

As for The Spectrum’s subtlest comedian, Yusong Shi, I am going to miss your understated, witty banter and overall excitement about everything. You’re just such a gem.

The Spectrum wouldn’t exist without the hard work of Helene Polley and the ad staff.

You guys make our work possible. Thank you for being so dedicated. We really couldn’t do it without you.

To the rest of the staff – remember to strive for that moment when a story takes over and you can’t let it rest. I hope you all find your own passion and path with The Spectrum – make this place your home.

And finally, to Jody Kleinberg Biehl, the incredible woman behind the scenes, supporting, challenging and pushing us further than we ever thought possible – I don’t have enough thanks to do you justice. I’m going to always treasure learning about Berlin and journalism through your eyes.

I may not have lived a typical college lifestyle but The Spectrum has been my rock here at UB. The passion I developed and the talents I’ve seen emerge and grow in our office will be dear in my heart as I move on.

Everyone, it has been so real and so good to work with all of you. As much as I’ve learned about writing these past few semesters, the English language is inadequate to express how deeply thankful I am to have had this opportunity.

Future staff: stick to your guns, don’t pull your punches, and take no prisoners.

But most importantly, live long and prosper!

And the friends we won’t forget Leaving college with thousands of pictures behind the diploma

RACHEL KRAMER MANAGING EDITOR

6,835 pictures.

I’ve taken 6,835 pictures throughout my time at UB – only 2,379 of which are social media appropriate. And almost all 6,835 times I’ve been met with groans and eye rolls from my friends or a typical, “No photos are good photos.”

But how else are we going to remember the late-night Nerf gun fights through Governors, the bus rides to South Campus frat parties, the spontaneous paper plate dodgeball games in our Greiner kitchen, the late-night excursions to Baird Point, the pranks, the thirsty Thursdays, the bonfires – all the moments that made college the best four years of my life.

This is supposed to be a goodbye column about my time at UB and about how grateful I am for my education and my experiences that made UB a great investment for my future. But everyone who attends college gets an education, and most get a diploma. Not everyone is fortunate enough to meet a group of people they will grow to call family.

What started as a gaggle of nervous freshmen crowded together in a third floor Governors’ lounge discussing Harry Potter has turned into a dramatic, incestuous, somewhat-alcoholic, tight-knit, loving, caring family of successful 22-year-olds with promising futures and almost 7,000 pictures worth of memories with one another.

CONTINUED TO NEXT PAGE

email: emma.janicki@ubspectrum.com

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Friday, May 8, 2015 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS

And that’s what college is.

It’s not about the all-nighters pulled studying for a final, but about the all-nighters pulled because you’re staying up to watch the sunrise because you’re having too much fun to go to sleep.

My résumé will sum up my UB experience with a 3.7 GPA, internships at Sony Music and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and a degree in communication – but that’s not what I’ll tell my future kids about. They will hear the stories of my friends’ addiction to Catch Phrase, when my guy friends stole all of the furniture in my apartment and about the nights staying up until 4 a.m. chatting with my best friend.

It will sum up my time at The Spectrum with a few lines about how I learned to manage a team and drove content to our website via social media channels, but that’s not even close to what my four years at The Spectrum has meant to me.

“But nobody even reads The Spectrum.”

If I had a dollar for every time I heard that sentence from my friends after I told them I was going into the office, then I’d be able to leave UB without any debt.

I don’t necessarily disagree. To be honest, I didn’t read The Spectrum until I had to edit every article that was printed.

But being in 132 Student Union is about more than producing a newspaper every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It’s about how a group of kids can work together to produce something amazing and all of the ridiculous things that happen when 25 20-somethings are cooped up in a room all day together.

The Spectrum staff is more than co-workers – it is my second family at UB. Although it’s a workplace, my résumé won’t tell you everything I’ve learned while being on staff at the newspaper. It won’t mention my first naked lap experience, the Moe’s nacho hangover cure, playing my first game of Kings, my first time getting into a bar (on my 20th birthday) or how the people at The Spectrum helped me become myself.

Without Aaron Mansfield, I wouldn’t be confident in my leadership abilities and without Lyzi White I would be clueless when it came to drinking, boys and being an adult.

And to Sara DiNatale, Alyssa McClure, Tom Dinki, Owen O’Brien and Emma Janicki – I don’t know if I would have made it through this semester if it weren’t for you guys tolerating my sassiness and being there to make me laugh. You rock, don’t ever change.

As cliché as it is, college has been the best four years of my life. And if someone had asked me a month ago if I was excited about graduating I would have cringed at the use of “the G-word.” I wasn’t ready to leave my either of my families – on The Spectrum staff or off. I thought someone was going to have to drag me kicking and screaming across the stage to shake President Satish Tripathi’s hand.

But as much as it pains me to admit it: I’m ready. email: rachel.kramer@ubspectrum.com

ubspectrum.com

9

The Spectrum’s editorial staff

Charles W Schaab, Asst.

Tom Dinki, Senior Ashley Inkumsah, Asst.

News desk >

Dan McKeon, Asst.

Gabriela Julia, Senior James Battle, Asst.

< Features desk

Jordan Grossman, Senior Quentin Haynes Bobby McIntosh Asst. (not photographed)

Sports desk >

Tori Roseman, Senior Brian Windschitl

< Arts desk

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Sara DiNatale

MANAGING EDITORS

Rachel Kramer Emma Janicki, Asst.

COPY EDITORS

Alyssa McClure, Copy Chief

ubspectrum.com

10

Tuesday, May 19 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Millennium Airport Hotel Buffalo Walden Avenue, next to the Galleria Mall

Bring your resume and dress for success!

FREE

Career Seminars

10 a.m., NOON & 2 p.m.

• Meet with local and national employers.

• Gain valuable contacts and experience.

• Learn about what employers are looking for.

Visit the Career Fest at

BuffaloJobFinder.com/job-fairs

Friday, May 8, 2015

Friday, May 8, 2015 ubspectrum.com

11

CLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

FLOWER SHOP HELPER parttime. Fun job! Main St. Amherst, Peter 716-839-1627 LIFEGUARDS WANTED for Raintree Island Apartments. $10.00 an hour with end of season bonus. Call 716-694-8742 ENJOY WORKING OUTSIDE? Summer Landscapers wanted! Full or part-time. Experienced helpful but not necessary. Near South Campus. Call 8338000 or email: englishgardenerinfo@ gmail.com RESTAURANT EXPERIENCED LINE COOK, apply in person Eagle House, 5578 Main St. Williamsville.

PART-TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE. Lasertron Family Entertainment Center is currently hiring for general customer service. Working at a fast, detail-oriented pace and having excellent customer service skills is a must. Starting at $11/hr, must be available nights and weekends. Stop in and complete an application at Lasertron, 5101 North Bailey Avenue, Amherst. NY APARTMENT FOR RENT APARTMENT FOR

RENT

NORTHRUP 3-BDRM $1200.

Immaculate house, stainless appliances, IKEA cabinets & dishwasher. 646-2088574, rent@ubhouses.com facebook. com/ubhouses.

CLOSE TO NORTH & SOUTH CAMPUS. 2-BDRM available June 1st.

Quiet neighborhood, private yard, off-

street parking, heat, A/C, appliances & laundry included. $730.00, 716-204-8951.

TIRED OF LOOKING AT THE SAME OLD DUMP??? Our nicest apartments rent now! Newly remodeled 3-8 person homes on W. Winspear, Englewood, Tyler, Heath & Merrimac. Amenities include O/S parking, whirlpool bathtubs, w/w carpeting, new ss appliances, free laundry, snow removal & valet garbage! Live the Sweethome life on South! Visit www. ubrents.com or call: 716-775-7057 NICE 3-BDRM lower, carpeted. 10 min WDMSC. Stove, refrigerator, washer, dryer.

Big closets. Porch, gardens. Insulated, low heat bills. Cable hook-ups in bedrooms. $750+ Call Pat at 833-4362 2 & 3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS. Walking distance UB South Campus. Tom 716-570-4776. tombridon@aol.com MSC 4-BDRM Apartment 3 minute walk. Appliances, redecorated immediate occupancy! $300/pp 716-691-5710, 9 to 5.

4,5,6 & 8 BEDROOM Remodeled apartment houses. 34 Apartments available located at University Buffalo Main Street Campus, off Englewood. Beginning June 2015: UB South Campus for @ $300/ bedroom plus utilities. Washers & dryers included. Contact bradengel37@gmail. com or Shawn at 716-984-7813 Check out our web-site: www.bufapt.com HOUSE FOR RENT HOUSE FOR

RENT

ELMWOOD VILLAGE 6-BDRM, 2.5 bath; Parking; Appliances 716-833-0327

$2100+ BIG HOUSE FOR RENT off Sweet Home. Across from great bar, pizza joint, 24 hour store & 5 min. to campus.

4-BDRM, family room with fire place, 1 1/2 baths, off-street parking, all appliances including washer/dryer. Big fenced in yard. Available June 1st. Call 716-440-7117 / email: btfld6@yahoo.com $1800 per mo.

distance to UB. 6 rooms 2 baths. $300+ each. Appliances & off street parking.

Available June 1st. Call: Jim 716-563-8916 AVAILABLE JUNE 1ST. South Campus.

Master bedroom / 2baths, fully furnished, laundry, utilities & wifi included. Off-street parking. 716-570-6062 text preferred.

SERVICESSERVICES

PRINCETON COURT

SWEETHOME & MAPLE AREA. 4-BDRM, 2 bath house. Brand new completely renovated & energy efficient.

Includes washer/dryer, dishwasher, a/c, garage, off street parking for all. $2400 per month. Discounts available for grad students. Shawn 716-491-9109.

CITYA1DRIVINGSCHOOL.COM Beginners & brush-up driving lessons. 5hr class $30.00 716-875-4662.

TIRED OF LOOKING AT THE SAME OLD DUMP??? Our nicest apartments rent now! Newly remodeled 3-8 person homes on W. Winspear, Englewood, Tyler, Heath & Merrimac. Amenities include O/S parking, whirlpool bathtubs, w/w carpeting, new ss appliances, free laundry, snow removal & valet garbage! Live the Sweethome life on South! Visit www. ubrents.com or call: 716-775-7057

Efficiency Efficiency, 1&2 & 2 Bedroom Bedroom Apartments Apartments

PRINCETON COURT APARTMENTS

=

4-BDRM HOUSE. 1 1/2 Baths close to MSC. $350/pp, 716-691-5710 9 to 5.

ROOM FOR RENT ROOM FOR

RENT

WANTED: MATURE FEMALE HOUSE MATE, CLARENCE. Private room, bath, w/wi-fi, garage parking & laundry. Must be pet friendly & nonsmoker. Available June 1st. 716-908-2157 MINNESOTA

STREET,

walking

for information

Call (716) 835-1914

jlewis@mjpeterson.com

Now accepting enrollment applications for the North and South campus centers for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, 6 weeks to 5 years.

Enrolling now for Summer Camp 2015 at South Campus School Age children 5- 9 years old

DAILY DELIGHTS sponsored by Collegiate Village Apartments Crossword of the Day Friday, May 8, 2015 FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK

HOROSCOPES

briefly 4 7 Be a suitor 1 Famed biblical trio 49 Hop, skip or jump, 5 Pharmaceuticals e.g. overseer, briefly 50 Hospital VIP 8 Walloped, old-style 58 Certain Arabian 13 With the level Peninsula native bubble dead-center 59 Certain something 14 It signifies ap 60 Small proval rivulet 15 Fete 61 Drivel 16 Encircle with a 62 Communicate band silently 17 Ending 63 Meager with “hard” or 64 Animal in a “soft” roundup 18 Soul 65 Dead south minus 19 Do a 135 degrees clerical job 66 Nugent and Dan 22 Break in relations son 23 They make frequent stops 24 Express dissent 27 Many millennia make 1 Prefix with “phone” one 2 Passionate 29 Artist Chagall 3 It might make you 33 Small bit sick 34 Thin narrow 4 Roundabout groove 5 Elaborate banquet 36 Expire 6 Blowgun ammo 37 800 mph 7 On the 40 Gallery display safe side?

41 Devoted 8 Astute 42 City on the Arkan- 9 Belief in one causal sas River principle 43 “___ we forget ...” 10 “Step ___!”

45 Cinematic rat 11 Thick 46 Large bird dog,

DOWN

Edited by Timothy E. Parker May 8, 2015 STER UP TROUBLE By Bill Bobb

B I N E A I V E N I T

Hoş geldin

Benvenuto

reference book 1 2 Historic periods 14 Fleet 20 Small coin 21 Encounter with the law 24 Butcher’s scraps 25 Lean on the horn 26 Isn’t serious 27 Wharton’s Frome 28 Kind of surgery 30 No longer a minor 31 Shampoo bottle word 32 Chest material 34 Eyelid protuberance 35 Back of the boat 38 Mechanical being 39 Eruption 44 Emotional pang 46 Alternative to a convertible 48 Willow 49 Border 50 Holds up 51 Send out 52 Big blow 53 Life of Riley 54 Archaeological site 55 Rub the wrong way 56 Dove into third 57 Shadeproviding trees

歡迎

ようこそ Collegiate Village Apartments Welcomes You!

Добро пожаловатьь

Willkommen

환영합니다

www.CVBuffalo.com

Witam Cię

Aloha

歡迎光臨 Bienvenue

Bienvenido

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Finish what you start. Once you have cleared your to-do list, you will be ready to reach new goals.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Take pride in the way you handle money and emotional matters.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Added responsibilities will try your patience. Understanding and compassion will be required when dealing with others.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Examine your skills, what you have to offer and how you can be more diverse in the way you present yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Get serious and make a move. Procrastination will not lead to results.

A change of pace, environment and people will motivate you to show off your best qualities and aim to reach a higher standard of living.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Avoid disputes that can affect your position or your personal life.

If you criticize others, prepare to face complaints.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Do what needs to be done without complaint. Get involved in helping others or volunteering for a cause you care about. Your input will be well-received and lead to a new opportunity.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Size up your situation and consider your options. If you aren’t happy with what’s going on in your personal or professional life, make a move.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Don’t let personal matters get you down. Face any dilemma that comes your way honestly and without hesitation. Avoiding sensitive issues will result in turmoil you can do without.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Make your home more comfortable, but stay within your means.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You will feel good about yourself if you do things for others.

Love and romance are on the rise, and personal discussions can bring you closer to the people you care about most.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Keep a close watch over what’s transpiring around you, but don’t bring attention to what you are doing.

ACROSS

Friday, May 8, 2015 ubspectrum.com

12

SPORTS

Back to his roots UB rugby player Ike Onwukanjo to compete with the Nigerian national team for 2016 Olympics ANDREA WEIDEL

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Ike Onwukanjo never knew how important it would be to miss his high school football team tryouts.

Onwukanjo’s parents wanted their high school sophomore son to be active, so they made him choose a sport. Once he missed the tryouts for his high school football team in New Rochelle, New York, he decided to try out for rugby. By the end of his senior year, he knew rugby was something he was passionate about and decided to pursue the game at a higher level.

Four years later, he will compete at the sport’s highest level possible.

Onwukanjo, a right wing and center for the UB rugby team and a junior social sciences interdisciplinary major, will play with the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation next spring and summer as it tries to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil. The New York native, who has dual citizenship between the two countries, is looking forward to traveling and playing with his parent’s native country.

“It’s a huge honor for me to be able to represent my country,” Onwukanjo said.

“It’s something very few people are able to do and I’m thankful for that.”

Onwukanjo will fly between Buffalo, Africa, Europe and South America beginning in the spring of 2016 and continue through the summer. One week, he will be playing rugby on an international level in Nigeria as the national squad looks to make the 2016 Olympics. The next week, he could be sitting in a classroom. He said he’ll only miss a few weeks of school at a time, but said he’s prepared to handle the extra stress.

Onwukanjo was “shocked” when he got an email nearly a month and a half ago inviting him to compete with the Nigerian team.

“I didn’t know how to react. I just sat

there and stared at the email. It was completely unexpected,” Onwukanjo said.

The style of rugby Onwukanjo prefers to play is called “Sevens” – a 7-on-7 game played in two seven-minute halves. There are no forward passes, no timeouts and no blockers.

This style of play is popular overseas and will be used in the Olympics. Although the game is physical and Onwukanjo is often bruised, he said the game isn’t as brutal as it may seem.

His worst injury to date was a broken nose.

Onwukanjo began as a reluctant athlete to the game, but changed his stance on rugby once he realized his full potential. Onwukanjo now plays the sport for three different competitive teams: White Plains Men’s Rugby Club, the Northeast Olympic Development Academy in New York City and for the club team at UB. Many of his teammates on both of his other teams have already competed internationally. While at school, he enjoys playing with athletes his own age and being in a position of leadership under Buffalo head coach Mike Hodgins.

But it was the Northeast Olympic Development Academy where his passion for the game began. He was first noticed by Nigerian scouts while playing at UB, but began conversations with the national team while he was at the Olympic Academy during the summer entering his junior season.

Onwukanjo was preparing for this moment years ago when he attended boarding school in Nigeria from fifth to seventh grade and was immersed in the national language, Igbo. His knowledge of Nigerian culture is also a comfort as he prepares to return.

Onwukanjo said his aggressive play and stamina remain steady throughout each game, and said he believes that’s what caught the eye of the Nigerian team.

“He’s not full of himself,” said Joshua Drewno, a sophomore business administration major. “He’s definitely strong-willed and hates losing, but keeps his composure no matter what’s going on. He’s modest.”

Although Onwukanjo talks a lot about playing in Nigeria, Drewno said it seems he is more excited than Onwukanjo.

Onwukanjo’s siblings Ogye (19) who plays rugby at Davenport University, Ojo (13) and Nze (8) have told their school friends about Onwukanjo’s success.

But Onwukanjo isn’t ready to be excited yet.

“I’m definitely looking forward to it, but I don’t put a lot of thought into things, I’m not there [in Nigeria] yet,” Onwukanjo said.

“The excitement wore off the next day.”

Onwukanjo plans on attending law school at University of California-Berkeley after his stint with the Olympic team and after graduating from UB in 2016. He understands rugby may not be a factor in his life after college.

When he was a freshman, Onwukanjo struggled to find student-athlete balance.

He credits Phil Tucciarone, a close friend of Onwukanjo and former UB rugby player, for helping him realize what’s more im-

KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM Junior Ike Onwukanjo looks on at UB Stadium. Onwukanjo will play with the Nigerian Rugby Football Federation next spring and summer as it tries to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.

portant. Tucciarone would quiz Onwukanjo during rugby practice, putting in time and effort to ensure Onwukanjo was staying on the right course. “[Tucciarone] told me, ‘Rugby isn’t forever, and you need to be sure you’re established academically,’” Onwukanjo said.

Onwukanjo said he would keep playing rugby only if it doesn’t conflict with his law school dreams.

But for now, Onwukanjo is focused on finishing the school year and on training for the national team. He said he’s working through intense training in order to get into the shape that will allow him to keep up with the other players on the Nigerian team.

His training began three weeks ago, but his more intensive training began this past Monday and will continue until the Olympic competition begins in summer 2016. email: sports@ubspectrum.com

Bulls add two international recruits for 2015 season COURTESY OF UB ATHLETICS

Buffalo gets first-ever recruit from Real Madrid Academy

Sophomore defenseman Nick Forrester of New Zealand attempts a slide tackle. He will join the Bulls for the start of the 2015 season.

QUENTIN HAYNES

SPORTS EDITOR

After two seasons of large recruiting classes, men’s soccer coach Stu Riddle expected the 2015 recruiting class to be small, but to also “fit the positions needed.”

And with his international background, Riddle looked to recruit a standout foreign player to bring to Buffalo for the start of the 201516 season.

He found two: a national player from his native country of New Zealand and the other from one of the best soccer academies in the world.

UB Athletics announced two new additions to the men’s soccer teams’ 2015 recruiting class in forward Pablo Fernandez-Paniagua Juez of Spain and defender Nick Forrester of New Zealand on Wednesday. The international standouts will join the Bulls roster for the upcoming 2015-16 season.

“Obviously, we’re really excited,” Riddle said. “The first two years I’ve been here, we brought in two large classes of incoming freshman, to be able to get two guys – one guy with NCAA experience under his belt and another coming from one of the best academies in the world, we’re really excited about the signings.”

Fernandez-Paniagua Juez is coming to Buffalo after playing the last seven seasons with the Real Madrid Academy in Spain, one

of the premier clubs in Europe. When Fernandez-Paniagua Juez makes his debut for the Bulls this fall, he will become the first player from the Academy to play for the Bulls as well as in the Mid-American Conference.

Riddle praised the former Real Madrid standout about his style of play and hopes he will be a “big player” for the team once he learns his role in a new country.

“Pablo has the potential to be one of the top players in the country,” Riddle said. “Whether it’s the first year of whether it’s going to take a bit of time to understand the college soccer landscape, I have no doubt he’s going to be a big player for us at some point.”

Forrester also has playing experience overseas, playing on the New Zealand National team in 2013. He has experience on the college level as well, as he played as a

member of Butler University last season.

Forrester is the fourth player on the team that hails from New Zealand, joining sophomore forward Scott Doney, sophomore goalkeeper Cameron Hogg and sophomore defenseman Fox Slotemaker.

Forrester will have three seasons of eligibility at Buffalo. Riddle said he was “excited” to have Forrester on the roster this upcoming season.

“With Nick joining the roster, having that year in college soccer, understanding the expectation and what’s it all about, it makes the transition much easier coming into the season,” Riddle said. “I believe Nick is going to be a really good for us. Very excited to have him as a part of our program.”

Fernandez-Paniagua Juez and Forrester were standouts overseas, but Riddle may be concerned if their skill set and work ethic

can translate to the American game.

“There are differences between the college game and the international game,” Riddle said. “That will be a ton for our players.

They’re entering a new country for the first time, they have to balance soccer and academics and we play on Friday, Sunday every week. It’s really difficult.”

The Bulls are entering next season with high expectations. Riddle’s last two large recruiting classes seemed to start developing this past March when the Bulls finished their 2014-15 spring season with a record of 8-1-1 while playing clubs in Europe.

The additions of Fernandez-Paniagua Juez and Forrester are what Riddle called the “right ones” for this current roster.

“We felt really good about the players we have here playing for us and working for us this past spring,” Riddle said. “We knew we we’re having a small recruiting class and wanted to find players, the right type of players at the position we needed. ” The new Bulls will showcase their skill for the first time during three exhibition matches before the start next season. The first exhibition game will take place in Oneonta, New York when the Bulls travel to face Hartwick on Aug. 16. email: sports@ubspectrum.com