T H E I N D E P E N D E N T TSHTEU D NETP E PN UD BE LN I CTA S TT IO NA I VTEI R Y FA T T HBEU U FF E T1 B 9U 50 I NED UN D EO NFT TPH UEB LUI C OSNI T O NA I VLEOR,S S I TI N Y CA FFALO, SINCE 1950
UBSPECTRUM.COM
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2016
VOLUME 65 NO. 57
Jewish students, UB administration respond SA elections after anti-Semitic slurs found on bathroom stall exit polls UPD investigating slurs found in Capen Hall bathroom
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT: Progress Party
Transparency Party
VOTES
VOTES
Matt Rivera
Maximillian Budynek
Megan Glander
Daniel Christian
33
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
19
(From L to R) Jewish Student Union Treasurer Ivana Slifstein and Vice President Logan Woodard discuss the incident in which Jewish slurs were found on a men’s restroom stall in Capen Hall.
ASHLEY INKUMSAH NEWS EDITOR
University Police is investigating anti-Semitic slurs written on a men’s restroom stall in Capen Hall that were reported on March 23. The remarks have been removed and UPD believes it was an isolated incident, according to Deputy Chief of Police Joshua Sticht. UPD has however increased patrols near the Hillel of Buffalo, the on-campus Jewish organization located in The Commons, as a precaution. They also patrolled campus locations where students were celebrating Purim, a Jewish holiday, last week. The slurs, which threatened violence against Jewish people and used a derogatory slur, have shocked and saddened some Jewish students and the UB administration. “I’ve never seen any form of anti-Semitism like that before,” said Andrew Meyer, president of the Jewish Student Union (JSU). “I’ve seen swastikas in the past, but that is nothing compared to this.” Meyer said the slur written in the stall is “the most horrific and derogatory term” used against Jewish people.
UB spokesperson John Della Contrada said racist and discriminatory behaviors or conducts have no place at UB and will not be tolerated. “When acts motivated by hatred or discrimination occur, the university will respond promptly to protect the safety and well-being of the entire university community,” Della Contrada said in an email. “Diversity, inclusion and mutual respect are strongly held values of our university. We are committed to upholding these values at all times.” And Teresa Miller, vice provost for Equity, Diversion and Inclusion, said she is saddened and disappointed by the remarks, but, like UPD, believes this is an isolated incident with “infrequent occurrence that does not threaten the safety of Jewish students on campus.” She said nevertheless, it harms the inclusive, equitable community, which is valued at UB. Last November the words “Gay Only,” “White” and “Black is Cool” were found in three different locations in Slee Hall. UB president Tripathi responded by issuing an open letter to UB Reporter, in which he said he was disappointed with the “intolerant language.” Meyer said he is satisfied with how the university has handled this situation at this point, but would be disappointed if Tripa-
thi did not also issue an open letter regarding the anti-Semitic slurs. Logan Woodard, JSU vice president and social intern for Hillel of Buffalo, said while a formal police investigation is appropriate, people need to know “there isn’t space for that here at UB, whether it’s anti-Semitism or racism and hatred in general.” Although the slurs written in the stall were just reported to UPD last week, the slurs appear to have been there for at least two weeks prior, according to photos sent to The Spectrum. Eric Mandel, JSU communications and outreach coordinator, said the slurs were unsettling and he finds the possibility that some students may have seen and ignored the slurs to be concerning. Meyer said students have to “make people aware that any form of anti-Semitism or racism is not OK and they must report anything they see immediately.” He said students should not be bystanders when events like these occur. He encourages students to report any offensive language intended to discriminate against students on campus. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
TREASURER: Dan Emmons, Progress Party
32
VOTES Carl Ross,
Empowerment Party
15
VOTES Aaron Hussain, Independent
5
VOTES Numbers based on 52 students The Spectrum polled leaving voting booths Tuesday. Polls open until Thursday afternoon.
GRAPHIC BY PIERCE STRUDLER
Heights homes may be at risk for lead poisoning ACCORDING TO THE ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH: CHILDREN WITH LEAD LEVELS ABOVE 10 MICROGRAMS PER DECILITER IN 14215 ZIP CODE:
2013 – 36 2014 – 30 2015 – 43 GRAPHIC BY ANTHONY KHOURY
EVAN SCHNEIDER NEWS EDITOR
Paint chipping and dust in some University Heights homes may cause lead poisoning.
More than 100 children living in the zip code 14215 – which includes the University Heights – have had elevated blood-lead levels from 2013-15, according to the Erie County Department of Health.
ubspectrum.com
Children at most risk, students unlikely to be susceptible Lead poisoning can damage brain development and lower IQ in children six years or younger, according to Dr. Gale Burstein, Erie County Department of Health Commissioner. Burstein said students and faculty living in the Heights, the neighborhood located off South Campus, are unlikely to be susceptible to lead poisoning unless their home undergoes renovations. Carly Kaminsky, a senior communication major who has also lived in the Heights for two years, doesn’t feel lead poisoning is much of a concern for students, but they should contact their landlords if problems arise. “Lead is definitely scary with the Flint crisis but I don’t think students should worry as long as they keep in contact with their landlords,” Kaminsky said. Until 2012, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) referenced a “level of concern” when a child had 10 or more micrograms per deciliter of lead in their blood. According to the CDC’s website, experts now use a reference of five or more micrograms per deciliter for children age one to five after being exposed to lead. The CDC changes this number every four years by reanalyzing the blood from four
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years previous to current blood-lead distributions in children. From 2013-15, 109 children in the zip code 14215 have confirmed blood-lead elevations of more than 10 micrograms per deciliter, the Erie County Department of Health’s benchmark for “levels of concern.” Unlike the recent lead situation in Flint, Michigan, the main cause of lead poisoning in children in Buffalo is not tap water, but the ingestion of lead from paint chips and dust. The United States Environmental Protection Agency requires a special certification “for all home improvement activity in housing built before 1978 and in any child occupied facility.” Earlier in March, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz announced a commitment of $3.75 million over the next five years to increase lead inspections and remediation across Erie County. Burstein said the funding would critically strengthen Erie County’s efforts to decrease lead poisoning and help more homeowners and landlords recognize and ameliorate their lead problems. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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