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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2017
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UFC Former UB wrestler Desmond Green to make UFC debut in Buffalo after years on MMA circuit
SPECTRUM FILE PHOTO
Former UB Wrestler Desmond “Desi” Green poses for a picture in 2011 before leaving UB. Green will be making his UFC debut in April at UFC 210.
MICHAEL AKELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Six years ago, wrestler Desmond “Desi” Green was ready to put a punctuation mark on one of the greatest athletic careers UB had ever seen. He was the fastest wrestler in school his-
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tory to 100 career wins. He had two MidAmerican Conference Championships (149 pounds) to his name. With 36 more wins, he appeared primed to break the program’s all-time wins record his final year. But Green never got a senior season. In the fall of 2011, UB Athletics dismissed him from the wrestling team. Green says the Athletics Department “forced [his]
MAN BEHIND THE MASK P.8
hand” to quit after he tested positive for marijuana for the second time in his career, costing him a chance at becoming an All-American and possibly even an NCAA Champion. But the end of his UB career turned into the start of something much bigger. He will fight in Buffalo again. Only this time, he won’t be stepping onto the mat, but rather into the octagon. Green will be making his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut at UFC 210 on April 8 at the KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo. It will be the first major UFC event to take place in Buffalo since UFC 7 in 1995. “I really believe it was a blessing from God that I was able to get to the UFC and be able to fight basically in my own backyard,” Green said. But it wasn’t an easy transition. Green grew up in Rochester, NY where he frequently got in fights on the streets. After graduating, he worked multiple odd jobs while taking care of his three children. At times, he reflects on his career at UB. Green says that he will always have love for UB as his alma mater. After testing positive for marijuana during his sophomore year, UB began testing Green constantly. He says for two or three years he passed every drug test, but they continued to test him more than other athletes. “If a guy fails one test and then passes his next 15, you’d think they’d say, ‘OK, we’ll stop testing him,’” Green said. “I had a daughter, I was never academically ineligible, not once did I ever get in trouble with the school or the law or nothing, and you want to test this guy 10 times in almost the span of a year? You got other athletes getting drunk on campus and getting into street fights and they’re still allowed on the team.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Eric Cortellessa, Washington correspondent for The Times of Israel, visits UB UB alum ‘13 discusses his career and life experiences HANNAH STEIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Eric Cortellessa is optimistic about the future of journalism. “I’d rather have newspapers and no government than government and no newspapers,” he said quoting Thomas Jefferson. Cortellessa, Washington correspondent for The Times of Israel, and UB and Spectrum alum, led a discussion in Clemens Hall on Friday afternoon entitled “A front row seat to history” as part of the English Department’s lecture series: “What Can You Do with an English Major?” He discussed his experiences working as a full-time correspondent, his time at UB and the future of journalism. Professor Barbara Bono organized the event and Professor Robert Daly moderated. Cortellessa coordinated The Times of Israel’s coverage of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East as part of the White House press corps. He was in charge of the paper’s coverage on the 2016 presidential election and its reporting on both the Republican and Democratic conventions last summer. He said it’s important to shed light on
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Eric Cortellessa, Washington correspondent for The Times of Israel and Spectrum alum, led a discussion in Clemens Hall on Friday afternoon about his experiences and the future of journalism and careers.
what the government is doing and it’s the journalist’s job to question everything. “We all deserve to know these answers,” Cortellessa said. “The First Amendment is placed first for a reason because without it, none of the others really matter. If you don’t have free speech, then how can you even call attention to things that our democratic institutions are supposed to address.”
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Cortellessa didn’t always see himself becoming a journalist. He grew up with a Jewish mother and an Italian father just outside of Washington D.C. and said he wasn’t religious. But living so close to the capital made him interested in politics, which later translated into his passion for journalism. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
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Transgender UB students speak out against bathroom law Restroom law allows states to decide which bathroom transgender people use ASHLEY INKUMSAH SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Piers Whitaker thinks President Donald Trump’s bathroom memo criminalizes transgender people. He feels the memo sends a message that transgender people are not allowed to exist in public spaces. Trump released a memo on Feb. 22 that requires state law legislators to decide which bathrooms transgender people in public schools can use. While conservatives have praised the memo, liberals oppose it. Transgender UB students feel the memo threatens the safety and human rights of transgender people. Stonewall Democrats of Western New York held a protest for transgender civil rights on Sunday in response to the memo. Roughly 200 people participated in the protest. Whitaker, a sophomore biomedical sciences major, is worried about the safety of transgender students in high school. “I’m mostly worried for trans youth in high school because I came out when I was in high school and there’s already so many things that you face being an out trans person in high school,” Whitaker said. “From locker rooms, to sports teams, to gym class, it’s seems like everything is there to make you uncomfortable, to fight someone to be able to use the facilities that make you comfortable.” The bathroom has always been a “place of refuge” for Kaia Grosso, a senior environmental geoscience major. “If I’m ever getting stressed or anxious in a social situation, it's therapeutic to take a moment to look in the mirror and recollect your thoughts,” they said. “But it was always uncomfortable when other people were in there. After coming out once I left high school, bathrooms have been weird for me.” Both Grosso and Whitaker always try to use the gender-neutral bathrooms whenever possible. “It's always a super comfortable feeling to feel safe and alone in such a refuge. I don't mind using the bigger gendered stalls, but it's always a bit irking to see the large ‘men’s’ font on the door walking in knowing I don't identify as such, but sometimes pass as such,” Grosso said. Whitaker doesn’t use gendered bathrooms if he can avoid it and almost exclusively uses gender-neutral bathrooms. “I don’t feel as comfortable using men’s bathrooms because I don’t know if I pass to everyone, I don’t wanna have the sort of awkward situation where someone’s like ‘are you in the right bathroom?’ so I just avoid it,” he said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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2 Transgender UB students speak
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Monday, February 27, 2017
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out against bathroom law
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Whitaker sometimes ends up having to hike across campus to use another bathroom with so few gender-neutral bathrooms on campus. When Grosso heard about Trump's new bathroom policy, he was “immediately worried.” “I don't think this is going to be his only step, and I'm sure it will continue down a slippery slope of discrimination against trans and gender nonconforming individuals,” Grosso said. “He's feeding the harmful rhetoric that trans individuals using their identified bathroom will increase the risk of women and children being harassed or attacked.” Trump’s constituents argued that allowing transgender people to use the bathrooms of their choice would allow potential sexual predators enter the bathrooms and create an unsafe environment for children. “I’ve never heard or seen anything of a trans person attacking someone in a bathroom,” Whitaker said. “If anything, it’s the trans person that’s being attacked.” Grosso also said transgender people are in much more danger of likely being harassed or attacked than the other way around. Whitaker said he wasn’t surprised when Trump passed the memo. When Trump selected Mike Pence – who advocated for conversion therapy for gay people – as his vice president, Whitaker said he knew the rights of transgender people were in danger. “I mean since he started running and especially when he announced that Pence was going to be his [vice president], I knew from the start that he wasn’t going to protect anything that [Barack] Obama had done or anyone else had done for the LGBT community or the trans community,” he said. Whitaker said he was “really lucky” to attend Lehman Alternative Community School, a small alternative school in Ithaca, NY with “an amazing group of staff people” supporting him. Whitaker and his classmates made one of their multi-stall bathrooms gender neutral in high school. Lehman Alternative Community School is a democratically-run 6-12 school that focuses on critical thinking skills and problem solving, Whitaker said. Students run the school with the staff and are able to bring up issues and make changes. “Having that sort of culture at my high school is what gave me the sort of plat-
form to come out and to have the opportunity to make a gender neutral bathroom at my school,” Whitaker said. “I was really, really fortunate in that aspect to be living in a progressive place like Ithaca and to be going to the school that I did, I didn’t have many problems at all.” The uproar against the bathroom memo isn’t just about the bathrooms for many transgender rights activists. “There is a comparison going around saying ‘it isn't about the bathrooms just like it was never about the water fountains,’” Grosso said. “Obviously the struggle of trans and queer individuals shouldn't be compared to segregation and the issues of people of color, but it's an interesting comparison in the sense it that it draws out the tactic of using laws such as these to essentially deny a right to exist in a public space.” Grosso said saying a transgender person can’t use the bathroom of their choice, is saying they are not legitimate in the public or governments eyes. “It's denying their existence in a sense, not literally of course. And where does the line stop? Surely there will be more policies besides just bathrooms that will affect the
2/1-2/18 All information is according to university police. 2/1 4:15 p.m.- A UB student reported her vehicle was keyed. The damage was a large scratch on the front driver’s side from the wheel to the bottom of the door. 2/2 5:06 p.m.- A student reported that her vehicle was struck in the Hochstetter B parking lot at approximately 8:15 a.m.
iPhone was stolen. The student said she last had her phone at a pizza place across from campus, but the phone was gone when she went back to check. 2/5 12:14 p.m.- A student reported her vehicle was hit while parked at Hadley 101. 2:02 p.m.- A student reported items were stolen from packages sent to her at Dewey Hall, located in Governors.
2/3 7:40 a.m.- An employee from Crossroads Culinary Center reported that an individual broke a window overnight by kicking it in. The employee called to report a second broken in window at 8:10 a.m.
2/8 4:44 p.m.- A student reported the larceny of his bankcard from his wallet. He noticed the wallet was missing on Feb. 7 and there were unauthorized charges on his account. He believes it may have been taken while left unattended in the Student Union or the football locker room.
2/4 8:46 p.m.- A student reported that her
2/9
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Roughly 200 protesters gathered at Niagara Square to rally for transgender rights. President Donald Trump recently revoked Barack Obama’s policy, which allowed transgender people to use the bathroom of their choice.
trans community. It's a frightening step with a frightening rhetoric which is just putting more marginalized people in danger.” Gros-
so said.
11:00 pm. -A worker at Alumni Arena reported a student’s keys were stolen from his locker in the Alumni Arena men’s locker room.
3:44 p.m.- A faculty member reported harassing emails were sent falsely in her name.
2/10 9:30 a.m.- A student reported his vehicle was vandalized between 9:30 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. in the Governors D parking lot. 1:30 p.m.- A student reported his vehicle was keyed in the Fargo lot. 2/13 10:52 a.m.- A University Bookstore employee reported a suspicious young male who appeared to be stealing books. No weapons were seen. The individual entered the bookstore at 10:52 a.m., 11:04 a.m. and 11:23 a.m. The man reportedly stole several textbooks and patrol obtained a list of the stolen property. Patrol was unable to locate the suspect after he fled the store the final time. 1:26 p.m.- A student reported her license plate was stolen from the Governors parking lot sometime on either Feb. 11 or 12. 2/14 12:20 p.m.- Patrol reported larceny of products from the frozen food vending machine in Goodyear Hall. UB Snacking believes the incident occurred sometime between 1 p.m. on Feb. 13 and 12 p.m. on Feb. 14.
email: ashley.inkumsah@ubspectrum.com
2/15 5:20 p.m.- A student reported a roommate dispute at Hadley Village. The student filed a harassment report and said his roommate threatened his life. He said he feels unsafe in his residence. He requested a room change. 2/16 10:02 a.m.- Patrol reported a hit and run that occurred in the Governors C lot. 2/17 3:17 p.m.- Student Life reported an office cell phone went missing about a week ago. When Student Life received the bill for the phone, it showed a lot of usage. The phone is registered with the Office of Outdoor Pursuits and is given out to student workers on duty. An unknown number of students have access to it and it is unknown when it went missing. Patrol reported that the missing phone was returned at 6:44 p.m. 2/18 6:37 p.m.- An RA reported that a group of roommates residing in Clement Hall had money, a laptop and speakers stolen from their unlocked room. email: news@ubspectrum.com
OPINION THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Gabriela Julia
MANAGING EDITOR
Tori Roseman COPY EDITORS
Saqib Hossain Emma Medina Margaret Wilhelm Grace Trimper NEWS EDITORS
Hannah Stein, Senior Ashley Inkumsah, Senior Maddy Fowler, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS
Sarah Crowley, Senior Lindsay Gilder, Asst. ARTS EDITORS
Max Kaltnitz, Senior David Tunis-Garcia Benjamin Blanchet, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Michael Akelson, Senior Daniel Petruccelli, Asst. Thomas Zafonte, Asst. PHOTO EDITORS
Kainan Guo, Senior Angela Barca Troy Wachala, Asst. CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Pierce Strudler Martina LaVallo, Asst.
Trump vs. the press Censorship of news outlets is undemocratic and unconstitutional
Donald Trump is at war with the media. For college journalists like us, that’s a hefty phrase. The U.S. president is at war with the profession we have embraced, which we believe in and which we hope to make a living doing. In recent weeks, Trump has attacked The New York Times as “failing,” CNN as “fake news,” and BuzzFeed as “a failing pile of garbage.” At his Friday press briefing, his press secretary Sean Spicer refused to allow reporters from The New York Times, CNN, Politico, BuzzFeed, The Daily Mail, BBC, The LA Times and The New York Daily News through the door. He prevented veteran reporters from doing their jobs, which is to get information about what the government is doing to the people. He did allow reporters from Fox, CBS, ABC and NBC in, along
with several outlets that cater to a conservative audience, such as Breitbart, The Washington Times and One America News Network. Reporters from Time magazine and the Associated Press chose not to attend the meeting, in solidarity with the journalists left out. We applaud these brave news outlets and are stunned and shamed by our government. This is a direct violation of the First Amendment. It’s an outrage to American traditions of openness and transparency. The outlets the president has barred have done some of the toughest reporting on his administration. They have asked about: his charity, his tax returns, his investments, his conflicts of interest, his ties with Russia, his campaign’s contact with Russian officials before the election, the cost to taxpayers of his sons’ trips, the role of his daughter, Ivanka, in his administration and if his administra-
Trans rights are human rights The fight for transgender rights is about more than just bathrooms
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley
ADVERTISING MANAGERS
Priyanshi Soni ADVERTISING DESIGNERS
Alexa Capozzi Casey Ridings
MADDY FOWLER ASST. NEWS EDITOR
THE SPECTRUM Monday, February 27, 2017 Volume 66 Number 35 Circulation 4,000 The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at 716-645-2152 The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100
On Sunday, I was one of roughly 100 people who gathered in Niagara Square to rally for transgender rights and protest President Donald Trump’s administration’s recent legislation on trans bathroom rights. It was amazing to see outpouring support for the trans community from individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The protest was smaller than I had hoped it would be. After the Buffalo Women’s March, I was optimistic that the thousands
of folks who showed up for that event would continue to advocate for the minority groups impacted by the Trump administration, like transgender people. Unfortunately, this was not the case. If you consider yourself an advocate for women’s rights, then it is essential to include trans women in that advocacy, because trans women deserve equal rights just as much as cisgender (non-transgender) women do. On Feb. 22, the Trump administration sent a letter to public school districts, which revoked protections for transgender public school students that allowed them to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. Last May, President Obama sent a similar letter to public school districts indicating that Title IX, which protects students from discrimination based on sex, also encompasses protections for transgender students. Title IX protections for trans students extended beyond bathroom choice; they also covered access to
Decked out in diamonds Is Melania Trump the modern-day Marie Antoinette?
MOLLY DIETZ STAFF WRITER
Melania Trump is featured on the cover of February’s Vanity Fair Mexico in diamonds – a must see. The First Lady is wearing diamond rings and bracelets and posed as if she is “eating” a bowl of stringed jewels like spaghetti. Inside the issue, there is another photo of Melania drinking a jewellaced cocktail through a straw. Her cover photo is being criticized as insensitive and out of touch, coming at a tense time between Mexico and the U.S. This is a time when Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto is refusing to pay for the border wall Trump intends to build. As near-
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ly half the Mexican people live in poverty, Melania is seen playing with her jewelry. Yet the cover photo is less known in the U.S. and nobody I have talked to about it has heard of or seen it themselves. Looking at these images, a certain phrase came to mind: “Let them eat cake.” Historians argue whether or not this is something that the infamous French Queen Marie Antoinette actually said but nevertheless, Antoinette is bound to it forever. After having this first revelation, I began to realize our First Lady and the former Queen of France have more in common than meets the eye. For those of you who aren’t as familiar with past French monarchs (or who haven’t seen the film “Marie Antoinette” with Kirsten Dunst), here is a quick history lesson. Marie Antoinette was born in Austria as Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna – not very French. She married the crown prince of France, Louis XVI at the age of fifteen. The French people thought Marie Antoinette did not know her people at all and rumors spread
tion is properly dealing with classified information at his Florida resort, Mar a Lago, which he calls the “Southern White House.” The New York Times and Washington Post printed stories on a conversation about sanctions that Trump’s national security advisor Michael Flynn had with the Russian ambassador before his inauguration, and on contacts Trump’s team had with Russians during the election. These stories led to Flynn’s resignation on Feb. 13, making his tenure the shortest ever for that office. This sort of reporting is vital to our nation. We’ve learned in journalism classes that one of the first things dictators do is seize control of the media. This feels strangely close to that. We don’t want our president to control our message. As student journalists, The Spectrum stands in solidarity with the news outlets that are struggling for access. We, too, face opposition in our reporting. It is often difficult for us to obtain information that we, as student journalists, have a right to. We receive a lot of criti-
cism when we make a mistake and get little acknowledgement when we do succeed. Yet, we keep doing it. It’s more than a job, it’s a responsibility, a calling. This week, The New York Times and Washington Post began new ad campaigns. The Washington Post adopted the slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness” to point out the need for tough reporting. The New York Times is airing a new ad (purported to cost close to $2.5 million) for the Oscars. The ad links audio-clips of voices talking about “the truth” and arrives at the conclusion that “the truth is hard to get” and “more important now than ever.” We agree. That’s why we work so hard every day. Informing you, our readers, is what drives us. We won’t quiet down anytime soon – and neither will other journalists. Our president calls probing journalists “failing” and “fake.” We call them role models.
locker rooms and the right to participate in sports teams that correspond with students’ gender identity. The Trump administration purports that this shift in position is not about discrimination, but is rather a “states’ rights” issue. Proponents of Jim Crow laws and segregation in public schools cited “states’ rights.” Anti-suffragists who opposed women’s right to vote claimed their stance was about “states’ rights.” And perhaps most famously and egregiously, slave owners claimed their right to own slaves was a “states’ rights” issue. I do not buy the “states’ rights” argument. Ultimately, this debate comes down to trans people’s right to exist in public spaces. “When trans people can’t access public bathrooms we can’t go to school effectively, go to work effectively, access health-care facilities — it’s about us existing in public space,” transgender actress Laverne Cox said in an MSNBC interview on Feb 23. Some opponents of transgender bathroom rights claim that prohibiting trans individuals from using the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity is about protecting cisgender people from being assaulted by trans people.
“I have not heard of a single instance of a transgender person harassing a non-transgender person in a public restroom. Those who claim otherwise have no evidence that this is true and use this notion to prey on the public’s stereotypes and fears about transgender people,” Vincent Villano, director of communications for the National Center for Transgender Equality, said in a statement to the online publication Mic. Ultimately, anti-transgender bathroom laws have nothing to do with states’ rights or protecting cis people from violence. “Those who oppose trans people having access to the facilities consistent with how we identify know that all the things they claim don’t actually happen. It’s really about us not existing — about erasing trans people,” Cox said in her MSNBC interview. These bills undermine trans peoples’ very humanity and right to exist. Not allowing trans people to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity is discrimination, plain and simple. It was never about bathrooms – just like it was never about water fountains.
the Antoinette was a foreign spy. Antoinette also became known as a spendthrift, or in simpler terms, the girl had a shopping problem. She frequently wore the most high-end fashion, gambled all night in Versailles and lived in luxury as her people starved. The French blamed their economic depression in part on her spending habits. Both Antoinette and Melania married powerful men from other countries. Antoinette was born in Austria and moved to France upon her engagement to the Dauphin whereas Melania is from Slovenia and married Donald Trump. She did not know it at the time but she married the future president of the United States. One positive attribute the two women seem to share, however, is a love for their children. The reason the First Lady is staying in Trump Tower alongside Barron is so he can finish the school year uninterrupted. On the campaign trail, Melania’s appearances were rare due to her primary devotion to raising her child. Marie Antoinette is described as also being very focused on her children and their education. Currently, the First Lady is residing in Trump Tower with her son Barron. New York City foots the bill for her stay.
Many people are outraged that our country can afford to support her lifestyle as the people in Flint, Michigan still have lead-poisoned water. This does not even include the cost to cart President Trump back and forth to Mar-a-Lago every weekend to work on his golf game. Melania Trump is miserable and this is not the life she wanted, according to a recent article published in the New York Post. She feels trapped by Trump’s decision and rarely leaves their $100 million penthouse in Trump Tower. Was Marie Antoinette really the reason France went bankrupt followed by a subsequent revolution and fall of the French monarchy? Or was she a scapegoat, a woman to put the blame on during difficult times? Sure, Melania Trump gracing the cover of a magazine appearing to eat a string of jewels as if they were spaghetti isn’t the best thing to do given the current state of the world. It does, nonetheless, beg the question if she is really the person we want to be aiming our anger and frustration at. Will she prove to be careless with the American people’s money? And most importantly, could this presidency in any way lead to another American Revolution?
email: eic@ubspectrum.com
email: maddy.fowler@ubspectrum.com
email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Monday, February 27, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
Eric Cortellessa, Washington correspondent for The Times of Israel, visits UB
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Eric Cortellessa speaks to a few faculty and students in Clemens hall Friday afternoon. He told students to take advantage of their time at UB while discussing how college has influenced his career. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
It wasn’t until Cortellessa came to Buffalo that he became serious about his future and found his identity, he said. He joined The Spectrum as the editorial editor his senior year at UB, which he described as a “pivotal” moment for him. He emphasized taking advantage of opportunities and finding a community in college where people are “like-minded.” He wishes he got involved as a UB student sooner. “You’re the agent of your life. You’re the
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agent of your education," he said. "You have to recognize that you can fully seize this part of your life.” Cortellessa interned for Senator Ted Kennedy in 2008 while Kennedy was fatally sick. He said he admired Kennedy’s resilience from personal failures and his problem-solving skills. Cortellessa also served as deputy press secretary on Maryland attorney general's campaign in 2014. Because of his lack of experience on a press team, he worked in opposition research before being asked to
help manage press operations. “Whenever you’re given an opportunity, seize it,” Cortellessa said. “If it’s not exactly what you want to be doing, if you excel and do really well, you’ll be given other opportunities. The best way to get opportunities is to be taking advantage of the ones you have in front of you.” He later landed his first job in journalism when he received a grant to intern for The Times of Israel in Jerusalem for four months. While he was in Israel, a Palestinian family was fire-bombed by “unknown extremists” in the West Bank. One of the children, younger than a year old, died in the attack. The family was in a hospital in Tel Aviv and he went to interview the grandfather. “You know, you’re humbled by how little you know, which enables you to develop the right kind of attitude to learn as much as you can,” Cortellessa said. Cortellessa was once face to face with Hamas military units, which could sometimes be “scary.” He was also a reporter in Pakistan for a week while he was a student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism for his master’s. “If you prove yourself, you’ll be given more opportunities,” Cortellessa said. “The more you do, the more that opens up to you.”
Cortellessa said he was shy when he first got into journalism and realized he needed persistence. He said a lot of the stories he reported on fell onto his lap when he least expected it. He is currently an adjunct English Composition professor at Montgomery College on the side. His media diet consists of: The New Yorker, The Atlantic and Esquire, to name a few. He said it can be challenging dealing with the new cycle in the media environment, but he thinks news institutions will get adjusted and are already doing a good job. “I do believe in the nobility of politics,” Cortellessa said. “I believe that politics is supposed to solve problems that government is supposed to make people’s lives better. If you don’t have a free and independent press holding people who make these decisions accountable who else will?” Cortellessa tries to visit the place where his journalism career started: Buffalo. “This is the place where I became who I was going to be,” Cortellessa said. “It sort of determined my set of values and my ideas of what would entail into a meaningful life. Whenever I come back here, it not only reminds me of that, but reaffirms that to me.” email: hannah.stein@ubspectrum.com
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UFC
UB Athletics did not want to comment because Green left UB before current administration came to Buffalo. A student athlete may be subject to testing at any time if there is reasonable suspicion, according to the UB Athletics website. Green says he thinks he would have “smashed” the record books if he had been able to compete for a full four years. Instead, he stuck around for his senior year to finish his degree in social sciences. He decided to work toward a new goal since he was no longer committed to Division-I wrestling and transitioned from a wrestler to a mixed martial artist (MMA). “Everything happens for a reason,” Green
Catholic Campus Ministry Come and celebrate our Ash Wednesday Mass on March 1st at 12:00PM in the Student Union and Harriman Ballroom! All are welcome!
Other Mass Times
The Newman Center (North Campus) 495 Skinnersville Road Amherst, NY 14128 5:00PM - Newman Center
St. Joseph University Parish (South Campus) 3269 Main Street Buffalo, NY 14214 7AM, 8:30AM, 12:00PM, 7PM - St. Joseph University Parish
said. “That senior year that I was supposed to wrestle, I ended up fighting instead and that kind of launched my whole campaign of getting to the UFC, fueling my fire.” He says the transition from wrestling to MMA was easy because while wrestling taught him the technicalities of fighting, he had already been fighting long before his wrestling career began on the streets of Rochester. “I became so good at wrestling, which in my opinion is just fighting without your hands, and then boom I move into MMA where you do use your hands, your elbows, your knees and everything, so I kind of already came in prepared,” Green said. Although Green says his transition from wrestler to mixed martial artist was easy, his path from no-name MMA fighter to the UFC has been much more treacherous. In the five years since he graduated from UB, he has been forced to move all over the country and take on several odd jobs as he has “risen up the ladder.” He started training in Ithaca for a year and a half after graduation, before moving to Montreal to train at Georges St. Pierre’s Tristar Gym. From there, he moved to Colorado briefly and then Florida, where he made a name for himself as part of the famed “Blackzilians.” Green struggled to support himself and his children as he chased his UFC dreams. “I couldn’t really get into the field of a career because my career is fighting,” Green said. “You only get paid when you fight and if for whatever reason you’re only fighting every four or five months, you’re not getting a check for four or five months. It’s definitely a learning experience having to balance out fighting with my pocketbook and then my kids also.” In the last three or four years, Green has worked over 10 different part-time jobs. He trains six days a week for four hours each day. He worked as a janitor, a landscaper, a cashier at Walmart, a stocker at Target and any other job he could find that fit his unorthodox schedule. Even while he was struggling to make a name for himself, he never doubted that he would one day make it to the UFC. “There’s certain things you just know in life and I’ve always known this was my calling, and I knew I was supposed to be in the
SPECTRUM FILE PHOTO
Desmond Green wrestles for UB. He has struggled while working his way up to UFC.
UFC,” Green said. “Every step that I’ve taken for the past six years, it’s kind of been to get here. I’ve always had this in mind.” Green says that given his circumstances, every fight in his MMA career in chronological order has been “the most important of his life.” Green has accumulated a 19-5 record in his career across several different promotions. “The hardest obstacle is getting a chance,” Green said. Now that he’s gotten his chance, Green is already thinking about fulfilling a prophecy he made for himself back in high school. “Since I was in high school, I’ve always known that I belong with the belt around my waist,” Green said. “I’m gonna be a UFC Champion. I don’t even think it, I know it for sure 100 percent. I’ll be a UFC Lightweight Champion within the next two years.” The hard part for Green has always been getting recognition. This April, he’ll have the biggest audience of his career as he faces off with undefeated Josh Emmett (11-0, 2-0 in UFC). If Green really wants to become a title contender and move up the card in UFC, it’ll take impressive performances. He says he knows the UFC “doesn’t just want regular wins.” He has his sights set on a knockout or submission. “[When I approach the octagon] the only thing that’s gonna be going through my mind is murder, murder, kill, kill,” Green said. “I just want to murder this guy. I gotta go out there and prove it, I feel like he’s trying to take food out of my kid’s mouth, the only thing that’s gonna be on my mind is murder.” email: michael.akelson@ubspectrum.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE SPECTRUM
Zodiaque Dance Company rehearses for 43rd spring season
DANCERS DYNAMIC
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Members of the Zodiaque Dance Company rehearse in the Center for the Arts for this week’s concert. Performers and producers of the show have been working up to 20 hours a week.
BENJAMIN BLANCHET ASST. ARTS EDITOR
Students in the Theatre and Dance department have been working roughly 20 hours a week – all while pushing through exams and sore bodies to put on one of UB’s most anticipated shows. The Zodiaque Dance Company, presented by the Theatre and Dance Department, will perform at the Center for the Arts from March 1 to March 5. Tickets are $20 for the public and $10 with a student ID. The show has been a tradition at UB where students artfully exhibit various forms of dance, such as ballet, modern, tap and jazz. The spring season company premieres in the Drama Theater on Wednesday. Rehearsals started in January. Kerry Ring, a clinical assistant professor in the Theatre and Dance department, is the director of the spring program. Ring said Zodiaque Dance Company is a very elite group of dancers. Only 24 dance
majors were accepted to perform with the company. “We have lots of opportunities for dance majors to perform in other venues, but this is a very specific commitment that they’re making and so often when they make the cast list they say yes,” Ring said. Zodiaque dancers are given the opportunity to perform with locally and nationally skilled choreographers. Ring started directing the program last fall. She is trying to carry on the tradition Thomas Ralabate and Tressa Gorman-Crehan established as directors for over 15 years. “It’s an honor to be working with these dancers and to have a platform for not only my choreography but my inner drive to make those connections with the Buffalo community and also with the UB community,” Ring said. Rehearsals are a heavy commitment for dancers: four-hour practices extend to eight and even 12 hours. Some of the dancers in Zodiaque also have exams the same week as
the show’s run, so time management a must for performers. Christiana Buckley, a senior BFA dance major with a theatre minor, is preparing to dance in pieces like Jenna DelMonte’s “Gypsy Blue” and Richard Ashworth’s tapinfused “Koop Island Groove.” Buckley is one of the student assistants to the director and believes auditioning for Zodiaque Dance Company is a nerve-wracking process. “The audition process gets stressful because we know that it is a huge honor to become part of the company,” Buckley said. “Becoming a Zodiaque dancer, it gives us more opportunities to perform and work with professional choreographers. It’s a preprofessional company, so it gives us experience for our future endeavors.” Deja Stevens, a senior dance major, will be dancing again after she first performed with Zodiaque in the fall. Stevens believes she has a lot more confidence going into the spring show and that cast members have the opportunity to de-
Ready for the struggle What UB has shown me – my capability
MICHAEL PERLMAN CARTOONIST
Four years ago, I reluctantly applied to UB as a business major. Upon arriving to this snowy city I was faced with a very difficult decision: stick with business or switch to my true passion, art. With the full support of my family and friends, I decided to make the switch. Art classes here at UB were not what I expected. Each class I took was very focused on conceptualism – the idea behind the art – and my art has never been about having a deeper meaning. I am a cartoonist; I want people to see my art and laugh at my zany characters. I want them to appreciate the tiny details and interesting compositions I create. I am confident that my work is unique and if it weren’t for this self-assurance, I would have never switched out from the business program in the first place.
I discovered early on that teachers and art classes here are all great and engaging, with most specializing in a specific art-related field (screen printing, sculpture, etc.) Each class had peer reviews conducted by the entire class. I initially lacked confidence during these peer reviews because my illustrations were so different from that of my peers. I would wonder if the other students would they think my work is too silly or if the fine-art students even appreciated cartoons. I can’t help that I’m a one-dimensional artist who really only excels and enjoys drawing silly cartoons. I have always prided myself on this specific talent and am honestly uninterested in trying other art fields and styles. The other students were always creating incredible sculptures, realistic portraits, and unique landscape illustrations while all my projects invariably looked the same. Nevertheless, I stayed with the art program and proved to my teachers – and to myself – that a cartoonist could be successful at UB. With graduation approaching, I soon will face the challenge that every college senior fears: trying to find a job. I have heard the “starving artist” stereotype all my life and with this wrongful belief regularly crossing my mind, I get more and more scared about the future. I would love nothing more then to continue drawing and make a career out of it, but this path would difficult, as the odds are stacked up against me. Most students would have a hard time naming even two current artists. Nevertheless, I am hoping to beat these odds and continue pursuing my dream of succeeding in the art industry.
My longtime childhood friend, Spencer Adler (nicknamed “Spoon”), who goes to the nearby University of Rochester, recently came up with the idea of starting up a Kickstarter. We agreed upon the name “Dope Doodles” for our company and began selling prints of my work. The Kickstarter page opened on Feb. 10 and we have a $1,500 donation goal that will go toward purchasing prints and maintaining a website. In addition, I have hung up flyers of my work throughout UB and have created a Dope Doodles Facebook page in
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Monday, February 27, 2017
velop more trust on stage in the spring. “If you want to pursue a career in dance, having a strong network is essential for you to excel in this field,” Stevens said. “For us, having the opportunity to work with different choreographers for anything longer than a master class is a pretty big deal – you never know what opportunities are going to unfold in the future.” The show also features lighting by Jeremiah King, a senior design technology major and costumes by guest designer Jen Dasher. Dasher worked with Professor Jon Shimon to construct garb with LED lighting for the show. Morris Visiting Artist Fund helped with lighting and creating the costumes. Computer science students also helped with the coding aspects of the show. Buckley is in one of the performances that uses LED-lighted costumes, “A Minor Expression” by director Kerry Ring. Cody Holland, a senior dance major, is also in one of the pieces with LED lighting – “Undertow,” which is choreographed by Anne Burnidge and dancers. “Her piece is about bio-luminescence, so she really wanted us to strike a chord with the sea animals in the dark waters [involved] in the piece,” Holland said. Other students are in a multitude of pieces on stage. Rachel Latke, a junior BFA dance major with a business minor, is in two modern pieces and one piece choreographed by adjunct faculty member Jon Lehrer. Latke said “Loose Cannon,” the Lehrer piece, is one he choreographed for his Buffalo-based company Lehrer Dance. “It’s a comedy piece and it was a challenge for me. Even though I’m really super funny and outgoing, to dance and also have that performance aspect of it in the storyline was a really big challenge but it was super fun,” Latke said. The amount of work and layers that go into the show is indicative of the talent imprinted within Zodiaque. The Dance program’s motto is “versatility matters” and the curriculum is based on all the different forms of dance. “As the director, it’s really my goal to highlight that versatility and also educate the dancers in the company by broadening their experience,” Ring said. email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com
the hopes of drawing more attention to my company. So far the business has not been easy, but I’m hoping people will soon appreciate my work and understand that I’m not a typical cartoonist. I will continue to do whatever it takes to get my art out there and make a name for myself. If Spoon and I do fail in this small business venture, I will not let this first attempt at an art career negatively impact my future confidence. I will continue creating cool illustrations and who knows, maybe one day I’ll make it. email: mnperlma@buffalo.edu
CARTOON BY MICHAEL PERLMAN
This drawing is from December 2016. It has a lot of hidden details and is the most colorful out of the bunch.
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Monday, February 27, 2017
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE SPECTRUM
BSU’s Black Explosion fashion show explores the future BENJAMIN BLANCHET ASST. ARTS EDITOR
The Black Student Union brought afro-futurism to the runway Saturday night. BSU presented Futura Ultra – the club’s annual Black Explosion fashion and culture show – at the Conference & Event Center in Niagara Falls. The minimal stage design and the center’s industrial ceiling encouraged attendees to focus on forward-thinking constructs of black creatives. Internet sensation Nicholas “Nick” Fraser hosted the show, which featured four designers, student models and performances. More than 600 tickets were sold for the show, according to BSU President Samirra Felix, but the noticeably bigger venue left about 100 empty seats. The budget for Black Explosion this year was approximately $35,000 – which is about 75 percent of BSU’s budget, according to Treasurer Alexandra Louigarde. Proto by Space, a crowd favorite, was designed by “Space” a.k.a. Rahshan Kendricks. The clothing fit in with the show’s futurist theme. The line examines the future visionaries of the world through reflective jackets that feature stripes & flame patterns. Some lines like Born Billionaire, designed by Tyre Lajuan, explored a variety of patterns through shirts and gown-like garb as galactic graphics complemented models on the runway. One ambitious collection, Fruition, is the vision of Queens-designer Raishawn Washington. Washington collaborated with his partners on the line and he featured his colleague Denzel Subryan’s glasses on the runway. “We make clothing for everyday people who go to work and have dreams of doing something better for themselves,” Washington said. The clothing has messages like “Create with a Purpose,” “Freedom is an Illusion” and “Only the Strong Survive.” Washington wants to promote “good energy and good vibes” through the clothing. At the start of Fruition’s showcase, the designer’s powerful message became clear. Models walked the runway – on one occasion with fists raised – with jackets spilling “Black Lives Matter” and shirts with symbols of panthers leaping. Other pieces took a more futuristic ap-
ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
Models in BSU’s Black Explosion Fashion Show wear Raishawn Washington (top) and Tyre Lajuan (right).
proach. CZEN was another clothing line featured in the show. Chase “Uptown Chase” Cobinna, a Buffalo State alum who grew up in Buffalo’s east side, displayed the innovative brand he’s been working on for two years. “With CZEN, it allowed me to actually create from a standpoint of trying to be the Margiela of streetwear,” Cobinna said. “I really appreciate what Raf Simons has done for taking kids off the street and putting them on the runway.” Cobinna’s brand represents people adjusting to life changes just as they adjust to new seasons. CZEN’s pieces range from construction-wear that represent a desirable future and Louis Vuitton-inspired jackets. Cobinna’s graphics incorporate hand printing. He said it’s “super messy” and represents the “madness of the mind.” “Instead of shunning that and saying ‘this is chaos’ and ‘this is calm,’ I want to take both of those to make each other,” he said. The clothing and modeling weren’t the only glowing talents on the stage. Fraser, known as downgoes.fraser on Instagram, took control of the stage and hosted the night’s proceedings. Fraser said Black Explosion is the first time he’s been the host of a large-scale event.
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Fraser, known best for his “Why You Always Lying” video, performed the parody song and stressed the importance of genuineness when bringing his online presence to the stage. Rapper Nebu Kiniza took the stage to perform his trap-dominated hit “Gassed Up” at the show’s conclusion. The Caribbean SA’s dance team CrossFyah, boy-girl group Divergent, and a duet by Ethan Gray & Sasha Joesph also performed throughout the show. BSU’s e-board, models and designers have been preparing for the show for months. Fatima Drammeh, a freshman biomedical sciences major, modeled for both lines and said she appreciates the urban nature the clothing she wore. After modeling in ASA’s annual fashion show last year, she decided to try out for Black Explosion. Students from all over New York State came out to the event. Amber Stokes, a graphic design student from Rochester, took the hour-long trip to Niagara Falls and went to the show with her friend. Stokes attended Black Explosion last year and her favorite line was Proto By Space. “The other ones look like stuff I could buy at the store. I feel like it’s not as hype as last year and I feel like the designs could be stronger. Last year, they had a lot of power-
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ful and unique designs and a lot more models were confident.” Stokes said. Caleb Vaughn, a UB alum, attended the show for the fourth time and said it’s nice to see people of color coming together to support each other. In comparison to past years, Vaughn thought pleasantly of this year’s Black Explosion and liked the size of the venue and the bigger stage. “The host was more interactive than other hosts that they’ve had in years past - so I really enjoyed the things that they’ve added, the things they’ve done different and the nicer location.” email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com
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CLASSIFIEDS
Monday, February 27, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
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SPORTS
Monday, February 27, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
The man behind the mask
The highs and lows for UB’s mascot Victor E. Bull KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Victor E. Bull has a dance-off with an opposing mascot. The current student who wears the mascot suit says he has incorporated dancing as a bigger part of the character.
MICHAEL AKELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Victor E. Bull locked eyes with the Army Mule mascot during a home football game this past fall against the Army. The two mascots began circling each other. Fans took notice of the brewing altercation, so Victor prepared himself for what he thought would be a dance off, when suddenly, the Mule mascot began shoving him. “He was getting a little more aggressive than I wanted to, but this is my home school, it’s our team, so I wasn’t going to wimp out,’” Victor said. “He started charging at me so I put my leg up and he knocked me off balance. I fell back and my head al-
most came off.” Most people don’t think of the man behind the mask, but on gameday he has the most unpredictable job of anyone on the field. In the course of just one shift, it’s not out of the ordinary for Victor to lead an entire stadium in cheer, have his tail pulled by a toddler and get tackled by a drunk college student. The current Victor, a junior computer science major who is contractually obligated to remain anonymous, has seen plenty of all three instances since becoming the full time mascot as a sophomore. He is currently the only person who portrays Victor. He must plan his schedule in advance to balance the rigors of a tough major with the obligations of being the face
of UB Athletics on game days. Balancing school and work may be the easiest part of being the mascot. In hot gyms and cold football stadiums, he must always remain alert and in character. He does it all while wearing a big, hot suit. “Even when you’re kind of standing in the background, just standing around, you can never just look idle,” Victor said. “It drains you physically.” He also deals the unique challenge of having to communicate with large groups of people without being able to use his voice or face. To do this, he has created his own character for Victor, just as past mascots have done before him. Since the game itself and interactions are so unpredictable, he must get into character
beforehand so he can react without thinking. “You have to know how that character would react to a certain situation,” Victor said. “The character I act as likes to mess with people, quick response, quick actions, fast movements… I’ve incorporated dancing as a big part of what Victor does, because I’m not athletic enough to do any flips just yet or jump out of risers or whatever.” The current student in the suit has no formal background in dance or cheerleading. He was a football player and track athlete in high school and says he’s always just had a knack for dancing. He worked on the sports marketing game day staff as a freshman, where he met the former mascot. When he found out Athletics was looking for a new Victor, he decided to try out since he had been his school’s mascot in high school. Since taking the position, he has aspired to make Victor more synonymous with UB Athletics than ever before. “I want to do more with it if it were possible, I want Victor be like more of an icon or when at least when people think of UB Athletics that’s part of the overall thought,” Victor said. “It wouldn’t be the same without Victor at every game I think, he’s a catalyst in getting people up and moving.” Victor has struggled to balance school and work. He recalls one particular instance last season when in between a men’s and women’s basketball double-header, he was sitting in a closet in his mascot suit doing physics homework. As difficult as his job may sometimes be, Victor says he considers it more fun than a job. “I just love interacting with you,” Victor said. “I can’t put it in words. It’s been a pleasure and honor being your Victor. I hope to continue putting smiles on everyone’s faces.” email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Ready to rumble Wrestling heads to the MAC tournament this weekend DANIEL PETRUCCELLI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
UB head wrestling coach John Stutzman says that when it comes to wrestling, the Mid-American Conference is a powerhouse. There are 34 wrestlers participating in the MAC currently ranked within the top 25 of their weight class in the nation. Three programs are ranked in the top 25 team rankings. No. 10 Missouri leads the way, followed by No. 14 Northern Iowa and no. 17 Central Michigan. Missouri currently has seven wrestlers ranked in top 25. Central Michigan has seven of their own while Northern Iowa has five. The Buffalo Bulls (11-6, 4-4 MAC) wrestling team will look to solidify one of the best seasons in program history when they travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa this weekend for the MAC tournament. The Bulls have established themselves as one of the best programs in the MAC, coming off their first winning season since 2010. “A couple years ago nobody saw this coming, everybody thought we were down and out,” Stutzman said. “We went from three wins, to five wins, to 10 wins, to 11 wins and if you look at how you build a program, it happened fairly quick.” Four years, ago things looked bleak for UB wrestling. They were coming off a onewin season and starting over with a new head coach in Stutzman. Stutzman struggled early and failed to capture a MAC dual meet win in his first two seasons, but has recently made up for it. Buffalo set a program record this season when they won their fourth MAC dual meet. Stutzman is still looking for his first
ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
Two UB Wrestlers grapple at a practice. The Bulls will head to Northern Iowa this weekend to compete in MAC.
MAC champion wrestler and this could be the year. The team currently has five wrestlers ranked among the top 25 of the most recent NCAA coaches ranking. Sophomore Bryan Lantry is the highest ranked Bull at No. 14. “Coach Stutzman clearly took a team that was dying and could have easily been taken away from the program,” Lantry said. “And turned it into what is potentially going to be a powerhouse, if not, already is a powerhouse.” Nine other Bulls will join Lantry in the MAC tournament. No. 25 Kyle Akins (125), No. 14 Bryan Lantry (133), Jason Estevez (141), Colt Cotton (149), Alex Smythe (157), Tyler Rill (165), Muhamed McBryde (174), No. 24 Brett Perry (184), No. 19 James Benjamin (197), and No. 22 Jake Gunning (285) will all be representing Buffalo in the tournament. Benjamin has one of the toughest roads through the MAC tournament. There are currently five 197-pound MAC wrestlers ranked in the top 25. The biggest concern for Benjamin will be the No. 1 wrestler in the country at 197, Missouri senior J’den Cox. Cox is the defending na-
tional champion at 197 – his second national collegiate title. He added to his decorated career this past summer when he brought home a bronze medal from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. In Stutzman’s words, “he’s as good as they get.” But Stutzman still thinks Benjamin has what it takes to win. The coach credits Benjamin’s unorthodox style as one of the biggest reasons why he could pull off the upset in the tournament. “In a dual meet, coaches scout you a little more,” Stutzman said. “You pay attention to the coach a little bit more, in a tournament, I think guys wrestle a little bit more open and if guys wrestle open against [Benjamin] they will fall into his tricks.” Lantry faces a tough road as well. The 133- pound weight class also has five top 25 wrestlers. Stutzman referred to 133 as “the toughest weight class in the MAC.” No. 10 Josh Alber from Northern Iowa is the highest ranked wrestler in the class and Lantry defeated him in a 4-3 decision earlier this month. Lantry only lost two conference matches all year and is looking to avenge one of them in the tournament.
“Hopefully I get a matchup with John Erneste from Missouri who beat me earlier in the season,” Lantry said. “But I’m not going to overlook anyone, I’m not going to underlook anybody.” The Bulls share one clear goal in common: second place isn’t good enough and the team plans to win. Winning the MAC tournament will be important in qualifying for the national championship. Some weight classes will send multiple wrestlers to the national tournament. For other weights, a win in the MAC tournament could be the only route to the national tournament. Buffalo isn’t overlooking the MAC tournament but the national tournament is where the Bulls want to be in order to become a national powerhouse. “We’re not just trying to go to the national tournament, we’re trying to get on that podium and win that thing,” Lantry said. The MAC tournament will take place March 4 and 5 at Northern Iowa University. email: daniel.petruccelli@ubspectrum.com