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wednesday, november 19, 2014
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Volume 64 No. 37 PHOTO BY JENNA BOWER, THE SPECTRUM
issue
UB forgoes holding snow day during Tuesday’s lake effect storm
Distinguished Speaker, John Oliver, rescheduled due to weather conditions John Oliver's visit to UB was postponed until Dec. 3 because of Western New York's lake effect storm Tuesday. COURTESY OF STEVE JENNINGS
SARA DINATALE, THE SPECTRUM
Spectrum Editor in Chief Sara DiNatale took this photo from her garage in Lancaster, where her car and driveway were buried under at least 4 feet of snow from Tuesday’s snow storm.
Many commuters feel the university should have called off classes AMANDA LOW
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
UB commuters who live in the Southtowns woke up Tuesday morning to mounds of drifting snow covering their cars, unplowed roads and flashing red banners on television screens notifying viewers that various Buffalo suburbs were in “states of emergency.” But what those students didn’t see? A notice UB canceled classes. UB remained open on Nov. 18 while parts Western New York experienced a massive lake effect snowstorm. The immediate area around UB and the Northtowns went unscathed, but snow piled high in Lancaster, Hamburg, West Seneca, Orchard Park and South Buffalo. By Tuesday evening, snow in some of those areas reached more than 70 inches. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced Tuesday afternoon the National Guard was coming to assist the greater Buffalo area. Later Tuesday night he announced there were at least four deaths directly related to the storm. UB made a posting through its online alert system Tuesday morning that stated
the campus “understood that not everyone [would] be able to travel to campus in inclement weather” but did not cancel classes and asked the community to “use their best judgment” in deciding whether to come to campus. That sentiment was reiterated by UB Spokesman John Della Contrada who said, “Students, faculty and staff are expected to use their best judgment in assessing the risk of coming to campus and returning home based on individual circumstances.” But students like Trevor Sokolowski, a senior communication major from Lancaster, didn’t feel that measure was enough and said there wasn’t “any doubt” UB should have canceled classes. “I don’t know how it’s fair for anyone to drive in this stuff, that’s what was crazy to me,” he said. “They’re basically saying it’s all right to drive.” Earlier in the day, Sokolowski said he saw snowplows trying to dig out fire trucks stuck outside of his house in Lancaster. “If the fire trucks can’t get out, how is my Chevy Cruze going to get out?” he said. SEE SNOW DAY, PAGE 4
Speech will now take place in two weeks OWEN O’BRIEN MANAGING EDITOR When Andrew McFadden and Nick Palumbo stood on line the first day John Oliver tickets were being issued out to students, they didn’t even consider the possibility of it being ‘snowed out.’ But before Oliver made it to Buffalo Nov. 18, Mother Nature did. Parts of Western New York were hit with more than 4 feet of snow, forcing the university to postpone Oliver’s appearance in the 28th annual Distinguished Speaker Series. Representatives of Oliver confirmed it was postponed due to weather. Oliver will speak at Alumni Arena Wednesday Dec. 3. at 8 p.m. All tickets previously purchased with a Nov. 18 date will be valid for the Dec. 3 speech. Students mainly understood the decision to postpone the show, but some were upset with the Dec. 3 makeup date. Oliver is the host of HBO’s “Last week tonight with John Oliver,” on Sundays at 11 p.m. His half-hour, late-night talk show has elements of a news satire and is especially popular among collegeage students. The show, which just finished its first season, has an average audience of four million people. University Police sent out a Facebook
message at 11:07 a.m. announcing Oliver’s speech would be postponed. Student Association President James Ingram said he received the official notification around 11:25 a.m., but heard rumors of the cancelation before then. Ingram agreed with the university’s decision to postpone the event due to the weather. Many Buffalo streets and highways were closed Tuesday, including driving bans and states of emergency in areas like Lancaster, Hamburg and Orchard Park. The snow began Monday evening and is expected to continue into Wednesday. “With a person that draws a crowd like John Oliver, people are coming from kind of all over the Buffalo area,” Ingram said. “Even the roads around here aren’t that great right now, so there are concerns for students who would be coming as well.” Palumbo, a senior civil engineering major, and McFadden, a senior Spanish major, are roommates in an off-campus house on Englewood Avenue. He and four other roommates planned on going to the Nov. 18 speech. They were “upset” and “disappointed” upon first hearing about the cancelation but understood the school’s reasoning behind it. SEE JOHN OLIVER, PAGE 4
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Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 ubspectrum.com
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Sara DiNatale
MANAGING EDITOR
Owen O’Brien OPINION EDITOR
Tress Klassen COPY EDITORS
Rachel Kramer Alyssa McClure NEWS EDITORS
Amanda Low, Senior Samaya Abdus-Salaam, Asst. Giselle Lam, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS
Emma Janicki, Senior Sharon Kahn Sushmita Gelda, Asst. ARTS EDITORS
Jordan Oscar, Senior Brian Windschitl Tori Roseman, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Tom Dinki, Senior Andy Koniuch Jordan Grossman, Asst. Quentin Haynes, Asst. PHOTO EDITORS
Chad Cooper, Senior Juan David Pinzon Yusong Shi CARTOONIST
Amber Sliter CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Jenna Bower Gelareh Malekpour, Asst.
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
OPINION
3
Thanksgiving is for food and family – not shopping Extension of Black Friday helps no one, hurts employees and shoppers While families carve up their turkey and break out the stuffing at Thanksgiving dinner, haggard employees will be opening their shop doors – all because retailers don’t know when enough is enough. In recent years, the biggest shopping day of the year has slowly begun to test the bounds of “Friday,” with shops opening earlier and some companies, like Walmart turning the day into a five-day period called “the New Black Friday.” This is the beginning of a dangerous trend, as a day that traditionally serves as both a celebration of holiday shopping and a warning about the overpowering influence of consumerism extends its grasp. It’s a trend that benefits nobody – no individual, that is. Retailers may see their wallets bulging even more, but shoppers, their families, employees and store managers all suffer the consequences. At shopping malls like the Walden Galleria, which plans to fine stores that don’t open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, the individuals running the store have to decide whether to pay the penalty, or give into the troubling trend. Avoiding the fine means requiring employees to work on Thanksgiving, denying them time with their families and forc-
ing them to stand in front of a cash register instead of sitting at their dinner table. Working in retail is already recognized as one of the more thankless jobs out there, paying little and requiring a lot. The denial of the holiday serves to further the gap between minimum wage workers and Americans higher on the pay scale, who don’t have to worry about working on a holiday. And it’s not just the employees who suffer as a result of this development – shoppers aren’t happy either. What was once a tradition jam-packed into a single day, known for its intensity and fastpaced shopping has now been diluted into a longer period, mitigating the idea of Friday as a holiday in its own right. Shoppers now face a consumerist catch-22. They can shop on Thanksgiving, which for many is an unappealing prospect that not only interferes with holiday traditions, but also affects their family members. Or they can wait until Friday to hit the mall, knowing that other deal-seekers have already worked their way through the big sales. Thanksgiving – like Christmas – deserves some level of sanctity. It’s a day to be shared with family and friends, to enjoy the presence
ART BY AMBER SLITER
of loved ones and ideally escape from everyday worries. Black Friday is a tradition, but it shouldn’t interfere with the rituals of the day that precedes it, all because of retailers’ ultimately self-centered ambitions. For the mall landlords and
company CEOs who insist Black Friday should start on Thursday, here’s an idea – get up from your surely-resplendent holiday feast and start serving customers yourself. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
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THE SPECTRUM Wednesday, November 19, 2014 Volume 64 Number 37 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 14260-2100
Evaluations are improved, response rate? – that’s up to the students
New system for course evaluation corrects some of previous program’s shortcomings The now-defunct course evaluation system cost UB over $50,000 – money that did little to encourage students to fill out the surveys, and failed to provide a university-wide method for course feedback. Now, with a new assessment program in place, UB is still shelling out $49,754, but for a system that shows much more promise. In contrast to the earlier system, which included six separate evaluations for different schools and programs, the new and improved evaluations are uniform, and will be used university-wide. Even more importantly, the upgraded evaluations can now be tailored to each course, allowing professors to get more specific feedback. That this change was not implemented earlier is surprising.
UB offers a vast array of courses, which range enormously in terms of subject matter and teaching style. A 300-student lecture on introductory biology should merit different questions than an English seminar with nine students – that’s just common sense. This update to evaluations was sorely needed. Fortunately, the administration took note of the needed changes and has brought in a new system that directly addresses the problems that made the previous program, by and large, ineffective. Students deserve to have their voices heard – when they have negative experiences in a class, their professor should hear their unhappiness. Offering critiques not only benefits the student, but gives their professor the opportunity to improve their instruction.
First of many
AMANDA LOW
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
About 400 miles separate me from the front door steps of my home in Brooklyn, New York. And this year, I won’t be making the trip back home for the first time since I came to UB. This is also the first time I won’t be celebrating Thanksgiving with my family. I’m not extremely upset about it. Amtrak tickets just became too expensive and none of my usual rides home were going to be driving, so we all collectively decided to stay here.
In previous years, students were not only given non-specific questions, but their feedback often went unheard before the next semester. Processing feedback sometimes took so long that professors returned to teaching without hearing suggestions from past students. More efficient processing will help make evaluations have a greater impact, and students should feel reassured that their voice is more likely to be heard. Now, it’s all up to the student body. The success of these new evaluations rides entirely on students’ willingness to participate. Students have long been apathetic about course evaluations. Their attitude is understandable – why slog through a tedious, irrelevant questionnaire that may never be seen?
But now, the new system is less time-consuming and easier to navigate. Logistically, students will have an improved experience – if they take the time to try it out. The pilot program for the new system made it clear that even with the improved setup, students need to participate more. In the School of Nursing, which tried out the system this summer, saw a response rate of 40-45 percent, up from 30-35 percent in previous years. That’s an improvement, but still a markedly low response rate for a program that looks to be effective and efficient. UB put in the effort to correct their mistakes. Now it’s time for students to step up and do their part – for their own sake, and for those following behind them. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
UB student reflects on spending Thanksgiving away from home for the first time
My friends and I have already started planning our own turkey dinner and it is serious business. But I thought about how this is probably the first of multiple times I won’t be home for the holidays in the future. I know the point of this season is to make the time to be with loved ones but life happens. We pile work on ourselves. We end up in different countries or find other people to spend the day with because we want to develop new connections. Especially with my final semester at UB coming up, I’m wondering where I will end up in my life like many other seniors. But I think now, it’s even more important to hold on to the idea of family holiday moments. This season is turning into a shopping frenzy. With Skype and social media, it feels less urgent to buy that ticket home and have a dinner in person with your family. My feelings from my first Thanksgiving while at UB compared to now are very different. During move-in weekend
freshman year at UB, I remember my mother and I being mad with each other the day my family left for Brooklyn. The first time I was going to be away from my family and my last memory associated with them was anger. It was over something trivial, but unfortunately that is how I remember a lot of my past family interactions. Going to college was a breath of fresh air, and going back home that first Thanksgiving felt strained after our last in-person interaction. After coming to college, I started to realize how important my family is to me. Now, I wish I could be back home in time for my mother’s cooking and to spend time with my family. I don’t think in freshman year I thought I would eventually feel this way about being home. An article in Forbes talked about Millennials being the majority in a wave of international travelers. I can see the restlessness to go explore the world in my peers and myself, and there is
no reason why traveling shouldn’t be a first priority. But the holiday season is a reminder of how important it is to be grounded. Some students have already stopped making the trip back home, and as a fellow college student low on cash, I can understand some reason why the ticket home seems unappealing. The four days don’t seem to justify ticket prices. But if we have the ability to indulge in the holiday shopping season, we should have the means to buy a ticket home. An emphasis on family for the holidays is not a new concept, but I don’t think it will ever lose the need to be said. It’s going to be strange not walking into my home next week and seeing my mom and dad relax on the couch while my sister tries to bother us. But for now, I’ll ask my mother for Thanksgiving recipe ideas and FaceTime will have to do. email: amanda.low@ubspectrum.com
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Continued from John Oliver, page 1 “I was a little upset and then I looked at the roads and completely understood where they were coming from,” Palumbo said. “Safety first.” Ingram was concerned about how students and community members who purchased tickets would make it to the event. “I would hate for students to have picked up tickets or community members who have picked up tickets to not be able to get to the show because of a weather concern, so I was glad that UB and Mr. Oliver were able to find a date to reschedule and I’m glad it’s going to be before the semester ends, too,” Ingram said. UB and Oliver’s representatives decided to postpone the event and came up with a date that worked for both Oliver and Alumni Arena’s schedule. “In talking with Oliver’s people it was clear it would not be responsible for us (UB & Oliver) to attempt to present tonight,” said William Regan, Director of the Office of Special Events, in an email. “We were very fortunate to have our respective calendars align to allowing us to immediately reschedule the event for Dec. 3.” Oliver’s Dec. 3 show will be his first appearance after Thanksgiving, according to his website. He performs in Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin later that week. Palumbo and McFadeen were unsure if they would be able to make the trip
to North Campus with Tuesday night’s weather. “If we were getting the same stuff the southtowns were getting, we might not have went,” Palumbo said. “But if it wasn’t too bad, we might have made the trip.” Oliver’s speech is rescheduled to Wednesday, Dec. 3, two days before the final day of classes. Palumbo said one of his roommates has a final exam that evening and is unsure if he’ll be able to make the show. Palumbo thinks he will be able to attend the show but is unsure depending on what his final project schedule is like during that week. “Overall it was probably for the best and I can see where UB was coming from in canceling, but the reschedule date is not the best choice as it’s the last week of classes,” Palumbo said. “Some people might have exams or projects around that time.” McFadden said his roommates will probably have a “chill night and get ready for the next blizzard” Tuesday evening since Oliver was canceled. He doesn’t have class Dec. 3 and is excited to see Oliver. “I’ve been a John Oliver fan since he first started on ‘the Daily Show,’ so I don’t mind waiting another couple of weeks to see him.” McFadden and Palumbo hope the weather or classes won’t deter them from seeing Oliver in December. email: news@ubspectrum.com
Want to get more hyped for the holidays? Visit ubspectrum.com for more holiday previews.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Continued from snow day, page 1 Della Contrada said the decision to hold classes and activities was based on the input of university officials responsible for student life and safety, academic scheduling, emergency management, athletics, human resources, facilities operations and campus infrastructure. After conference calls on Monday and Tuesday about the weather conditions and forecasts in the region, UB officials recommended classes and activities should remain as normal. President Satish K. Tripathi received the recommendation and approved their decision. Students often joke UB never closes, but it has a few times in the last decade. UB closed during Buffalo’s infamous October storm in 2006 and twice in 2014: once during the January winter sessions and once in March. Katie McClure, a second-year graduate social work student, was trapped at home in West Seneca with almost 5 feet of snow blocking her front door Tuesday. While the snowfall may have been “more than anyone bargained for,” UB should have still canceled classes and activities for the day, she said. “With the end of the semester coming up, students may have felt the need to get to school to complete projects and presentations, and it is just way too dangerous,” she said. Kristen Kozlowski, a junior business administration major from Lancaster, said she was worried about how professors would handle those students, like herself, who couldn’t leave their homes. She said it’s unfair if students are punished for missing out on lecture material or missing classes that require attendance. “If there are road closings, travel bans and states of emergencies in the municipalities surrounding UB, I believe UB has a duty to close,” she said in an email. Kozlowski said her mother had a trip planned to Florida but could not go because despite her flight not being canceled, she could not travel to the airport. Many people in Lancaster still have their cars buried under snow or stuck in driveways, where the snow is too thick to shovel or plow through. Parts of I-90 and Route 219 were also closed due to heavy snowfall, and 38 departing flights from Buffalo were canceled Tuesday, according to WGRZ. Cars, trucks and buses were stranded in deep snow along sections of the New York State Thruway Monday night into Tuesday. Some motorists spent over 20 hours in their vehicles before they were dug out or res-
COURTESY OF KRISTEN KOZLOWSKI
Kristen Kozlowski, a junior business administration major, was not able to leave her home after over four feet of snow blocked her home. Like many other commuter students, she said the university should have canceled classes and activities for the day.
cued by Thruway officials. Mitchell Krah, a senior environmental studies major, faced more than 4 feet of snow in West Seneca. He said UB should include conditions affecting commuters – which make up a large part of UB’s student population – when making decisions regarding the weather and school closures. Several colleges in the Buffalo area, like Canisius College, Daemen Collge and D’Youville College closed down Tuesday morning or later in the afternoon. UB did reschedule the John Oliver Distinguished Speaker Series due to weather Tuesday night and canceled Wednesday night’s the Strictly Hip pregame concert, but has plans to still hold the football game against Kent State. Poloncarz described the storm as a knife that cut through Erie County in his first press conference Tuesday. As of Tuesday night, forecasters estimated snowfall would reach 3 to 4 feet from South Buffalo to Batavia, and another 5 to 6 feet would accumulate from Lackawanna to Lancaster and Elma. The National Weather Service in Buffalo issued a lake effect snow warning from 11 p.m. on Wednesday to 1 a.m. Friday as second storm is expected to pass through the region. email: news@ubspectrum.com
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Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Snow
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As the snow starts falling, get familiar with terms for the white stuff
lingo
Sticky Slushy It can snow in Buffa-
This is the snow that
SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
lo without any snow
has slightly melted
More than 4 feet of snow covered parts of Western New York on Tuesday – areas like Lancaster and South Buffalo were in “states of emergency.” Winter is here, and if you’re new to Buffalo, then you need to have the right vocabulary to talk about it – and our record snowfall. We’ve got you covered. The Eskimos are famous for having many more words for “snow” than the English language. The Inuit dialect from Central Siberia, Yupik, has 40 words and the Canadian Nunavik region has 53 different words for “snow.” In the northern tips of Scandinavia and Russia, the Sami people have at least 180 words used to talk about snow and ice. Although English may only be officially limited to “snow,” Buffalonians have descriptions to describe the winter conditions they’re used to. If you’re new to the city, then have no fear – Buffalo winters aren’t always bad. But you’ve got to get hip to the lingo if you want to fit in like a real Buffalonian in those inevitable winter talks. Don’t be surprised if every time you call home this winter your parents ask how much snow there is, but you’ll be equipped1 with SCCC_Winter14_Buffalo_Layout 9/23/14 the lingo to talk like an expert.
staying on the ground
and has been run over
for days to come. The
countless times by
snow may melt on im-
cars. It can cover road-
pact. If it doesn’t, then
ways and often takes
the snow is sticky, or
on a brown hue.
EMMA JANICKI
sticking on the ground.
Heavy powdery
Heavy snow tends to be wet, thick and packed. This is not the snow to make a snowman with because it’s too hard to mold into a shape. Instead, if you want to make a painful snowball, pick up a chunk of the heavy stuff to use 10:52 AM Page 1 against your enemy.
Lake effect accumulation When Lake Erie is warm and the air that passes over it is cold, you get lake effect snow. Once the lake freezes, you no longer get lake effect snow. Downtown Buffalo tends to get lake effect snow first because it’s closer to the lake.
This is the proper way
black ice
Next time you call home to talk about the inevitable snow, no matter how much lingo you know, the best way to sound like a true Buffalonian is to not care at all about it. Many of us grew up with 6 feet of snow covering our first floor windows and our parents who were stranded in bars during the Blizzard of ’77. Six feet of snow is nothing to us, a negative wind chill doesn’t mean school is canceled and trick-or-treating on Halloween among snowflakes is just another day in Buffalo.
Watch out for this invis-
You can kick this stuff
ible danger. It can sneak
around, throw it in the
up on you as you’re
air and it falls lightly on
driving, so never drive
your puffy jacket. It can be pretty easily packed,
too fast and be patient. Keep an eye on the highways and if you see
but is the best for skiing
a sheen reflecting off
and snowboarding.
the road, slow down and be careful.
to talk about how much snow has piled up on the ground. It “accumulates” on the ground, often just a few inches.
email: features@ubspectrum.com PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALEXEY KLJATOV
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Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Rocking around the movie theater A rundown of this holiday season’s must-see movies KAYLA MENES STAFF WRITER
Thanksgiving, turkey and a break from the stresses of schoolwork gleefully lurk around the corner with Christmas not to far behind. What better ways to relax while the turkey is cooking in the oven or to do something fun with your friends than see some of the biggest movies this holiday season? We’ve got a list to help you navigate the new and coming blockbusters. Big Hero 6 Release date: Nov. 7 Big Hero 6 is the first Disney animated film based on a Marvel character. The film follows teenager Hiro Hamada (Ryan Potter, Senior Project), a prodigy who forms a bond with his slain brother Tadashi’s robot, Baymax. After meeting with Tadashi’s group of friends – GoGo (Jamie Chung, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr., New Girl), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez, Tusk) and Fred (T.J. Miller, Gravity Falls) – assemble a superhero team to avenge Tadashi’s death. Beyond the Lights Release date: Nov. 14 Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Belle) is a new artist in the music industry who is on the brink of superstardom. But the constant societal and parental pressures placed on Noni by society as well as her mother and manager, Macy Jean (Minnie Driver, About a Boy), pushes her to the edge. Kaz, a police officer (Nate Parker, Every Secret Thing) prevents Noni from harming herself, and she begins to find her voice again. As Kaz and Noni begin to fall for each other, they ignore the protests of their respective entourages. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Release date: Nov. 21 The Hunger Games era is coming to a close with the highly anticipated first part of the final film. After escaping the Hunger Games’ Third Quarter Quell, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence, Serena) finds herself in the elusive and mysterious District 13. She remains a symbol of hope for the oppressed people of Panem and begins a quest to rescue Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson, Escobar: Paradise Lost) from the wrath of President Snow (Donald Sutherland, Forsaken). Horrible Bosses 2 Release date: Nov. 26 Three years ago Horrible Bosses kept audiences laughing in their seats during a summer heat wave. Now, the sequel looks to do the same during the holidays. The comedy follows the trio of Nick
(Jason Bateman, This is Where I Leave You), Dale (Charlie Day, Drunk History) and Kurt (Jason Sudeikis, Eastbound & Down) start their own business, but go head-to-head with their investor Burt (Christoph Waltz, Muppets Most Wanted). Using their humorously warped logic, the three friends decide the best way to go about their business is to kidnap their horrible boss’ son Rex (Chris Pine, Stretch). Top Five Release date: Dec. 12 Chris Rock (Eat Drink Laugh: The Story of the Comic Strip) stars in his directorial comedy-drama debut, Top Five, as Andre Allen, a comedic star searching for his next move. He becomes famous for starring in action films as a talking bear, but when one of his films tanks, Andre is adamant to reinvent his Hollywood image. While juggling his career, Andre is also planning his future wedding to reality TV star Erica Long (Gabrielle Union, Think Like A Man Too) and being profiled by New Yorker journalist Chelsea Brown (Rosario Dawson, Sin City: A Dame to Kill For). The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies Release date: Dec. 17 Director Peter Jackson delivers the third and final installment to the three part-film adaptation based on The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien. The fantasy adventure follows Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman, Fargo) and Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage, The Crucible) as they’ve entered the mystical Lonely Mountain. Little do they know, Gandalf (Ian McKellen, The Curse of Buxom Strumpet) has discovered the identity of the malevolent Necromancer, who has sent his army toward the mountain. When the dragon Smaug (Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock), leaves the Lonely Mountain, and its treasures up for grabs, the Battle of the Five Armies begins. The Interview Release date: Dec. 25 North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is a fan of “Skylark Tonight.” Well at least in the comedy-drama film The Interview. Celebrity talk show host Dave Skylark (James Franco, Good People) and his producer, Aaron Rapaport (Seth Rogen, 22 Jump Street) land an interview with the dictator to reintroduce themselves to the world as serious journalists. On their travels to Pyongyang, the CIA recruits the duo to assassinate the fictional Kim Jongun. Into the Woods Release date: Dec. 25 Centered on several Grimm fairy tales and based on a Tony Award winning Broadway musical, Into the Woods is a
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Wednesday, November 19, 2014
A consumerist Christmas
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COURTESY OF LUC DE LEEUW
EMMA JANICKI
SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
Christine Schaefer remembers “stomping around the tree farm for hours” with her family on the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. Her father would stand next to a selected tree, reach his hand up and announce whether or not it was the right size. Diane Christian’s father was not allowed to take down the Christmas tree until Valentine’s Day. Once, he tried, but Christian, now a SUNY distinguished teaching professor in the English department, cried so hard he was forced to put the tree back up. For David Schmid, an associate professor of English, Christmas holds no religious significance because he’s an atheist, but it’s still a time to “eat too much and watch bad movies” with his family. For some, there is a tension between the religious core of Christmas and the consumerism associated with it. This winter holiday season, it is predicted that total holiday spending, which includes entertaining at home, holiday clothes and decorations, will increase to $1,299 per household, up 13 percent from last year, according to Consumer Affairs. It is predicted that people will spend 9 percent more on gifts this year than last bringing the total to $458, from $421. Christian and Schmid both said that the tension between consumerism and religious observance has existed for a long time for American Christians. “My impression is that for the vast majority of Americans, there is no serious conflict between the religious meaning of Christmas and consumerism, not least because in this country consuming is its own religion,” Schmid said in an email. “I think people may sometimes pretend concern, but it’s not something that keeps them up at night!” Christian said she has seen a change in how Christmas is celebrated and thought of in society since she first entered a convent in 1961. “I think the religious element is much diminished and the consumerism is accelerated, but I think it’s always more complicated than it seems,” Christian said in an email. During her eight years as a nun, Christian especially loved Christmas music and going to chapel at midnight, but she recognized the “strain between religious observance and commercialism.” “I think this has always been a very real and appropriate tension,” she said. Schaefer, a senior history and German major, said the meaning of Christmas has not been affected by consumerism.
Students and faculty weigh in on how gifts affect the holiday season, religion
ART BY AMBER SLITER
“Semantics can change but that doesn’t change … what the holiday is all about,” Schaefer said. Although people may not see Christmas as still being ultimately a religious holiday, she said, “holiday means holy day” and the word Christmas is a combination of “Christ” and “mass.” The religiosity of the day is clear in its name for Schaefer. Because Christmas is, at its core, a religious celebration, the various meanings people associate with it do not change that, Schaefer said. In a mid-fourth-century Roman almanac, Jesus’ birth date is listed at Dec. 25 – now celebrated as Christmas Day, according to Biblical Archaeology. Celebrations of the holiday began between 250 A.D. and 300 A.D. and feasts on Dec. 25 likely existed before 312 A.D. Consumerism can “encroach” on the re-
ligious celebration of the holiday, Schaefer said. For example, she said it must be stressful for parents who have to be aware of how much money they are spending on each child and to make sure each child receives an equal number of gifts. This year, shoppers are expected to purchase 13.4 gifts, up from 12.9 gifts last Christmas. The amount of gifts bought per person reached its peak in 2007 at 23.1 gifts, according to Consumer Affairs. One Christmas, Schaefer said she received “a lot of books and was kind of annoyed about it.” But her Catholic sentimentalities kicked in and she felt bad about being annoyed. Even at a young age, she felt Christmas meant much more than just receiving presents. As a child, she participated in a Christmas pageant and sang in the angel choir. Although the garland halo was itchy, she
said, the pageant reminded her of the meaning of Christmas. Richard Cohen, a professor of philosophy and director of The Institute of Jewish Thought and Heritage, celebrates Chanukah and recognizes that gift giving is part of the “happiness” the holiday celebrates. “[Chanukah] celebrates a military victory of the few against the many, the weak against the strong – certainly a theme for happiness,” Cohen said in an email. “And it celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple in ancient Jerusalem. Again a cause for happiness. So if ‘buying and giving gifts’ makes people happy, it is not in great conflict with the ‘religious core’ of the holiday.” When Christian married Bruce Jackson, a SUNY distinguished professor and a James Agee professor of American culture in the English department, she helped raise his Jewish children. She said the children wanted to celebrate Christmas because of the tree, the lights and the presents. Christian said she “still hear” Jackson’s daughter, Rachel, asking for a Christmas tree. Like Christmas, Chanukah is celebrated during the winter season. Chanukah lasts eight days and celebrates the Jewish army defeating the Seleucid army. The Jewish army drove their enemies from the Holy Land and reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. When they made it back to the temple to clean up the destruction caused by war, the Jewish army lit an oil candle. There was only enough oil to last one night, but it burned for eight days. “My stepdaughter Rachel said when she was 3 that she wanted to be a Christian because being Jewish meant you couldn’t have a tree and gifts and lights,” Christian said in an email. “I told her how wonderful it was to be Jewish, how incorrect her reading was. She made paper ornaments and put them on a rubber tree to make us a Christmas tree. … Now she’s the mother of a 3-year-old, raising her boys Jewish, but accommodated.” Schaefer’s family has a ritual for opening up gifts called the “pickle ornament.” On Christmas Eve, her father hides a pickle in their Christmas tree. In the morning, the first person to find the pickle gets to open up a gift first. Then, the next oldest person gets to open a present and so on. For Schaefer’s family, opening up Christmas presents is “a lot of sitting around and talking with each other.” Schaefer said Christmas is a time when people “start to see the good more,” regardless of how they celebrate the holiday. email: features@ubspectrum.com
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Wednesday, November 19, 2014
The gift of giving - at the expense of the wallet JORDAN OSCAR
SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
Some must-have gifts this holiday season
Lights adorn houses, Christmas carols and songs ring through the neighborhood, Starbucks has started selling their festive treats and a polar vortex is shutting down Buffalo with feet of snow. The holidays are approaching quickly and with the holiday cheer comes the need for gifts – many of them aren’t cheap. Here are just a few of the best gifts to give this holiday season. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 Price: $400 for PS4, $350-450 for Xbox One while holiday sale lasts After over a year of being on shelves and drawing the eyes of plenty of Santa’s elves, which console to gift this holiday season is still up for debate and will be for years to come. This year, the Xbox One has a big advantage. Between Titanfall, Sunset Overdrive and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the Xbox One is having a great year for exclusives. Additionally from Nov. 2 through Jan. 3 most major retailers – including Target, Best Buy, Microsoft and Amazon – are having a $50 sale on many of the console’s best bundles. Kinect free Xbox Ones for sale remove the $100 advantage previously held by the PlayStation 4. A temporary $50 sale is even better. The Sunset Overdrive bundle for $350 is a steal for any Santa keeping an eye on his budget and looking to gift a great console along with an outstanding game – and that’s just one of the many options Microsoft has stocked the shelves with. Black Friday deals on games, most of which are available online and in the store, make gifting for the gaming enthused even easier. Apple Watch Price: Starting at $349 The Apple Watch might not be out by Christmas or Hanukah, but it’s the rain check gift that will keep on giving this year. Apple’s first wearable device was “built from the wrist up” to offer wearers the company’s most customizable and personal experience yet. With dozens of faces, three models (a standard model, Sport and Edition), two face sizes (42 and 33mm) and plenty of bands to choose from, aesthetically the watch is as custom-
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izable as it is innovative. The Retina display makes the entirely new user interface easy to view, while the Digital Crown allows users to scroll, zoom and select screen options without blocking the crisp screen. The home screen is unlike anything Apple has put on the map and remains exciting, since consumers still don’t know when the watch will officially be released. Canon 7D Mark II Price: $1800 for the body alone iPhones and Samsung Galaxys can only make family selfies and outings look so good. They also might not be sharp enough to catch Santa coming down the chimney or his reindeer waiting on the roof. DSLR and other digital cameras have become the way to go. An $1800 camera that still doesn’t have a lens might not be the most realistic present to ask for, but it will last for years and leave the next few holiday seasons full of crisp photo-filled memories. The 20.2 Megapixed APS-C CMOS sensor and Dual Digic 6 Image
Processors blow the iPhone 6’s 8 Megapixel camera out of the water, like a fish hit by dynamite. 10 frames-per-second and a camera built like a boulder that can last for over 200,000 photos are just a few more reasons to pick up one of Canon’s newest cameras. For outdoor photos, gloves are a must to withstand the bone-chilling cold of polar vortexes and other winter wonderland weather. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R Price: $2800 If an $1800 DSLR is either too bulky or not expensive enough for your goldplated pockets, maybe one of Sony’s full frame digital cameras is the perfect gift for you. Aesthetically more akin to an old single-shot black-and-white camera, these compact beauties pack portability that beats many DSLR cameras and a quality to match. Astro A50 headsets Price: $300
The holidays can mean many things, including lounging at home playing some of this year’s best games into the long and lonely hours of night. Luckily, for late night gaming sessions back at home or for appeasing your roommates’ sleep schedules, Astro Gaming has you covered. Wireless A50s offer the perfect combination of cordless, gaming audio bliss and noise cancelation for yourself and your roommates. The company has built a reputation around its premier gaming headsets that come in various sizes and fit multiple lifestyles. Some of their headsets include the A30’s, which offer mobility for listening to music on the go and gaming performance, the $238 A38s for mobile gaming and music jamming and the A40s and 50s that stand as titans of gaming headphone performance. Urbanears Price: Starting at $50, ear buds starting at $35 Urban Outfitter’s Plattan, Zinken and Humlan offer various levels of sound quality and durability, and for their price points and stylish colors it’s hard to find a better headphone that can stand the test of Buffalo’s brutal winters and the rugged and vigorous lifestyles of many campusgoers. The headphones, and the company’s ear buds, are built for comfort, sound quality, durability and portability, leaving listeners blissfully tuned in to the music they love. The Zoundplug makes enjoying music with roommates and friends a breeze. Philips SoundShooter Wireless speaker Price: $50 For holiday parties or college ragers, wireless speakers are a must. They can alter the vibe of any party with the simple change of a song and the ability to access it from anywhere nearby keeps the DJ just as mobile on the dance floor as the partygoers being entertained. Whether it’s holiday tunes or the newest pop tunes to amp you up, the Philips SoundShooter Wireless speaker has you covered. It’s also a cheaper but reliable and useful gift compared to many of the items on this list. Eight hours of battery life is plenty of time to live the life of the party, the after party and maybe a bit of the after after party. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Wednesday, November 19, 2014
‘MAC’ Friday YUSONG SHI, THE SPECTRUM
The football team celebrates with fans after its 55-24 victory over Akron on Nov. 11. The Bulls will play the day after Thanksgiving on the road for the first time since 2010.
Football team to spend Thanksgiving on the road, play on Black Friday JORDAN GROSSMAN
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
For the first time in his life, junior wide receiver Ron Willoughby will not see any of his family Thanksgiving Day. Instead of a home cooked meal, junior running back Anthone Taylor will be forced to “make different arrangements” so it doesn’t intervene with his schedule. Instead of sitting down to watch a slew of NFL games or eat a turkey and mashed
potato-induced feast, the football team will get comfortable on a coach bus for seven hours on its way to Amherst, Massachusetts. The Bulls will play their last game of the season against Massachusetts Friday, Nov. 28 – the day after Thanksgiving. It’s not uncommon for Buffalo to play the day after the holiday. The Bulls have played the day after Thanksgiving every season since 2008. But this will be the first season since 2010 that they will play on
the road on ‘Black Friday.’ “This will be the first Thanksgiving where I won’t see my family on a game day,” Willoughby said. “It’s fine. I love playing football. That’s what I was made to do.” The Bulls will spend a portion of their Thanksgiving Day traveling to face the Minutemen. Last season, Buffalo celebrated the holiday as a team at the Ramada Hotel near North Campus the day before playing Bowling Green at Ralph Wil-
son Stadium. Many of the players’ family members attended the dinner. The dinner was held conference room at the Ramada Hotel and fed 326 people including players, coaches and family members. The dinner consisted of traditional Thanksgiving trimmings – handcarved turkey, mashed and sweet potatoes and stuffing. “Everybody had a great time,” said Ramada Catering Manager Renata Marchione. “Our room holds a capacity of 275, but we were able to get everyone in for the celebration. Overall, it was a beautiful thing to see.” Players said they’re not sure if the team will be able to host a similar dinner this year in Massachusetts, but quarterback Joe Licata is optimistic arrangements may be made. “My family is going to make the trip,” Licata said. “The families came in for the family meal last year. I’m sure we’re doing the same thing this year.” Willoughby’s parents have made the trip up to Buffalo every season but will not travel to Amherst this season. Taylor, a Huber Heights, Ohio native, admits it is hard for his family to travel to see him for Thanksgiving. But this year will be different. “My mom is coming up for the game,” Taylor said. “I know she’ll visit me before or after and we’ll have a late Thanksgiving or an early Thanksgiving. We make arrangements so it doesn’t bother us.” The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. It will cap the end to a subpar season in which the team failed to be bowl eligible. The Bulls finished with eight wins and a Famous Idaho Potato Bowl game appearance last season. But in the spirit of the holiday, Licata said he’s still thankful to the chance to play at Buffalo. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to represent this school, this city and this state,” Licata said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to play football. It’s every kid’s dream to be a Division I quarterback. I’m thankful.” email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Faculty Senators present amendments to gen ed overhaul All five amendments presented to be voted on Dec. 2 GISELLE LAM
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
UB is one step closer to revamping general education requirements for undergraduate students. On Tuesday, the Faculty Senate held an extra meeting in the Student Union Theater to present proposed amendments for the general education proposals. All five amendments presented were seconded and will be voted on at the Senate’s next meeting on Dec. 2. Ezra Zubrow, chair of the Faculty Senate, said the reason for the extra meeting was to follow correct parliamentary procedures. In a Faculty Senate Executive Committee Meeting last Wednesday, Zubrow asked the group its opinion on having the extra meeting. He said it would give the senators more time to think about amendments before voting on them. An email regarding proposed amendments was also sent out before the meeting. The Faculty Senate will vote on the proposal for a new general education program at the December meeting. The revised curriculum could be implemented in fall of 2016 at the earliest. The General Education Committee presented the proposal in September. The new curriculum proposal emphasizes
critical thinking and communication skills by incorporating capstone projects. The five faculty senators – Henry Durand, Kenneth Dauber, Martha McCluskey, Michael Cowen and Adam Sikora – presented amendments. Durand and McCluskey presented for James Holstun, who was absent from the meeting. Durand, a clinical associate professor and senior associate vice provost of undergraduate education, presented the first amendment, which requested a domestic diversity requirement to the general education program. He said a “vast majority of UB undergraduates live and stay” in Buffalo and New York State as well as interact with diversity groups. New York has the fifth largest minority population in the country, he said. Durand said UB should have at least one course of domestic diversity. Students may select from courses approved by faculty and will be available in the course catalog. There is currently no course focusing on domestic diversity and the closest class to this concept is American Pluralism, he said. Dauber, an English professor, announced his proposal to create a breadth of knowledge cluster, which would replace the thematic cluster. He said the breadth of knowledge cluster includes art,
history, music, literature and social sciences courses. The thematic cluster would be restricted to cover courses fitting the five provostal themes environment, health, justice, innovation and humanity. McCluskey, a law professor, spoke in place of Holstun. The third amendment discussed tenured faculty teaching general education courses instead of the proposed untenured faculty. Paul Zarembka, an economics professor, also said UB should give part-time faculty the opportunity to grow into the departments they are teaching in through these general education courses. Joseph Mollendorf, a mechanical engineering professor, said just because faculty members are tenured does not mean they are more suitable to teach. Cowen, a mathematics professor, talked about math and quantitative reasoning for the fourth amendment and insisted more mathematics should be included in the proposal. The last amendment touched on the topic of freshmen seminars and whether departments should be mandated to offer them. The voting for these amendments will be Dec. 2 at the Faculty Senate’s next meeting. email: news@ubspectrum.com
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YUSONG SHI, THE SPECTRUM
On Tuesday, the Faculty Senate held a meeting to present amendments for the General Education proposal. The amendments will be voted on in its Dec. 2 meeting.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 ubspectrum.com
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DAILY DELIGHTS sponsored by Collegiate Village Apartments Crossword of the Day Wednesday, November 19, 2014 FROM UNIVERSAL UCLICK
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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Only you will be able to promote your agenda effectively. You’d better prepare fully and dress the part, too! SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- You’ll want someone to join your team, but perhaps not in an official capacity. You’re working on a brand new plan. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- You may be more concerned with your own well-being than you have been in the recent past. Certain signals have you worried. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- You cannot count on others turning a blind eye to unacceptable behavior. You may have big shoes to fill. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- You can have your way, but it will come about in a way that surprises you and those who have been working against you. ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- You may have to make a certain sacrifice that will benefit many while affecting you only minimally. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You can count on someone to give you what you need, but you mustn’t keep that need a secret! No one can read your mind. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You are feeling energetic and perhaps a bit mischievous. Take care that you don’t cause trouble that cannot be reversed. CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- You can put yourself front and center, confident that your audience will appreciate your performance and respond accordingly. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- You are trying to do something that no one has been able to do before, but the odds are actually in your favor for a short time. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You know how to give your best in only a short amount of time. That efficiency will impress those handing out the jobs! LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- You are standing still when it is forward motion that can cure your ills. Get moving, and don’t worry about what you may encounter.
Edited by Timothy E. Parker November 19, 2014 DUOS By Henry Quarters
ACROSS 1 French Sudan, today 5 Dutch shoe 10 Like many a cellar 14 Oscar nominee Clive 15 Former 16 “An apple ___ ...” 17 Thoroughly 20 Parkinson’s drug 21 What a wedding planner needs 22 Soul singer Redding 25 Some sports cars, for short 26 Ever 30 Muss up, as clothing 33 Concerning birth 34 Heed 35 Airport X-ray agcy. 38 What a plane may come down with 42 Organ ending? 43 Metric measurement, briefly 44 Bud Grace comic strip 45 Like a patchwork quilt 47 Members of the mil. 48 Sarah of politics 51 Some breads 53 Modified 56 Air freshener outputs 60 Better than fantastic 64 Marine eagle
65 Unsophisticated 66 Knitting need 67 Scholarship criterion 68 Church assembly 69 Duel tool
39 Mamie’s man 40 Loch sighting, some say 41 AMA members 45 Made a metallic sound 46 Chinese leader? 48 Eucharist plate 49 Dean Martin song 1 Bon ___ (witty saying) subject 2 Gone, 50 Sierra ___ but not forgotten? 52 Fix firmly 3 Detective’s need in place 4 Dirt or data, briefly 54 See 37-Down 5 One nursery-rhyme Jack 55 June 6, 1944 6 “___ you sure?” 57 Eye-opening problem 7 It may 58 Duffer’s challenge be boring 59 “Of course 8 Cries at fireworks I will” 9 Orchard part 61 ___ Pan 10 Dilly-dally Alley 11 Turn ___ ear (refuse to 62 Ab ___ (from day listen) one) 12 Island south of Sicily 63 Vane dir., sometimes 13 Mayberry’s Goober and Gomer 18 Mission to the moon 19 And others, for short 23 Like some humor 24 Less obvious 26 Nay sayer 27 Fancy shooting marbles 28 Nuclear energy source 29 Napkin’s place 31 Something to hum 32 Myanmar’s monetary unit 35 Sound of a small bell 36 Angry state 37 Forever and a day
DOWN
Wednesday, November 19, 2014 ubspectrum.com
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SPORTS
Buffalo looks to end season on winning streak Bulls face Kent State in final home game Wednesday
COURTESY OF DAVID DERMER
Senior tight end Casey Pierce leads the Golden Flashes in receptions and receiving yards and touchdowns. He also leads all MAC tight ends in receiving statistics. The Bulls host Kent State Wednesday night.
QUENTIN HAYNES
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
The football team had lost four straight games and fallen to three games under .500 before last Tuesday’s game against Akron. But after scoring the most points against a Mid-American Conference opponent in program history in a dominant
55-24 victory over the Zips, the Bulls (46, 2-4 MAC) can still end their season at .500. “The win was important because it got this team back on track after four losses,” said interim head coach Alex Wood. “Now, we need to stay on track and finish this season on a good note.” The Bulls will look to win two games in a row for the first time since Sept. 27
when they host Kent State (1-9, 0-6 MAC) Wednesday at UB Stadium. It will be Buffalo’s final home game of the season. Kent State’s offense has been one of the conference’s worst, ranking 12th in the MAC in both scoring and total offense. Buffalo ranks 12th in the conference in scoring defense but had its best performance against an FBS opponent this season last week against Akron (4-6, 2-4 MAC). “The defense has been gaining confidence,” said sophomore outside linebacker Jarrett Franklin. “We’ve been gaining confidence in our chemistry, our communications and our schemes. I believe we’ve tightened up on all three levels and that allowed us to show how good we can be last week.” The Bulls held the Zips to 15 total first downs and 229 total yards last week. Franklin said Buffalo’s 37-14 loss to Ohio (5-5, 3-3 MAC) Nov. 5 was a “turning point” for the defense. “We learned that if the offense did something bad, the defense had to step up for us, and if the defense has a bad moment, the offense will take care and cover for them,” Franklin said. Buffalo’s offense scored 55 points last week after scoring just 28 points in its prior two games combined. One of the keys to the Bulls’ offensive improvement was the running game. “The biggest thing from last week is that we got to run the ball 54 times,” Wood said. “We got back to that winning formula offensively. We got into a rhythm
and played a more balanced game. We need to continue to maintain that balance to end the season on a high note.” With running backs Anthone Taylor and Jordan Johnson both coming off 100-yard rushing games against Akron, the Bulls will look to take advantage of a weak Kent State rushing defense Wednesday night. The Golden Flashes’ rush defense ranks 12th in the conference – giving up 216.6 rushing yards per game. Kent State allowed opponents to run for more than 150 rushing yards in three of its last four games. The Golden Flashes’ pass defense ranks second in the MAC, however, allowing just 218.8 yards per game. Despite Kent State’s winless conference record, Wood said Buffalo is not taking the Golden Flashes lightly. “Kent State works hard each and every game,” Wood said. “Each game, the margin is within seven to 10 points … we can’t look at the record and say, ‘This is a win,’ because it’s not. They’re a dangerous team.” Kent State’s lone win this season came over Army (3-7), 39-17, Oct. 18. Army defeated Buffalo 47-39 Sept. 6 and led the Bulls by 30 in the fourth quarter. Wednesday’s game is set for 8 p.m. and will be featured on ESPNU. The Strictly Hip’s Tailgate Concert Series performance and rest of the Stampede Square activities are canceled due to the weather. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
PREDICTIONS: Kent State
OWEN O’BRIEN
Kent State’s 1-9 record is misleading. Five of its six MAC loses are by 10 points or less. This won’t be easy, but Buffalo is motivated to salvage what it can of this season.
JORDAN GROSSMAN
@TOMDINKI
@ANDYKONIUCH
(7-3): Buffalo
vs.
TOM DINKI
ANDY KONIUCH
@OWENOBRI
@JORDANMGROSSMAN
(7-2): Buffalo
(8-2): Buffalo
(7-3): Buffalo
The Bulls are looking to close out the season with pride coming off a 55-24 victory over Akron. Buffalo by a touchdown.
After last week’s win, Buffalo should be motivated to get one last win at home over the worst team in the MAC.
Even if weather affects the passing game, Buffalo still has the better rush defense and offense. Buffalo in a landslide.
Buffalo (-7)
Women’s soccer reflects on end of historic season Buffalo lost in first round of the NCAA Tournament last weekend
QUENTIN HAYNES
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
This season, the women’s soccer team won the most games in program history, shutout its opponent 14 times and had a 14-game unbeaten streak en route to its first-ever Mid-American Conference championship in program history. The Bulls’ (16-3-3, 12-0-2 MAC) historic season ended with a 4-1 loss to the No. 6 team in the country, Penn State (18-3-0, 121-0 Big Ten Conference) last Friday. Despite the NCAA Tournament first round loss, team members said they were proud of their accomplishments this season and that this year has changed the perceptions of the program. “We had a unique group of players, and because of that, we exceeded expectations,” said head coach Shawn Burke. “We were injured a bit early in the season, but we stuck together as a team and fought through it. Overall, we set the standard for Buffalo’s women soccer moving forward.” The Bulls could not overcome the loss of junior defender and MAC Defensive Player of the Year Jackie Hall in Friday’s loss. Penn State scored three goals – including two goals within 90 seconds of each other – in the second half with Hall out of the game due to injury. “When playing a team of that caliber, you have to play a perfect game,” Burke said. “We won the ball, but we struggled keeping it when we got it. We did a great job in the first half allowing one goal, but the de-
CHAD COOPER, THE SPECTRUM
The women’s soccer team celebrates its first-ever MAC Championship on Nov. 9. The Bulls’ season came to end on Nov. 14 after they were defeated 4-1 by Penn State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
fense was sloppy, we were pressured, and once we lost Jackie, we allowed two quick goals and it’s tough to come back from.” Buffalo had won just 13 MAC games the previous six seasons. The Bulls won 12 MAC games this season under Burke. The first-year head coach was promoted from his position as an assistant coach for Buffalo the previous five seasons. Sophomore forward Celina Carrero said
she noticed a difference right away when Burke and his assistant coaches took over that January. “The chemistry was different from last season,” Carrero said. “Having that chemistry on the field, between the coaches and players, that helped us this season. We didn’t have that last year. We weren’t on the same page, from the player to player to player to coaches. We all wanted to the
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same thing but it didn’t work out.” Carrero said it was that chemistry that helped propel a senior-laden team to its first NCAA tournament appearance in school history and turn this “dream season” into a reality. The Bulls’ last winning season was 2011. The Bulls went 12-5-4 and advanced to the MAC Tournament semifinals before losing to Toledo. Buffalo went 5-12-2 the next season and failed to make the MAC Tournament. The Bulls need to avoid having a letdown season next year, Burke said. “The biggest thing is avoiding complacency,” Burke said. “Sophomore and juniors … who were here in those down seasons need to remember that and use it as motivation. Our job as a staff is to keep them focus. We want to keep them going forward.” With senior forward and MAC Offensive Player of the Year Katie Roberts graduating, Carrero will be the team’s returning leading scorer. Carrero had six goals and 18 total points this season. Entering her junior season, she said she sees no reason why the Bulls can’t get back to the NCAA Tournament. “Coach Burke believes in us and that’s huge,” Carrero said. “There was a time last season where I wasn’t playing well and he sat me down and told me to play my game. Our entire coaching staff is a good support system. We’ll miss our seniors, but I believe we will all take a step forward to repeat last season’s success.”
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