UBSPECTRUM.COM
MONDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2016
BROADWAY’S FOUNDING FATHER P.3
VOLUME 66 NO. 14
WORLD-TRAVELING PROFESSOR P.5
BRADEN SCALES PROFILE P.8
UB students discuss racial experiences and lack of diversity on campus ASHLEY INKUMSAH
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Angelique Romulus is used to being the only black person in her class. Romulus, a junior psychology major, feels UB’s campus is lacking in diversity. UB faculty and other students agree with Romulus, saying UB’s population does not accurately reflect New York State racial demographics. Some say the low number of black faculty on campus is the issue. Others feel it is because the Transnational Studies Department doesn’t receive enough funding and there isn’t an African American Studies Department on its own. There are currently 1,881 black students at UB out of 28,444 total students, according to UB Spokesperson John Della Contrada. In Fall 2015, UB had a total of 98 black faculty members. Forty-one were tenure track and 57 were non-tenure track, according to Della Contrada. UB had 202 black state-supported staff in Fall 2015. UB officials have acknowledged the lack of minorities on campus and have implemented classes and programs in hopes of increasing those numbers. But some students feel the lack of black professors is discouraging to black students. “It’s important for me as a black person to sit down and be learning from another black person,” Romulus said. Aliyaa Reeves, a junior political science and legal studies major and member of the Black Student Union, finds it puzzling that many African American studies professors
Chief Schoenle and students weigh in on campus security HANNAH STEIN SENIOR NEWS EDITOR ASHLEY INKUMSAH, THE SPECTRUM
Andrew Stott, vice provost of Undergraduate Education and professor of English. Some students and faculty feel the new requirements are overly-complicated and confusing. “It might take awhile for students to get acquainted with what we’re trying to achieve but nationally, the recognition we’re receiving is huge and it’s really, really gratifying to see the work we’ve done and I hope that comes across,” Stott said. American Committee of Trustees and Alumni, a national nonprofit organization, gave UB’s new curriculum a “C” rating for not including economics, government, foreign language and literature in its general education. Instead of these subjects being mandatory, students have the option to study these subjects, depending on their interest. Tyler Kruse, a freshman civil engineering major, said the tools to navigate the new curriculum are “confusing and annoying at best.” Kruse attended an academic advising session within the engineering department, but found it unhelpful. “It was like, all this information unloaded on you all at once, and so quickly and in such a dry manner that it was hard to find the tools,” Kruse said. “The [Pathfinder tool] is hard to use and understand and overall it just didn’t seem very effective to me,” he said.
Jessica Reznik feels it can be “really creepy” walking on North Campus at night. Reznik, a senior communication major, was closely followed by a male while walking to Capen library last month. She said better lighting on campus would make her feel more comfortable walking alone at night. The University Police Department (UPD) makes changes in police operations every year, according to UPD Chief Gerald Schoenle. There are 64 blue light emergency phones on North Campus and 21 blue light phones on South Campus, according to UB’s website. UB is experiencing record-low crime rates with an increase in bike thefts. Many students feel mostly safe on campus but said there can be more blue emergency lights and general streetlights. UPD is already doing most of what is considered “best practice,” according to Schoenle. Schoenle attended a security presentation at the White House on Aug. 4 about 21st century policing. UPD is currently reviewing “a pretty voluminous” document on best practices to see if there’s something UB should be doing. UB has more blue emergency lights than any other SUNY campus or any New York State campus, according to Schoenle. “If you look on campus, any place you’re at you can see a blue light phone, pretty much that’s how it’s placed,” Schoenle said. Other SUNY schools, such as Stony Brook University, have adopted campus safety apps, such as Rave Guardian Campus Safety App. The app features a panic button that enables an immediate connection with campus police with GPS information and personal profile information, according to the Rave mobile safety website. One or two SUNY campuses have adopted this app as a replacement for the blue light emergency phones, according to Schoenle. Schoenle doesn’t “necessarily think it is a good idea.” UPD has looked at campus safety apps such as Rave Guardian, but Schoenle thinks the app is more beneficial on smaller campuses. Although most emergencies are dispatched from cell phones, Schoenle said the blue lights are a nice safety feature to have.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Angelique Romulus and Malcolm Gray joined the Black Student Union to engage with the black community on campus. Black students and faculty feel the campus is lacking in diversity.
at UB are white. “How can you be an African American studies professor when you’re not African American yourself so you can’t even talk about your experiences,” Reeves said. Malcom Gray, a senior political science major and BSU historian, said he feels a pressure to conform on a campus with so few black students. “There’s a sense when you’re engaging with other students that sometimes you need to like censor views or censor how you act in an attempt not to stand out too much or not to come off looking stereotypical to-
wards other students,” Gray said. When Gray joined BSU, he said he was able to be himself. BSU staged a peaceful protest at the Buffalo versus Army football game last month in an effort to raise awareness of the Black Lives Matter Movement. They wore black for solidarity chanting, “black lives matter.” “An older white gentleman was like ‘black lives matter, but white lives matter more,’” Reeves said. “And then this black guy walked next to us [with his white friends] and he said ‘all lives matter.’” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
UB students and faculty find new general education requirements confusing SARAH CROWLEY ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Writing Skills Mathematical Sciences World Civilization Natural Sciences American Pluralism Social and Behavioral Sciences Language Humanities Arts Depth
their general education at UB. As of Fall 2016, freshmen students have completely revamped general education requirements, which emphasize integrated learning instead of a singular checklist of different courses. The new curriculum’s central purpose is to provide students with a common educational experience and to explore an academic interest under multiple disciplines, according to
UB Seminar
NEW GEN ED REQUIREMENTS:
OLD GEN ED REQUIREMENTS:
UB freshmen often have trouble navigating the Stampede, academic buildings and dorms. Some find the new general education requirements to be just as confusing. For almost two decades, students studied the same eleven subjects to complete
UPD addresses safety on UB campuses
Communication Literacy I & II Mathematical & Quantitative Reasoning Scientific Literacy & Inquiry Diversity Learning Pathways UB Capstone
GRAPHIC BY PIERCE STRUDLER
ubspectrum.com
fb.com/ubspectrum
@ubspectrum
2
NEWS
Monday, October 17, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
10/8 1:51 a.m. - An RA called to report a larceny on behalf of a student in Clement Hall. The RA reported a PlayStation was missing, the room was disheveled and alcohol bottles were broken on the floor. The roommate was not on the scene and was unable to contact him. Patrol was dispatched. 3:42 a.m. - A female caller on Audubon and Flint Road reported a cab driver refused to let her and her friends go. Police found the cab and the caller inside in front of Santora’s. Patrol requested an ambulance for one of the occupants. An ambulance arrived on scene at 4:17 a.m. to transfer the occupant to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital (MFSH) on Millersport Road. Patrol reported the issue with the cab driver was over payment. The cab driver drove away.
Did you make this week’s blotter? All information according to university police
10/7 3:12 p.m. - A UB employee reported he was hit while operating a UB vehicle in the Park Hall parking lot. Patrol was dispatched and an accident information exchange was completed.
Are you up for a challenge? Give any amount to this year’s Senior Challenge and be entered to win Campus Cash—our goal is participation!
SENIOR CHALLENGE 2017 Visit buffalo.edu/giving/seniors to learn more.
4:02 p.m. - A student reported his UB ID was stolen after noticing fraudulent charges on his account. Patrol filed a report. 4:47 p.m. - A student reported his sneakers were stolen outside the Natural Sciences Complex. Patrol filed a report. 4:47 p.m. - A Richmond Resident Advisor (RA) reported marijuana in a Spaulding Room. The RA was with the individuals who were smoking when patrol arrived on scene. They were found with one gram of marijuana and a grinder. The individuals were issued Student-Wide Judiciary (SWJ) referrals.
5:57 a.m. - A female student reported an unknown male student sleeping in her dorm room at Lehman Hall. Patrol found the subject in the room. The subject switched rooms with his friend for the night. The female student’s roommate forgot to notify her roommate the male subject would be sleeping there.
10/9 6:23 p.m. - An RA requested medical assistance for a female student who was conscious, not very alert, and crying in a Spaulding bathroom, possibly due to alcohol. The student was transported to MFSH and was released with an appearance ticket.
10/11 7:37 p.m. - A student reported her tire had possibly been slashed, while parked in Governors C Lot. AAA was notified and the student drove her vehicle to AAA on Eggert Road. Patrol filed a report.
LIBERTY YELLOW
Download the Liberty Cab App from your app store!
Airport, Bus, and Train Transfers
716.877.7111
www.LibertyCab.com Campus Cash Accepted
Authentic Chinese Hot Pot & BBQ Restaurant Private Dining Rooms with Karaoke Available
Sports Bar with large LCD Screen
**present this ad for 15% off your next order! cannot be combined with other offers**
716.834.0218 3188 Sheridan Drive Amherst Mon-Thurs 11:30AM-10:00PM Fri-Sun 11:30AM-11:00PM
Little Lamb Hot Pot
3
OPINION
Monday, October 17, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Gabriela Julia
MANAGING EDITOR
UB gets a B+ for campus security The university can do more, but students must stay vigilant to prevent crime
Tori Roseman COPY EDITORS
Saqib Hossain Emma Medina Margaret Wilhelm Dan McKeon Grace Trimper NEWS EDITORS
Hannah Stein, Senior Ashley Inkumsah, Senior Sarah Crowley, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS
Kenneth Kashif Thomas, Senior Evan Grisley ARTS EDITORS
Max Kaltnitz, Senior David Tunis-Garcia, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Michael Akelson, Senior PHOTO EDITORS
Kainan Guo, Senior Angela Barca Troy Wachala, Asst. . CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Pierce Strudler Anthony Khoury, Asst.
Professional Staff
It is partially UB’s responsibility to make sure safety measures are put in place, but it is also students’ responsibility to ensure they’re making smart decisions. UB and university police can do more in terms of safety on South Campus, such as implementing more blue lights and putting more floodlights in the parking lots. South Campus and the downtown medical campus face different security issues compared to North Campus due to their locations. Both South and downtown campuses need more blue light emergency poles for those working at the university late at night. UB students, including Spectrum editors, say they feel less safe walking around South Campus or downtown at night, partially because there are more people walking around that
ADVERTISING MANAGERS
Lee Stoeckel ADVERTISING DESIGNER
Derek Hosken
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
usually at least one or two in sight anywhere on campus. The safety shuttle offered on South campus is another measure the university has taken. The shuttle goes to the Goodyear dorms, the Health Sciences Library and the Main Circle right near Main Street. This shuttle is perfect for late night studying and prevents traveling by foot late at night. Unfortunately, this shuttle and its schedule go relatively unused because it isn’t well advertised. UB is a huge, spread out campus and it is obvious there aren’t enough officers to tend to everyone’s needs as once. It is up to students to remain vigilant about their own safety and to be vocal about what makes them feel unsafe. email: eic@ubspectrum.com
How Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Hamilton’ changed Broadway forever
Helene Polley
Monday, October 17, 2016 Volume 66 Number 14 Circulation 4,000
to The Spectrum every week, most robberies happen because students are making careless mistakes. Students should be locking up their wallet while working out in Alumni Arena, lock their dorm when they leave and not leave their belongings on a library table while running to the bathroom. For the most part, UB gets it right with many of their security measures. UPD sometimes walks around the libraries to see if anything is left unattended. If no one returns to his or her possessions within a certain amount of time, UPD takes it down to the station to prevent it from being stolen. We feel that random vehicle checks to ensure everything in your car is secure are effective. The blue light emergency poles cover North campus successfully – there are
Broadway’s Founding Father
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
THE SPECTRUM
aren’t affiliated with UB. The parking lots are dark and nerve-wracking to walk through at night and safety walks are relatively ineffective, since the person who gives the safety walk then walks back to the library alone. But these security measures take time to be put in place. In the meantime, it’s up to the students to take control of their safety. Students should be mindful of the area surrounding South Campus. Winspear Avenue in particular has seen robberies and muggings. Students should be sure to walk in groups, alert someone of their location when walking and have their phones ready in case of an emergency. Students should also be just as precautious while on campus. Just by looking at the police blotter sent
MAX KALNITZ SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” is arguably the most successful musical of the decade and the most decorated Broadway musical to date. Miranda is responsible for writing and composing the award-winning musical and its soundtrack as well as “In The Heights” (2008). Part of what makes Miranda so successful is that he’s the opposite of traditional Broadway composers. Miranda jumps at the chance to engage. On social media he responds to tweets and takes pictures with theatergoers. Miranda has also been the star in both of his award-winning shows. Miranda recently hosted “Satur-
day Night Live” and gave an unforgettable opening monologue poking fun at the presidential campaign while singing his hit song “My Shot.” Through the production of “Hamilton,” Miranda has revolutionized almost every aspect of the traditional Broadway standard. For those who may not follow the musical theater scene, here are four reasons why “Hamilton” has received such a huge following and has been met with great success. Historical accuracy The musical is based off the 1804 duel between Alexander Hamilton and then vice-president candidate Aaron Burr. For Miranda, it reminded him of old-school rap battles. He was inspired to write the musical after reading a copy of “Alexander Hamilton,” a biography of the historical figure written in 2004 by Ron Chernow. Miranda met with Chernow and other historians alike to make sure every detail, from the historical accuracy to the costume design. Critical acclaim “Hamilton” was recently nominated for 16 Tony Awards, the most nominations in the award show’s
history. It took home 11 awards including Best Musical, Best Costume Design and Best Original Score. The musical’s other recent accolades include a Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama, the Kennedy Prize for Drama inspired by American History and a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. There are a limited number of tickets available for shows from May to August 2017. If you want to catch a show in the next few months you have to enter a lottery and try your luck at being one of the lucky numbers selected. Changing the standards A cast of predominately black and Latino actors join Miranda, challenging Broadway’s nickname “The Great White Way” referring to the performers’ skin color. Miranda has replaced big name American white historical figures with minority cast members. In the world of entertainment, casting is generally whitewashed and Miranda has made a statement by challenging that. He went as far as to hold a “Non-White casting call” while putting together the show. In an argument of semantics, according
to the rules of professional theater the use of the word “non” for anything is being discriminative. Miranda looked past this, by color blinding the cast he’s not submitting to Hollywood standards. He’s more focused on a person’s ability rather than the color of their skin. A new type of musical A musical with a hip-hop and R&B score has never seen the type of success “Hamilton” has drawn to the box office. Miranda, who grew up listening to a mix of rap, R&B and Broadway Classics, has created a multiethnic drama addressing the story of Alexander Hamilton and his duel with Aaron Burr. Throughout Broadway’s 40 years of chart-topping musicals, never once has a musical with a hip-hop sound track been at the top of the charts. With the cultural significance that rap music plays in our society it’s no surprise the “Hamilton” has been met with such success and continues to thrive roughly a half year after its release. email: max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @mkalnitz
Money Talk: UB’s financial aid breakdown UB’s standing when it comes to student financial aid
KENNETH KASHIF THOMAS SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
As students, we’re well aware of the debt that we can accumulate to achieve a better living standard. Thankfully, there are systems in place for shaving the price of that bill, but schools have different financial systems compared to our flagship school. As the flagship school in the SUNY system UB receives the most research funding, but we also have
the largest endowment in the system. This means that we are better able to finance low-income students to attend school than other institutions. These endowments, in part, are coupled with federal and state aid. Endowment represents money or assets that the university receives via donations. According to collegedata.com, 82.1 percent of incoming freshman received financial aid, with 55.4 percent of recipients need being fully me. In-state UB students pay $26,548 a year and out-of-state students pay $43,788 a year. With the average award being $10,051, UB provides the most aid for their students in the SUNY system. When it comes to need-based aid, students receive an average
of $5,435 in the form of a needbased gift. Although only one percent of undergrads received some type of merit-based gift, it can be attributed to our larger-than-average undergrad population when compared to other schools. UB has no competitors in the SUNY system when it comes to its endowment, which is $619.3 million, according to the school website. Comparatively, the next largest endowment is Stony Brook’s $180.7 million, according to their school website – but 8.7 percent of their students receive meritbased gifts. Endowment finances low-income students when federal aid stops which covers 56 percent of low-income students’ total cost per year.
While endowment can be used to help students, there are usually rules that apply to the use of it. Endowments are meant to be invested, but the investment income that comes from it can be spent – usually 5 percent. Although, as you can imagine, the larger the endowment is, the larger that 5 percent represents. Donors can also restrict schools to using their endowments for merit and need- based gifts and scholarships. The 5 percent spending limit schools receive could still go to students, that is if the income received covers operational costs, then the excess could be used as savings for students. email: kenneth.thomas@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @KenUBSpec
4
NEWS
Monday, October 17, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
UB students discuss racial experiences and lack of diversity on campus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Gray described this experience as frightening and intense. Carl Nightingale, chair of the Diversity or Learning Committee and Transnational Studies and American studies professor, thinks the Black Lives Matter movement has become the spark in which race relations are examined in the U.S. Nightingale said black students have a lot working against them. “The fact that African Americans have about one twentieth the wealth of white people and no matter what educational level, no matter what income level, you take a poor white person, he’s gonna have twenty times more wealth than a poor black person,” Nightingale said. Students with “black sounding names” have harder a time finding jobs than students with “white sounding names,” Nightingale said. “Personally over the summer, and especially recently this semester with the killings of the black men and women in society, it took an emotional toll on me It hurts,” Gray said. “What if one day I walk in the street and I get in a problem? I can’t really trust cops to protect me and I have to depend on myself really. Even though I come in a peaceful matter, I may still be deemed as a threat and it’s scary sometimes to think of that.” Gray said whenever he walks to campus from his apartment in Hadley Village, he looks around to make sure everything in his surroundings is OK. “It’s no secret that black students and white students get treated differently,” he said. “ I feel like with more enclosure with my own people, I feel more safe and watched over.” Reeves feels a lot of the white students on campus segregate themselves from people of color. For this reason, Reeves said most of her friends are black. Tavaine Whyte, a junior African Studies major, said he tends to encounter more racism outside of UB’s campus. “When I’m in Wegmans or Tops or something like that, I get a lot of looks because I wear all black, I’m very tall, dreadlocks, very intimidating,” Whyte said. “I get a lot of people walking very quickly away from me or trying to avoid me and it’s kind of obvious that it’s based on how I look.” Many students and faculty feel the ab-
ASHLEY INKUMSAH, THE SPECTRUM
Romulus (left) and Gray (right) both say the university can do more to enhance minority students’ experience at UB.
sence of an African American Studies department promotes segregation on campus. African American Studies is encompassed under the Transnational Studies department, which includes Global Gender Studies and other ethnic studies. “There’s always been this sense of resentment towards the Black Studies department from the country in the same sense that there’s been a resentment towards women’s studies or gender studies,” Whyte said. “The idea of learning about these groups and the way the world interacted with them denotes that there has been problems or inaccuracies in the way that these groups have been observed or interacted with this country.” Whyte said to bunch African American studies into one field of transnational studies, ultimately limits the amount of funding UB needs to give to the entire department. Lakisha Simmons, a Transnational Studies professor, also said black studies programs need more resources and funding. She said UB has lost faculty of color over the past few years and is continuing to lose more. Simmons believes the program is currently in a “dire situation.” “African and African American studies no longer has a department and I think that’s important because it reflects values of the university,” Simmons said. “Where the funding is going often reflects the university.” Whyte said UB should put more money into understanding black history. “I believe the university needs to hire diverse faculty in all departments and units,”
Simmons said. “Cluster hires on a variety of topics relating to diversity and inclusion would show that they university is truly committed to serving the students and providing more classes across campus.” The university has taken a number of steps to increase diversity. Teresa Miller, vice provost for Equity and Inclusion, said there are several programs that are meant to “retain and enhance” the experience of black students. The Cora P. Maloney College includes the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Daniel Acker Scholars Program and Student Support Services (SSS) Program and other programs, which help to recruit underrepresented minority students. The university introduced the Diversity of Learning general education requirement last year in an effort to provide students with cultural knowledge and awareness. While Whyte believes the diversity of learning general education requirement is a step in the right direction, he wonders how effective it will be for students in the long run. “A diversity of learning requirement is important but it’s also kind of vague,” he said. “As much as it in theory does a lot to quell relations or to teach at the end of the day it’s only one foot in the water. In the same way that you probably don’t remember a lot from your Psych 101 course, you probably won’t remember a whole lot from your diversity course,” Whyte said. Whyte said the new requirement is more beneficial for UB’s press and politics than it
is for engaging and teaching students. Keith Griffler, chair of the Transnational Studies department, said the media has played a big role in raising awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement. “The year I came in [to the University of Cincinnati] in 1998, the student worker in African American Studies was shot by the police on campus. The police alleged that this student had robbed an ATM but none of the evidence presented by the police held up.” This was one of at least 15 killings of blacks in Cincinnati in a five-year period, according to Griffler. “Of course it’s incontestable that all lives matter, but the point of Black Lives Matter is that black lives have not mattered and seem to continue not to matter to a nation that allows the police to shoot particularly black males at such a disproportionate rate,” said. Griffler said UB’s student body should reflect the high school graduating class in the State of New York. “We are not close to being diverse enough,” he said. “It’s a state institution. We have the mission of serving the people of the state. When we have achieved that level of diversity, we’ll be there or at least close to there.” The university is attempting to attract faculty of color by requiring training to reduce barriers around diversity and faculty searches, according to Miller. The training is focused on understanding implicit unconscious bias and how it can affect faculty searches. “One of the best practices is don’t use questions that ask people about their national origin or race or ethnicity,” Miller said. “Another best practice is you write job descriptions broadly to make sure that you attract the most qualified people that you can in the applicant pool.” The university is currently writing a “diversity and inclusion strategic plan,” Miller said, which charts out a number of strategic directions to “move the needle on diversity.” One of the initiatives of the plan is to create a Center for Inclusive Excellence at UB. She said the center will help the university deal with issues of diversity and inclusion. “Blackness is a universality that transcends regional structures,” Whyte said. “Blackness is not something you can take off or you can wear out, no matter where you are in this world, colorism will affect you.” email: ashley.inkumsah@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @AshleyInkumsah
UB students and faculty find new general education requirements confusing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
UB is one of a few major research institutions across the country leading the way in general education reform, according to a survey by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU). The old general education requirements did not provide the sense of a shared general education, according to Stott. UB allowed so many course exemptions that only 20 percent of students were completing all the required courses, according to Inside Higher Education. “Gen ed is a significant portion of your undergrad degree, it’s not something that should just be some burden or an obstacle,” Stott said. “To be an enfranchised citizen of the world you need this education.” Kruse defended UB’s decision to allow students to choose many of their general education focuses. He said it was a “waste of time” to force a biomedical major to take a government class. The new curriculum has four components: a UB Seminar, Foundations, Pathways and UB Capstone. Students are required to take a UB seminar in their first semester, which focuses on topics like “Aesthetics of Culture,” “How the Internet Works,” or “Buffalo Poetry.” The small class size allows students to engage closely with faculty, according to Stott. Stott said the small-classroom setting is important for freshmen students to not feel
lost on such a large campus. “These courses are designed around big ideas and they’re deliberately not just Chem 101 or Bio 101. This is about getting to chew over some issues with an expert until waiting [until] you’re a junior to finally work with a professor,” Stott said. The Foundations are courses of the curriculum, similar to the prior general education requirements. Students must take a sequence of communication courses, which may include courses from communication, English, or digital media and studies departments. The Foundations preserve the former math and science requirements with one mathematical and quantitative reasoning course and a lab in scientific literacy and inquiry. The new diversity requirement allows students to take classes like “Black Gender Studies” or “Sexual Subcultures in America.” To complete the Global and Thematic Pathways, students choose to study a broad topic through at least two different disciplines. Throughout the pathway courses, students compile an e-portfolio with their assignments in that class. “It’s really founded by your intellectual curiosity,” Stott said. To complete a Global Pathway, students may study abroad, study a foreign language, or take three courses in global reflections. For the Thematic Pathway, students customize their courses by choosing from one of five topics: environment, health, humani-
ty, justice and innovation. Students then take a sequence of three courses focusing on that theme. “We decided we would put classes together in pathways so students could see if different disciplines go together or indeed don’t go together, and if they don’t, what’s interesting about that?” The pathways culminate in the Capstone requirement, which is a one-credit research project students will ideally complete in their junior year, according to Stott. “[The Capstone] puts students in a really great place to be in their junior year, whether they choose to go onto graduate school or the professional world, they have this horizon to look back on what they’ve accomplished so far and where they want to go from here,” Stott said. Ian Silberzweig, a mechanical engineering major, said he found the requirements confusing and struggled with registering for the right courses. “A lot of the courses weren’t compatible with each other,” Silberzweig said. “Pretty much once I got an option, I stuck with it because I was so glad it worked.” After Silberzweig met with his academic advisor, he discovered he was taking several classes he didn’t need. Silberzweig said he doesn’t think prospective students consider a school’s general education curriculum when choosing a school. “Having just gone through the college ad-
missions process, the whole thing is in my opinion is a disgusting business, but the new UB curriculum, I do not think is going to attract any new students here,” Silberzweig said. James Holstun, an English professor, is teaching a freshmen seminar this fall, “Iraq and the American War.” “My overall impression of the new curriculum is that it is overly ornate in its set-up, confusing to students and faculty, and mistrustful of the capacity of students and faculty to sit in a class and get smarter together,” Holstun said in an email. Holstun said a simpler curriculum with more electives would have been better. “The e-portfolio remains a mystery to me and my students, but perhaps we’ll crack the code by the end of the semester,” Holstun said in an email. Stott said he hopes students contact their advisors and ask for clarification if they are confused with the requirements. “The Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and others managing the new curriculum need to learn to trust the curiosity of students and the competence of faculty more,” Holstun said. “But my seminar is going well: in the freshman seminar, as in so many of my classes at UB, I find that, when UB students read, write about and discuss books together, wonderful things happen.” email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @crowleyspectrum
5 Around the world in one lifetime NEWS
Monday, October 17, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
English and Asian studies professor both a world-traveler and world-changer JIMMY CORRA STAFF WRITER
Dr. Walter Hakala’s life experiences sound like a blend of an action-adventure novel, an espionage thriller and a coming-of-age epic. If someone asked Hakala, an assistant professor of English and Asian studies, where he grew up, they should prepare for a long story. He’s lived everywhere, from Chicago to Peshawar. He went to school in Virginia, India and Pennsylvania. He’s had experience with eight different languages and had to get used to constantly moving to different countries for his father’s job. But his father didn’t work just any job, he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). When Hakala was younger, he was told his father’s job “was stamping visas and that it was very, very boring,” he said. He had no idea his father was a part of the CIA. “But he would also go away for two weeks at a time, I remember, saying he was going to buy carpets. What he probably was doing was distributing weapons to Mujahideen who later became the Taliban.” Hakala was born in India and lived there for a couple months before returning to the United States with his family. His father, a graduate student at the University of Chicago, was doing research in India when Hakala was born. Hakala next lived in Chicago, then moved to Virginia when his father became a part of the CIA. Hakala’s family then moved back to India when he was three years old and lived there for three and a half more years. The next leg of Hakala’s journey was to Peshawar, the Afghan border in Pakistan. He lived there for two years, “just down the street from Osama Bin Laden... [and] other people who are now considered to be terrorists, but back then they were on the same side as the U.S.,” he said. He said Peshawar was the most interesting place he visited but hasn’t returned there since his childhood. After leaving Peshawar, Hakala returned to the U.S. and started experiencing life as a “self-aware being.” He spent the fourth grade in the United States, moved to Morocco for a year and a half and then returned to Virginia where he spent the remainder of his childhood. Before his adolescence, he was too young to fully absorb all that his travels had to offer him, but he still wondered about his father’s job. During his youth, he believed what his father was doing was for the greater good, but as he grew up, he started questioning what
ELAINE LIN, THE SPECTRUM
Dr. Walter Hakala, an assistant professor of English and Asian studies, sits in his office. Hakala has incorporated his childhood travels into his teachings.
his parents told him. He found out his father was in the CIA right before his family was evacuated from Morocco during the first Gulf War. That’s when he had a “political awakening.” He realized he wanted to follow a different path from his father. He attended the University of Virginia studying astronomy and physics as an undergraduate. He also took a Hindi class and an Indian history class, then later decided to major in Asian studies without ever looking back. After graduation, he spent three years in India to pursue a Master’s degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He then returned to the U.S. and received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. Hakala also calls himself a “language evangelist.” Throughout his life and course of study, Hakala has had experience with eight different languages: English, French, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Korean, Pashto and Arabic. He said familiarizing himself with multiple languages has given him the courage to travel to many more places. “If one is serious about studying a foreign culture, one can’t get by just speaking Eng-
lish,” he said. “One has to make some effort… to learn another language.” Hakala has been teaching at UB for five and a half years and is always excited when students are passionate about the subjects he teaches and “loves” when students take more than one class with him. “If they’re freshmen, I have four years to work with them and… send them places to go and learn languages, and go and travel and win scholarships so that they can be far superior to me if they decide they want to become experts [within the field],” he said. Hakala said he enjoys working with international students who speak different languages and have “vast access” to academic materials that are available only to students who speak languages other than English. Aside from his students’ accomplishments, Hakala has had many of his own. He recently published his first book, Negotiating Languages: Urdu, Hindi, and the Definition of Modern South Asia. He is currently researching the history of dictionaries in India from 1750 to present day. He looks into how children learn the languages of India over time and books that teach children these languages. At UB, Hakala is currently teaching Walk-
UPD addresses safety on UB campuses CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“If you take a look at our campus at night, it does kind of make a lot of people feel a lot safer seeing all those lights out there, knowing that they can just press a button and get immediate response if they need it,” Schoenle said. There are over 1,000 security cameras on both North and South campuses, according to Schoenle. Some students feel safer at night on North Campus than South. Danielle Maresca, a sophomore psychology major, feels safe walking alone at night on North but she feels South Campus is “sketchy.” She said the blue emergency lights make her feel safer, but she feels there could be more of them because of how “huge” the campus is. “No one really loiters the academic area [on North Campus] late at night. It’s mostly just students walking back to their dorms,” Maresca said. “I think that’s probably why South Campus isn’t that safe because it’s right near the neighborhoods.” Maresca has heard about many incidents on and around South Campus, such as the apparent air pistol assault last September and the shootings in the surrounding neighborhood, so she associates South Campus with that.
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Students pass by an emergency blue light located outside the Student Union. Many students feel mostly safe on campus but said there can be more blue emergency lights.
UB was placed on the federal government sexual assault watch list after an allegation of an on-campus sexual assault was made on May 12. However, Schoenle said this “ certainly doesn’t mean anything about [UB’s] safety,” and has no reflection on UPD. “All this means was someone made an inquiry with the department of education civil rights section and it’s being looked into. Unfortunately, the way the system works, you stay on the list,” Schoenle said.
UB is taking its active shooter drills to “the next level,” Schoenle said. The last drill took place on Aug. 14 on North Campus. The Amherst Police Department, fire and ambulance services were involved along with student actors to create “a more realistic training scenario.” This is the first active shooter drill that involved all of UPD’s stakeholders, according to Schoenle. “It’s a little bit disruptive to do [this drill] dur-
ing Dictionaries, a UB Seminar on how human beings organize information and how they’ve done it over the last 5000 years. He also teaches Romance Traditions in Asia, a course on how love stories traveled in Asia throughout time. He will be teaching courses in the spring semester called Islam and Literature, about the relationship between religion and literature, and India in the Traveler’s Eye, about the history of India through travel writing. “Hakala is a dynamic teacher and devoted mentor,” said Dr. Stacy Hubbard, an associate English professor and one of Hakala’s colleagues. “He spends long hours in his office talking one-on-one with students about career paths and travel opportunities… inspiring students to study off-the-beatenpath topics such as South East Asian pop culture and Urdu… The enthusiasm and success of his students testify to the enormous impact he’s having.” While the publication of his book is a huge accomplishment, he loves to see his students follow their passions. “The most fulfilling thing for me is having my students travel and then return and tell me about it,” Hakala said. email: news@ubspectrum.com
ing the school year so we try to avoid that. The ones we have done in the past we try to schedule during downtime, but we’re certainly going to do more drills like that,” Schoenle said. Schoenle said there will be “what to do in an active shooter situation as a student” 20minute trainings in the Student Union theater this semester. Schoenle is setting up the training dates with Student Life. Last year when a man was reported to have dropped a gun in the Student Union, UPD increased presence on campus and no suspect was found. In an emergency situation, UPD would send out an alert and the building or area would be evacuated. “We just have such a very low crime rate on our campus and we do have pretty good visibility with officers in patrol cars and bicycles,” according to Schoenle. “As far as on campus, we are experiencing almost record low crime rates, we’re happy to say.” Bike theft is the only crime rate that has gone up within the past two years, he said. On Halloween there will be more police staff working and there will be extra shifts, according to Schoenle. UPD maintains a daily log of on-campus incidents and crimes, available for the public to view. email: hannah.stein@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @HannahJStein
6
Monday, October 17, 2016
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE SPECTRUM
Yohan season approaching
Film student Johanan McDowell discusses his ambitious new project DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA ASST. ARTS EDITOR
For 11 months, Johanan McDowell was in an unmelodious hell of Kanye West’s design. From July 2015 to May 2016, the synth assault that opens West’s 2013 album Yeezus on the song “On Sight” was all that went through the film student’s head. “It was that exact noise that I heard at that time. That was all I heard,” said McDowell, a sophomore media study major. “Even when I wasn’t listening to that song that was all I heard. That little snippet, imagine that for six to eight months. Hell!” This was not a unique experience for the young filmmaker. Much like his idol West, McDowell hears his visuals before he sees them. West’s “On Sight” has influenced McDowell’s latest project “Red.” His uncertainty about himself and his future has made him who he is today. “I view visual mediums as hearing pictures. I don’t really think about what I see; I think about what I hear,” McDowell said. “This picture behind us, what I see with my eyes is people talking, but what I hear is the disgruntled sometimes conversation of these old men or the laughter going on in this side of the picture.” McDowell always had an interest in film, but first seriously considered it as a career after he was accepted into the Cinema School in the Bronx. An offshoot of the Ghetto Film School, the Cinema School is the nation’s first film high school and is a selective academy. The aspiring filmmaker is from Brooklyn and commuted two hours to the Bronx every morning to go to school. McDowell came to UB to study film and, like many students, had trouble adjusting to college life, coupled with pressure from home. “Before I came here, I felt like I needed to grow up a lot,” McDowell said. “I was pressured to grow up really fast. I was pressured to be this person that I did not want to be. I was pressured to be this mega talented creator, but like I don’t know who I am yet.” The artist’s friends and family contributed to that stress. He loved the support he got and was always encouraged to chase his ambitions. But sometimes it was too much. “It was coming from home. It was coming from people at home asking me ‘How’s college doing? How’s college doing?’” McDowell said. “I’m OK when it comes to the work. But when it comes to me [as] a person I’m not doing well. I don’t know how to operate in this new world and no one prepared me for this new world.” From the pressure came the constant cacophony of Kanye’s “On Sight.” From that cacophony came “Red.” The project tells the story of Red, a young creator who also takes the form of a giant red digital rectangle in the place of a human body. Red wants to keep creating and finding himself when he finds his inspiration –a female rectangle, Pink – stolen from him. “‘Red’ was inspired by me wanting to go back to that time when I was five years old. Like [a] little five-year-old with a little coloring book, drawing inside and outside of the lines. It’s messy, but it’s coming from the heart,” McDowell said. “Red” has the aesthetic of a particularly artsy Adult Swim series, a conscious choice on McDowell’s part.
It may appear childlike, but McDowell takes inspiration from very respectable sources. The monolithic design of Red comes from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” by Stanley Kubrick, one of McDowell’s favorite filmmakers. Kubrick uses the monolith as an agent of human evolution throughout history. Jonathan Joy, an MFA candidate and media study instructor, premiered “Red” in his class. “If his inspiration was a film from the late ’60s, he can examine what a monolith means in 2016 and whether it is physical or digital,” Joy said. “I’m enthralled with the idea of this digital object speaking about physical space, being a representation of the human body or the human race. In a way, it’s a commentary on the current social climate.” The project is still in its infancy, currently taking the form of a couple-minute teaser. McDowell is unsure when the project will be completed or what form it will take, but has high hopes for “Red.” “By the time I’m 30 or 40, the idea will be fully realized and I can pitch it to Fox or Warner Bros. and say, ‘Let’s make this.’ I think the idea 20 years down the line will still be 100 years ahead of its time,” McDowell said. He may sound arrogant, but what else would one expect from a man who cites Kanye West as his biggest influence? “If you watch his interviews, you’re like, ‘Wow you’re actually pretty smart.’ Weird as hell, but really smart,” McDowell said. “I mean, what genius isn’t weird? Even I’m really weird, like what am I doing right now? Every highly creative person is.” McDowell hopes to hone his craft on other, more commercial projects while still injecting his artistic touch. He recently worked with the Student Association to create the referendum video. “It’s a very American type video,” he said. “It really exemplifies the American dream by just the way I edited it. There are little things I did with it to make it into more of an artistic work. You’re not really supposed to do that in a commercial video and you do it and you really get away with it. And I’m showing people the video and I’m like, ‘You guys don’t even realize the most avant-garde sh*t I just did.” It’s important for McDowell to continue to produce in order to practice his craft and define himself better as an artist. McDowell is also in pre-production stages on a series with his friend Charles Carter, a senior media study major who originally approached McDowell with his idea for the project. “I’ve known him for about a year now and he’s very creatively passionate about all film in general,” Carter said. “That’s why I brought him on to the project.”
DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA, THE SPECTRUM
Johanan Mcdowell’s project “Red” is heavily influenced by Kanye West. The Brooklyn-born filmmaker is currently part of the “Lone Star” series a project with MFA candidate Charles Carter.
The series, called “Lonestars,” will center two young men living in Buffalo whose lives intertwine amid the social change going on in the city. McDowell speculates that filming will begin in next April or May as he continues to
create and meld his commercial and artistic interests. email: david.garcia@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @davidubspectrum
RANDI ZUCKERBERG Founder & CEO of the Media Consulting Firm Zuckerberg Media Former Director of Marketing at Facebook Best-Selling Author
OCT 26
UB ALUMNI ARENA
LECTURE STARTS AT 8PM
Lecture Sponsors:
FREE LECTURE TICKETS FOR UB STUDENTS 1 ticket per student while supplies last. UB ID required. SA-represented undergrads may pick up tickets in the SA Office
(350 Student Union, North Campus). GSA-represented grads may pick up tickets at the SBI Ticket Office (221 Student Union, North Campus & 350 Harriman Hall, South Campus). For ticket and lecture info, please visit: buffalo.edu/ub-speakers or facebook.com/ubdss SERIES SPONSOR
AFFILIATE SERIES SPONSORS
Graduate Student Association CONTRIBUTING SERIES SPONSORS
UB Minority Faculty & Staff Association
UB School of Engineering & Applied Sciences
UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE
CLASSIFIEDS THE SPECTRUM
AUTOMOTIVE AUTOMOTIVE
Beautiful 3-BDRM 2-BATH upper. Modern kitchen and baths. Laundry hookups, large storage area and garage included. $1399/Month. 716-400-9663. Visit us at williamsvilleapartments. com
2007 CHEVY IMPALA. ONE OWNER. 115,000 miles. New tires, excellent condition, must sell!! $6200 716-689-0263 HELP HELP WANTED WANTED
HOUSE FOR RENT HOUSE FOR
DEPENDABLE, ATTENTIONTO-DETAIL PERSON NEEDED in busy household. Must be able to follow direction and work efficiently. Hours will vary. Must like dogs. Contact me by email @ shatkinmom@gmail.com (Leslie Shatkin) Part-Time Positions Available. Lasertron Family Entertainment Center is currently hiring for general customer service. Working at a fast, detail-oriented pace and having excellent customer service skills is a must. Starting at $11/ hr, must be available nights and weekends. Stop in and complete an application at Lasertron, 5101 North Bailey Avenue, Amherst, NY.
RENT
UB NORTH CAMPUS. 4,5,6 and 8 bedroom houses for rent. Now renting for next year. www.ubstudentrentals. com 716-634-0710 SERVICESSERVICES DESIGN THINKING COACH FOR BEGINNERS exploring innovation skills. Researching careers in UX/UI, business model and value proposition design? Intro to the basics with stressfree approach. Winter session scheduling! d-coach@margaretalrutz.com CITYA1DRIVINGSCHOOL.COM Beginners & brush-up driving lessons. 5hr class $30.00 716-875-4662.
DEPENDABLE, ATTENTIONTO-DETAIL PERSON NEEDED in fast-paced shipping department. Must be able to follow directions and multi-task efficiently. Main duties will be preparing inventory, packaging of fragile product and assembling literature. May be required to sit and/or stand for hours at a time and lift objects up to 50lbs. Contact Kim through email @ kimw@shatkinfirst. com (Kim Wisemore) APARTMENT FOR FOR RENT RENT APARTMENT Amherst 2-BDRM New appliances, flooring, off-street parking & laundry. Available now! 716-863-5781/ 716-8733756 3 Bedroom apartments. Walking distance UB South Campus. Tom 716-570-4776. tombridon@aol.com
DAILY DELIGHTS sponsored by Collegiate Village Apartments
7
Monday, October 17, 2016
8
SPORTS
Monday, October 17, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Last man standing
From chopping block to captain, Braden Scales becomes UB men’s soccer’s unlikely leader BRIAN LARA STAFF WRITER
When Stu Riddle took over UB’s men’s soccer program in 2013, a mass exodus began. He wanted to create his own program with his own players and anyone who came before him had to prove their worth. Senior midfielder Braden Scales, a member of the 2012 recruiting class, tore his ACL meniscus one week after committing to UB men’s soccer team (9-3-1, 1-1), causing him to redshirt for the 2012 season. When Riddle came into the program in 2013, Scales was a candidate to be cut by Riddle. He endured the stress of nearly being cut in addition to recovering from a severe injury. “Every day was pretty nerve-wracking, because you knew he was going to make a lot of cuts,” Scales said. “You just knew that you had to perform more and work hard every day and try to impress him as much as you could.” Four years later, Scales continues to impress Riddle. He describes Scales as “the type of guy you want your daughter to marry.”
Riddle decided to keep Scales while still questioning whether Scales could be himself again after an ACL surgery. Overall, he was impressed with Scales’ character. “When I took over we evaluated all the players, from a soccer standpoint, from an attitude standpoint and from a student standpoint,” Riddle said. “So Scales was a redshirt and he’s the one who’s been fortunate enough to have played the four years since the start and he’s been absolutely fantastic.” A fifth-year senior, Scales is the Bulls’ longest tenured player, the only remaining player that wasn’t recruited by Riddle. He was also voted one of the team captains. He has improved every year and has developed into one of the most important players on the team. He has embraced his leadership role both on and off the field. He is a Lockport native and the only local who starts regularly on a team made up of kids from all over the world. Scales often helps his teammates with the transition to Buffalo. “I’m always the guy where people come and ask, ‘Where can I go eat, where can I go do this,” Scales said. “Some guys come to my house, my mom is almost like their
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Senior midfielder Braden Scales takes on a defender. He is the only fifth-year senior on UB men’s soccer team.
mother away from home.” Scales has seen a lot of overturn throughout his five years in the program. As Riddle worked to build his vision, many players have come and gone, and the team struggled early in Scales’ career. “It’s tough every year, you have teammates come and go,” Scales said. “I mean you can’t even imagine the number of guys, I don’t know many guys who can come into a team and stay for four years. It’s a lot rarer than you think.” It took Scales and his teammates time to gel. At first, Scales lacked confidence, Riddle said. “I remember the first season here we started against Binghamton. We had to get him off after about 15 minutes because he was so nervous and he was giving the ball away every time he got it,” Riddle said. Now, he leads with a relaxed calm about him and is the perfect compliment for fellow senior captain Russell Cicerone’s tem-
Gridiron report card Position breakdown of Bulls 31-21 loss
DANIEL PETRUCCELLI STAFF WRITER
The Buffalo Bulls (1-5, 0-2 Mid-American Conference) are still seeking their first conference win after losing to the Ball State Cardinals (4-3, 1-2 MAC) 31-21 Saturday at UB Stadium. Buffalo entered halftime leading 14-7, but collapsed in the second half being outscored 24-7 by the Cardinals in the final two quarters.
Running backs: BBuffalo’s running backs failed to make it to the century mark for the fourth straight game. Senior running back Jordan Johnson had his most productive game during that stretch. He had his first rush of over 20 yards since their second game against Nevada. He had a total of 76 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per carry Sophomore running back Johnathan Hawkins only managed 19 yards in the game. Both running backs had a catch in the game. They also managed to get back to the line of scrimmage every play, with no negative yardage plays in the game against a Ball State defense that blitzed constantly.
email: sports@ubspectrum.com
game. Saturday was his third game this season with 15 or more tackles. He also registered 2.5 tackles for loss. Junior linebacker Ishmael Hargrove had an interception to secure the Bull’s lead heading into half. The Bulls have allowed four rushing touchdowns in their last two games and over 340 rushing yards in four games this season. Buffalo’s linebackers have struggled against the run along with their defensive line. Both units will need to start getting more pressure on opponents.
Defensive backs: B
Quarterback: A Freshman quarterback Tyree Jackson had one of his best performances of the season. His career high 306 passing yards makes him the first freshman in program history to throw for 300 yards. He had another career high with three touchdowns and 28 completions. He could have performed better in some of the big moments, including the two failed fourth down conversions, but overall had a solid day. He had a couple incomplete long balls that were fairly accurate and completed a great 35-yard pass to senior receiver Malcolm Robinson that set up the Bull’s first touchdown. His athleticism was on display as he accumulated 64 yards on the ground.
po-pushing, full-throttle style. Scales said the pre-game routine involves a lot of Netflix, keeping his mind calm and not overthinking things. “It was really special [being named a captain],” Scales said. “I think the guys really respected that I’ve been here for so long and they took that into account. I try to be a leader by example and through hard work.” Scales, a finance major, has started applying for jobs while preparing for graduation in January. But first, he has one more thing he wants before he takes the plunge to the real world. “Definitely a MAC championship, that’s what we’ve all been working towards for four years,” Scales said. “I think what’s most important to us is getting a ring. I also do want to make the NCAA tournament.”
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Freshman quarterback Tyree Jackson rushes against Ball State. He had his best game of the season on Saturday.
Wide receivers and tight ends: A The wide receiving core looked fantastic Saturday. For the second straight week, nine different players caught a pass for the Bulls. Senior tight end Mason Schreck led the Bulls with nine catches in the game, while Robinson led in yards with 80. Three different players got into the end zone for the Bulls pass game. Robinson scored his first of the year. Freshman receiver KJ Osborn stretched out for the pylon at the end of a 39-yard catch and scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career.
Offensive line: B The offensive line looked the best it has in weeks. As a team, Buffalo had the most rushing yards in a game since their week three matchup with Nevada. They excelled at blocking against the blitz, only allowing one sack and two tackles for loss all game. The Bull’s offensive line is currently tied for second in the MAC, only having allowed six sacks so far this season. Since junior tackle Tyler O’Henly, who started the first three games at right tack-
le, went down with a concussion in practice after the Army game, the offensive line has been searching for a starting lineup. Junior guard David Goldsby has played the last two games starting at right tackle while freshman guard Tomas Jack-Kurdyla has stepped in to the starting right guard position.
Defensive line: C The Bulls defensive line has been tasked with stopping an average of over 54 rush attempts per game. In just six games this season, Buffalo has already allowed 1,712 rushing yards, an average of 285.3 rushing yards per game. Ball State sophomore running back James Gilbert had 264 yards and two touchdowns in the game. The Bulls defensive line looked good in pass rushing situations in one of their first chances of the season against a pocket passer. Senior defensive end Brandon Crawford had two quarterback hits in the game. Junior defensive end Demone Harris had a sack that forced a fumble.
Linebackers: C Sophomore linebacker Khalil Hodge is second in the MAC with 11.7 tackles per
Buffalo’s fourth ranked pass defense faced one of their first pocket-passers of the season. Even though Ball State entered the game averaging 34 pass attempts a game, they only passed 22 times on the Bulls. They have yet to face more than 25 in a single game. The secondary had tight coverage in most of the set pass situations. They finished with three pass breakups and junior safety Ryan Williamson had a diving interception in the first half. Senior cornerback Boise Ross finished with eight tackles and a pass breakup.
Special teams: C Sophomore kicker Adam Mitcheson missed his only field goal opportunity of the day from 21 yards out. He was 3-for3 on extra points. Sophomore punter Kyle DeWeen pinned four punts inside the 20. A miscommunication on a punt caused the Bulls to lose out on possible return yards.
Coaching: D Something needs to change in the Buffalo game plan. Teams continue to rush at a high volume. Buffalo’s opponents have been rushing approximately 62 percent of the time this season. Their pass defense is one strength, but they need to force teams to pass the ball more. The bright spot is that the team came out the hottest they have all season. Saturday was the first time all year the Bulls have scored two touchdowns in the first half. Although the touchdowns didn’t work out in his favor, the head coach Lance Leipold’s aggression on fourth down shows that Buffalo is willing to make risky calls to try and win games. email: sports@ubspectrum.com