UBSPECTRUM.COM
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016
A TIME OF FEAR P.3
VOLUME 66 NO. 25
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Common Council approves ‘nuisance party ban’ Heights residents can be fined or jailed for throwing parties NEWS DESK
FINDING A FOCUS UB students and faculty not on same page in Media Study department DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA ASST. ARTS EDITOR
Salvatore Natale will graduate in Spring 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in media study, but he doesn’t think his UB media classes have prepared him to get a job. Natale is one of many students The Spectrum interviewed who feel underserved by UB’s Department of Media Study. Students complain the department is under-staffed and under-preparing students who want to work in media after graduation. “We don’t leave the program with enough experience to have portfolios to show employers. I’ve been trying to film on my own,” Natale said. “The times that I can do that are during the winter or summer because I’m not in class. So over winter break I would try to rent gear but I got a hard ‘no’ from Media Study. But there aren’t students during that time who need it for classes. I’ve had to start buying my own equipment to film on my own.” Natale and other DMS students said they leave UB with little experience in practical filmmaking and with inadequate portfolios
to land entry-level jobs. He insists there are too few professors teaching practical courses and too large an emphasis on theory. The program has nine and a half tenured or tenure track professors for its 266 undergraduate students and 60 graduate students. The DMS website still lists Tony Conrad as a faculty member, although he died eight months ago. The program has three adjunct faculty members. In the spring, it will offer 13 unique practical filmmaking courses, including introductory courses and 14 theoretical classes. Marc Böhlen, a full-time professor and the department chair, insists the balance works well and says part of the problem is that some students enter the program with “an expectation inflation.” “They come to UB, a big research institution, and think that in four years you can get everything you need to know to be able to pull off the big heist,” Böhlen said. “I think that’s not only ambitious, but inappropriate.”
He added that “sometimes, particularly the undergraduate students in media study, think that with an undergraduate education you can immediately go and hire a film crew and start your production company. That’s a big leap.” Charles Carter, a senior media study major, said student want to jump right into the field after their undergraduate career because they don’t want to or can’t afford graduate school. Yale Fried transferred from UB to Emerson College because he felt he wouldn’t be taken seriously with a media study degree from UB. “Overall, I was pretty disappointed with UB’s program,” Fried said. “While UB is by no means a school of media, it still has a responsibility to its students to properly prepare them for what comes next, which I don’t feel it does. The program felt unorganized and extremely outdated.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Salvatore Natale uses equipment to work on a project. Natale will be graduating in the spring and feels the Media Study department has not prepared him for the real world.
UB Law School holds presidential election forum Faculty discuss implications of election VICTORIA HARTWELL
email: news@ubspectrum.com
UB launches EthicsPoint hotline for students, faculty and staff to report concerns SARAH CROWLEY
STAFF WRITER
Jim Gardner has “a lot of worries” and “no answers” when it comes to the presidential election. He feels this election raises concerns about the nation’s future. UB Law School faculty discussed the 2016 presidential election at a community forum on Nov. 28 in O’Brian Hall. The 90-minute forum was open to the entire university community. Roughly 75 students and faculty attended. “We’re here today to reflect as a community,” Gardner, interim dean of UB law school and SUNY Distinguished Professor said. “We’re here because of the words, the behavior, the evidence of character revealed during the campaign by the individual who will be our next president… If Hillary Clinton or Ted Cruz or Bernie Sanders or Marco Rubio had won we wouldn’t be here today.” Gardner said there has been “profound
The Buffalo Common Council approved a “nuisance party ban” on Tuesday to put “a damper on college parties” in the University Heights, according to The Buffalo News. A person holding a gathering that results in unreasonable noise and unlawful activities can be fine up to $1,500 or 15 days in jail or both for violating this ban. University Heights residents have complained to The Spectrum for years regarding house parties in the area. UB students have expressed their frustration, saying the university and police are more concerned about house parties and feel there is a lack of involvement in crime against students, such as theft and being held at gunpoint. The first weekend of the fall semester, the university was supposed to reduce the number of Stampede buses going to South Campus so that fewer students would roam the neighborhood at night. The buses still came roughly every five minutes. North District Councilman Joseph Golombek Jr. introduced ride-booking services similar to taxi services, but they cannot be offered until the state Legislature approves.
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
UB students gathered in O’Brian Hall to discuss the presidential election with Law School faculty.
democratic immaturity” that led to Donald Trump being elected. He feels Trump used “highly inflammatory language” and found Trump to be racist and sexist during his campaign.
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He said Trump never spent a single day in public office or service, has no track record as an office holder, has no fixed opinions and has made unprecedented attempts to jail his political opponents. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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UB recently partnered up with EthicsPoint hotline, a third-party platform that allows students, faculty and staff to report ethical concerns anonymously. Students, faculty and staff can access the hotline online or by phone to make an anonymous report. While a claim is being investigated, the anonymous party will be updated and communicated with about the status of the process. Some faculty members are in support of the hotline and believe it is the university’s responsibility to acknowledge the concerns of students and other faculty. Others believe the university can do more to ensure transparency. Kara Kearney-Saylor, director of Internal Audit, receives all reports. She sends these reports to either UB President Satish Tripathi or specific departments equipped to handle the nature of the investigation. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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Thursday, December 1, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
UB launches EthicsPoint hotline for students, faculty and staff to report concerns CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“There was a decision about a year ago to start looking into an ethics hotline, a number of schools have implemented something similar,” Kearney-Saylor said. “There wasn’t something I know that precipitated this, there’s really been an emphasis in the last couple years.” Kearney-Saylor said it’s important for people to know the EthicsPoint hotline is a secure, independent server and “truly” confidential. EthicsPoint is contractually prohibited from pursuing any identities, she said. Kearney-Saylor said the hotline was chosen to enable faculty to report any potential wrongdoings including academic and financial misdeeds, among others. The online hotline allows a user to create a username and password, which they may log in with to track the progress of their report. Throughout the process, Kearney-Saylor is able to communicate online with the anonymous reporter in order to gain new
information if necessary and to inform the person that their complaint is being addressed. In the event that a report implicates President Tripathi, Kearney-Saylor said she would inform the SUNY Audit Committee. If someone wishes to submit a complaint about Kearney-Saylor’s behavior, a different “back-up” individual will review the report, she said. Kearney-Saylor will bring the report to various departments to begin investigating depending on the nature of the complaint. For example, a harassment or discrimination report might be sent to the Office of Equity Diversity and Inclusion, according to Kearney-Saylor. Kearney-Saylor said faculty, staff and students have not sent any reports yet. She said the experience will be a “learning curve” and will look to improve the process as necessary in the future. “Schools are decentralized, there’s a lot of different players on campus at all times and I think, you know, that it’s important to, one, demonstrate that we care about ethics and
there’s a place for people to go and the other thing is I think that often times because we’re such a large university people don’t know who the best person to go to,” Kearney-Saylor said. While the hotline is in its early days, Kearney-Saylor said she expects they will submit “general reports to the community” on what kinds of issues are being raised and how they are resolved. “I think the establishment of an ethics hotline at UB is a great idea,” said Lorrie A. Metzger, an accounting and law professor in an email. “A hotline for reporting of unethical behavior, potential fraud, or violations to UB policies allows for individuals to feel comfortable coming forward as their identity will remain anonymous and the issue reported will remain confidential.” Metzger feels as a state institution, using taxpayer funds, the EthicsPoint hotline is part of the university’s “fiduciary responsibility.” Some faculty members have expressed concerns about the hotline. James Holstun, an English professor, said
he thinks there are better measures for ensuring transparency. Holstun said the best way for the university to show they care about ethical behavior would be funding independent newspapers and appointing an official to investigate the complaints. Martha McCluskey, a law professor and member of the SUNY Faculty Senate Ethics and Institutional Integrity Committee, said the hotline raises some concerns over which UB officials are involved and how the university addresses ethical questions in other ways, such as the hiring of deans. Kearney-Saylor said she “appreciates their frustrations” but the hotline is an additional resource for the university. She said there are a number of local, SUNY and federal hotlines available. “This is merely to provide one more outlet for students to turn to when they feel that they cannot speak up,” Kearney-Saylor said. “We hope that we will be able to more quickly respond to and address concerns.”
to happen [with Trump as our president],” Manes said. “It’s important for all of us as citizens to be active [in politics].” Manes feels citizens have the right to challenge what the president says to make sure it is fair, legal and wise for the country. Citizens also need to “respect and allow” views one may not agree with, he said. “It’s great that Donald Trump was elected but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he represents my own views,” Manes said. Law professor Rick Su, said individuals have a “substantial avenue for action” through local governments to express concerns and make change. “[Local governments are] the heart of
what we imagine our democracy to be,” Su said. Monica Wallace, law professor and New York State Assembly member-elect believes people cannot sit around and let other s express our views. “I was unhappy with the representative that we had in my community,” Wallace said. “I wanted to make a change. I wanted to make a difference.” Ezra Zubrow, professor of anthropology, expressed his concerns about Trump’s ideas to privatize education. Zubrow wants to know how one should defend themself, their salary, their health benefits and how to act in this situation.
Gardner said Trump seems to be backing away from some things he said during his campaign. “It’s not clear that Trump’s statements and promises were taken seriously by his supporters or even Trump himself,” Gardner said. Community members also expressed their concerns about the Electoral College and thought citizens need a better representation in the election. “[The electoral college] is still imperfect,” Gardner said, but he will give Trump the benefit of the doubt.
email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @crowleyspectrum
UB Law School holds presidential election forum CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“I intend to wait and see [what Trump does for our country], but not for very long,” Gardner said. Trump’s campaign involved civil rights issues regarding the First Amendment, immigration, discrimination against Muslims, national security and abortion, said Jonathan Manes, clinical professor of law and director of the Civil Liberties Clinic. Manes said Trump advocated for “torture” and targeting family members and figures that law enforcement will cooperate with him. “It’s very unclear what’s actually going
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OPINION
Thursday, December 1, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board
Ethics hotline provides safe space for students Hotline is a step in the right direction, but there are still questions
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Gabriela Julia
MANAGING EDITOR
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.
UB will be offering an ethics hotline for students, staff and faculty to anonymously issue complaints to the university. We at The Spectrum wonder what purpose the hotline will actually serve. Will the hotline act as a vent session for those looking to complain, or will action be taken? The anonymity that the hotline provides can be enticing for anyone looking to call out a specific person, such as a professor or adviser. It can create accountability for those suspicious of other students cheating, or professors cancelling class, or any other sense of foul play. It provides a safe way for these people to report issues without offending those reported or
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THE SPECTRUM Thursday, December 1, 2016 Volume 66 Number 25 Circulation 4,000 The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at 716-645-2152 The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100
ate source, be it an office or a staff member, not anonymously. Also, the hotline doesn’t work for issues that involve violence, sexual harassment or anything else of that nature. Students should still contact UPD if their safety is at risk, not this hotline. Editors at The Spectrum see the hotline as a way to report random complaints and for callers to vent about their issues with the university. This is not an issue – hotlines are supposed to provide a safe outlet for those who need it. But if the university is looking for input as to what action should be taken to improve the school and the UB experience, they should consider creating a town
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feeling concerned for their safety. It is a great idea. But there’s a chance that those who use the hotline can become too comfortable with anonymity. This creates a lack of accountability, which can lead to claims without validation. Fortunately, users can create accounts and track the progress of the issue they’ve reported, which allows users to ensure that these issues are being resolved in a timely manner. It is difficult to see how this hotline will resolve major issues – issues with accessibility, programming and even systemized policies that the university has created. Anyone who wants action taken is probably better off going directly to the appropri-
BENJAMIN BLANCHET STAFF WRITER
Last Tuesday evening, the day before Thanksgiving break – the typical “have a nice break” and “enjoy the food” exchanges occurred with friends and peers alike. I had to stop our conventional conversations to inform them I was not going home for Thanksgiving. As part of the Office of Student Engagement’s Alternative Break program, I chose to co-lead a community service trip to Cleveland, Ohio. The trip is just one of many that the program offers to students who wish to volunteer their time for the improvement of communities in Buffalo and beyond. I felt compelled to join the trip as I had been part of it the previous year. The last Alternative Break I had been on really developed my passion for service. Last year, I spent my Thanksgiving serving meals to the homeless in Cleveland, delivering meals to those who could otherwise not
A TIME OF FEAR
CARLOS LEYTE STAFF WRITER
I am afraid. I am Mexican and I feel the sneers and jeers of those, bolstered by Donald Trump’s fiery rhetoric, who don’t think I belong. I have become a target. Even at UB, I feel my freedom slipping. Strangers in the Student Union have called me “beaner” and twice, two students I’ve never met yelled at me that I would soon be deported. Angry pro-white propaganda appeared in Clemens Hall in November. Similar stickers littered the stairwells in Hochstetter Hall.
obtain them and engaging with residents of an elder care facility. Members of these communities are often forgotten about, not listened to or designated with stigmas. By doing service in these communities, I’ve come to question myself and those around who may resort to mocking these individuals. The people and places I visited have become ingrained in my mind, so I wouldn’t dare make light of their deepest concerns. Trips like these raise awareness to issues that some college students may not fully understand. The privilege that we collectively have to engage with these communities is heavy, one that is not realized until you actually find yourself on a trip like this. I felt that the lessons I learned on last year’s trip were something that had to be reinforced in me. This year, our team of UB community members visited some of the same sites that I had gone to last year. The sites included a homeless shelter for men that turns down no one and a center that looks to rehabilitate residents suffering from mental illness. At the Magnolia Clubhouse, a psychosocial center I visited on each of my trips, members suffer from mental illnesses. For a dollar a day, members can be part of the clubhouse which offers transition-
al employment opportunities and primary care services. The clubhouse is a great step toward the well-being and health of its members. In an America that treats those suffering from mental illness with disdain, the Clubhouse welcomes its members by harvesting a true sense of community. At the Men’s Shelter at 2100 Lakeside, I served dinner to more than 200 men. One of my team members stated that there is no look to homelessness; homelessness can affect anyone. I couldn’t have agreed more. Old or young, white or black – it simply doesn’t matter. Homelessness is not a selective process. Through the service trip, I have learned that some of the issues that impact Cleveland have also been harmful to the Buffalo community. The cities may be in different states but they face very similar social situations. Cleveland has the second highest rate of children in poverty in the country, according to Brie Zeltner of Cleveland.com. “Kids living in poverty are more likely to be truant, to fail standardized reading and math tests and to eventually drop out of school,” Zeltner wrote. The issue of childhood poverty is not foreign to this area, either. Fifty-four percent of Buffa-
UB may be trying to become a sanctuary campus, but right now, it feels like a battlefield. The truth is, I might only have two months left in the place I have called home since I was two months old. My visa will expire in January and I am worried it won’t be renewed under this new administration. I’m talking about this now because I am still legal. Next year, I might not be so brave. My parents came here on student visas in 1993 – two months after my birth. My father returned to Mexico in 2000, just after my parents divorced. My mother, a Spanish professor, who taught a few years at UB, stayed in Buffalo on a work visa. She became a citizen in July. I am a permanent resident, which allows me to work and study in the U.S., but does not make me a citizen. I have filed to become a citizen, but am in limbo. I know I am not the only one. There are 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. There are also 665,000 college students who registered under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA). The weird thing is that we don’t talk to each other or organize, so I don’t know any undocumented students on campus. I also don’t know how many students here are like me, who have been legal, but may soon become illegal. No one wants to talk about it. I’ve always felt American: I eat ap-
ple pie on the Fourth of July; I believe in democracy; hard work and believe in freedom of speech; I know the Constitution; I watch football. Yet, I am different from my American friends. The difference has become the size of the gulf of Mexico since the election. They are safe. They are wanted. I am not. Some have burst out laughing when I told them I was afraid of being deported. My fear was so distant from their reality that they thought I was joking. When they realized I wasn’t, they were stunned. So was I, but in a sad, lonely way. Their ignorance made me even more aware of my difference. A few of my friends have since offered to let me live in their basements or barns; I’ve thanked them and felt grateful, but having a place to stay, as an illegal would mean living in even greater fear than I am now. Every day, I wonder is this the end of the only life I’ve ever known? I am an accounting major and hope to go to law school. I don’t have a life or friends in Mexico, although my father lives there and I visit every other year. I have always imagined I would work within a justice system that operates on the pretext of fairness and equality, but I’m fairly certain I wouldn’t find that in Mexico. I speak fluent Spanish; I can cook a mean burrito, but Mexico is
hall style meeting. A town hall style meeting would create a meaningful face-to-face interaction between students and administrators in which complaints and issues could be voiced in a calm and reasonable manner. Perhaps students would form groups and elect speakers, or students would register to attend the event. Either way, it would act as a forum for students to voice their opinions about issues around campus. The ethics hotline is not a bad idea, so long as it’s capabilities are clearly outlined. If complaints are sent to their respective departments to ensure that someone is at least aware of the issue, that alone is a step in the right direction. email: eic@ubspectrum.com
lo children between birth and five years of age are in poverty, according to Jay Rey of the The Buffalo News. “Nearly 32,000 Buffalo children are poor, almost enough to sell out the downtown KeyBank Center – twice,” he wrote. It must be noted, though, that these problems are bigger than numbers. These are problems that affect the lives of so many in our communities and have the ability to stunt the progress of our youth. Impoverished children, homeless individuals or those suffering from mental illnesses are left at a severe disadvantage. Problems like the ones Cleveland or Buffalo face are no easy fix; they require efforts from students like myself to help bring awareness to them. Awareness leads to action which, conclusively, brings about a change. Ultimately, the service team was not meant to take the role of a savior on the trip. We can only work as catalysts to bring about a better community. If curriculum policies were up to me, I would require service trips to be included in the general education catalog. Taking classes in Amherst distances people from what’s going on in places like Buffalo’s East Side. This break could have been used to calm down after a hectic semester, but spending it doing service is something I will never regret. email: bcblanch@buffalo.edu
not my home. If I do have to leave, I also worry for the people I’d be leaving behind. I worry for this campus, for my female friends, minorities and members of the LGBT community. The tone of the presidential campaign and Donald Trump’s lewd behavior toward women, his classification of Mexicans as “rapists” and “murderers” and VicePresident-elect Mike Pence’s record of anti-gay sentiment have empowered many people to lash out. I am an LGBTQ supporter. I want to stay in this country, to live out my dreams, and I want to stay to fight for the people I care about and the causes I believe in. I decided to write this because I want students to know this issue is real. I want them to know that people like me exist at UB. We stand next to each other in line at Tim Horton’s and survive Accounting 201 together. We are not so different and we can make the growing gulf of difference in this country smaller if we try. I’m asking everyone to try. That means not making jokes about Mexicans or being deported. It means treating everyone decently and acknowledging struggles that aren’t your own. That’s the kind of America I believe in and want to belong to. email: carlosle@buffalo.edu
4 FINDING A FOCUS Thursday, December 1, 2016
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Emerson College is ranked No. 3 for best U.S. schools to pursue a film degree. Emerson graduates earn an average starting salary of $40,000, according to USA Today. Böhlen was unable to get statistics on UB DMS graduates’ employment status. Students insist the problem is not in their expectations, but in the program’s offerings. They say they want more courses focused on actual filmmaking and fewer courses on theory and film history. “Everything is so theory based. Any program you look at, there is theory and it is something that needs to be there,” Natale said. “But it’s so much theory that everyone is leaving the program not ready to get a job.” In Film and Media History 1, students had to write about the moment when a sour candy hits their tongue and wrote a paper on the movie “Leviathan” four times for four different classes. Another student said the class watched a number of pornographic films from the ’60s to ’80s and one student walked out of the class. Others say they watched a remake of “The Wizard of Oz,” which was a compilation of magazine cutouts with pictures of Osama Bin Laden as Dorothy. Carter agreed with Natale and said he would like to see more production classes added to the curriculum instead of theory-based classes. Of the nine and a half current faculty, only one, Sarah Elder, teaches exclusively in the department’s film program. By contrast, 47 percent of current DMS students – or 125 students – are enrolled in the film program, Elder said. “I’d like to see more progress in production and more knowledgeable teachers with experience in the field to teach these production classes so you really know what to expect post graduation,” said a student who wishes to remain anonymous because he has another semester in the department. This student said the theory classes are “pretty good” and cover material that is relatable to production. “There is hardly any chance for students to
participate on professional or semi-professional productions and while the classes allow each student to create independent projects, there is not much preparation for collaborative work or even basic production theory,” he said. Elder, an international award-winning documentary filmmaker, believes the film department is in a period of growth and deserves to be bolstered. “I would love to see us have more film classes,” Elder said. “Both historical and theoretical, interpretive and production. But then I’m prejudiced, I’m a filmmaker. Also, our undergrads really are demanding it. A lot of the humanities are losing undergrads but ours are growing. Our undergrads who are coming in who want to study film are growing. So it’s just not my bias. I see a wave of increasing undergrads so I would like to offer more to them.” Böhlen thinks the department does a good job of balancing students’ practical needs with academic rigor. “I think we’re kind of clear on where we want to go and where we want to help people get to; be critical and informed, super savvy media makers for the future,” Böhlen said. He also said he “want[s] people to have viable potentials to make a not only decent living but a good living.” Funding is an additional burden – and some students feel the DMS department does not have adequate resources to serve their needs. The media study department gets an annual $24,781 “other than personal service” allowance from the Dean’s office, according to Tooba Khilji, the assistant to the chair of the department. The allowance funds department expenses outside of paying faculty members. It covers the graduate show, the student show, printing and office maintenance. “Our copier just broke down so we have to pay that, office supplies, grad recruiting, water and shipping of recruiting materials,” Böhlen said. The main budgetary source for DMS comes from lab fees. DMS students pay $125
THE SPECTRUM
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
The equipment room for the media study department is funded exclusively by lab fees, paid for by students enrolled in production classes.
to be enrolled in each production class. This allows them to check out and use the department’s 48 video cameras, 26 microphones, audio recorders and other equipment. The department makes $70,000 to $80,000 a year from these fees, according to Carl Lee, the Technical and Facilities supervisor. The lab fees support the maintenance of the equipment and the purchase of new equipment, Lee said. He makes the purchases at his discretion with input from Böhlen and faculty who teach the classes. DMS students can check out equipment twice a week and can keep the equip-
ment for two days. Some students insist the equipment is not adequate to their needs, but most agree, the problems lie more in the impractical assignments professors give. Carter said there is equipment, but students have to rent it out quickly for an assignment. “The lack of equipment isn’t a problem,” said Naeem Rigaud, a senior media study major. “Most classes are based on theory and writing papers, the production classes aren’t practical enough for us to get more of a hands-on feel for the equipment.”
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Thursday, December 1, 2016
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TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Salvatore Natale (left) purchased thousands of dollars worth of equipment when the university’s equipment was unavailable.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
Rigaud said he feels most people in his classes feel the curriculum isn’t “practical.” Fried said the classes he took at UB weren’t challenging and were “easy A’s.” Many of the lower level production classes, like Basic Video and Basic Documentary, are taught by graduate students and students say the quality of the courses is unreliable. Natale, though, thinks the graduate students have a better understanding of the skills the students need than some of the professors. “I’ve learned more from a grad student teaching in this program than most of the professors,” he said. “Those grad students tended to come from film schools where
they had hands-on time, or they worked in the industry for a while before they came here to get their master’s degree.” Many DMS classes are mixed sessions, which means undergraduate and graduate students are in class together. These mixed class structures can create awkward situations because a student’s professor in one class may be a classmate in another. “When you mix undergrads and grads is that a problem?” Böhlen said. “Well yeah, it’s a big problem for the instructors. Why do we do that? Mostly for the numbers. The university gives us guidelines, every course has to have so many students otherwise they’re not going to run it because they want to make money obviously. And
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in some instances the only way we can get enough people for a particular course is by mixing. So this is not because there is a particular benefit to it, but because the numbers dictate it.” James Carriero, a media study 2016 graduate, speaks fondly of his time as a DMS student, but doesn’t think the program prepared him to get a job. “My chief complaint is that they don’t help you find work after. No one shows you how to take this post university,” Carriero said. “There are good professors, but I never learned how to find a budget for a project or create a reel or a portfolio page.” Carreiro is currently waiting tables and taking on freelance jobs in media production but said he had “no idea” what he should be getting paid when he got his first job. “They give you the tools, but don’t teach you how to use them in the real world,” he said. “There’s no clear track to the department. It’s too diverse.” He called a degree in media “ambiguous” and said he wished he had left UB with a more impressive portfolio. “It’s weird because it’s the kind of thing where you applied to a place where you needed a degree it’s just another check mark. Employers will say, ‘OK, you have degree now show me your portfolio.’ That’s basically all it is,” Carriero said. “It’s not just the degree, it’s what you’ve applied it to.”
Böhlen defends the department’s versatility and breadth as a strength. “We like to think of media production in the largest possible context,” he said. “So we’re not only talking about cameras and tripods and lights, but rather what this whole thing is for and to see that the media that you’re being familiar with here today might not even be here tomorrow.” For Natale, whose main focus is on cameras, tripods and lights, and who has big dreams of making films, his UB degree remains a disappointment. He has tried to teach himself what his professors didn’t and believes with luck and hard work on his own, he can pull off that “big heist.” “Hating it is not going to change anything with it,” Natale said. “And I’m trying to accept it for what it is, but I’m really unhappy with what it is.” email: david.garcia@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @davidUBspectrum
For more information, please email Priyanshi Soni at priyanshi.soni@ubspectrum.com
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Thursday, December 1, 2016
True grit
SPORTS THE SPECTRUM
Head coach John Stutzman brings toughness, winning culture to UB’s wrestling program BRIAN LARA STAFF WRITER
The only fun thing about wrestling is getting your hand raised, according to UB head wrestling coach John Stutzman. However, after Stutzman’s first match in the seventh grade, his opponent had his hand raised. After losing the match, Stutzman went home crying. His mom responded with a pointed message: “Toughen up. If you don’t like it, go be a swimmer.” He knew he had to toughen up. “Then I got my hand raised and I was like ‘Oh man this is the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life,’” Stutzman said. Stutzman became UB’s head coach in 2013 and has brought a winning culture and toughness to the program. His cauliflower ear may be his most defining characteristic. Life has always revolved around wrestling for Stutzman and he has instilled that same passion into his young UB wrestlers. “I think I’m a better person because of him,” said sophmore Brett Perry. “He always tells us to do the right thing, just to be a better person, just being tougher and to not let things bother you. The culture he’s helped create has made me a better person and a better wrestler.” Stutzman wrestled at UB in the ’90s and made it his goal to one day become Buffalo’s head coach and raise the program into a national powerhouse. “I sat here in 1995, somebody asked me what my goal was. I told them that I was going to be the next head coach for the University at Buffalo,” Stutzman said. In high school, Stutzman wrestled on a na-
tionally ranked team in New Castle, Delaware. His coach was Jack Holloway, a famous high school wrestling coach who coached his wrestlers to a record of 297-35. Stutzman was unsure whether he wanted to wrestle in high school, until he met Holloway. “I was wrestling and he came up to me and he said, ‘Hey I want you to be my guy,’” Stutzman said. “That was the first time anyone has ever said that to me. That kind of resonated with me.” Stutzman was always around greatness. His time during high school also showed how dominant he was. He went to the state tournament every year and placed. Although he lost a few times in the finals, this didn’t deter him from striving to be the best. He committed to UB, where he became the school’s all-time career wins leader with 95 wins at the time of his graduation. There was another goal Stutzman had in the back of his head: He wanted to be a Division-I wrestling coach. “That’s what my goal was. I said it and I told everyone that. They laughed at me to be quite honest with you,” Stutzman said. Stutzman’s whole life revolves around wrestling. His career path, how he carries himself and even his family. He met his wife while working wrestling camps and coached her younger brother. “My brother kept telling me ‘You got to meet my coach.’ ‘You guys are perfect for each other and I was like ‘No way, I’m gonna do that,” said Annette Stutzman, Stutzman’s wife. “And then a couple years later, we ended up just meeting unexpectedly and the rest is history.” She’s been with him on his journey to be-
Fresh faces New recruits add to the future of UB’s women’s basketball program BRIAN LARA STAFF WRITER
Felisha Legette-Jack hopes people start paying attention to what’s happening in Western New York. She isn’t just hoping to build a team, she’s hoping to build a dynasty. “I just think we can build this university’s women’s basketball team up with unbelievable athletes,” women’s basketball head coach Jack said. “We can bring that here and build that up, the fan base is going to get better, which is going to be awesome. Hopefully the nation will get to know about Western New York.” This past offseason, the Bulls (5-0) brought in a plethora of talent in pursuit of that dynasty. After capturing the first MAC title in program history last season, this new group of talent will have to find a way to fit in with a deep Bulls roster. Led by freshman forward Summer Hemphill, these new Bulls could provide immediate impact. Hemphill, a Buffalo native, played high school basketball just 15 minutes away from Alumni Arena. As a senior at Cardinal O’Hara High School she was selected to the All-WNY first team. Jack seems to have plans for Hemphill to get into the lineup a lot this season. In the Bulls’ season opener, Hemphill played almost 20 minutes off the bench for Buffalo. She held up well in her first regular season collegiate game. She finished with eight points and looked even better hitting the boards, finishing with nine. “All I want her to do is get rebounds, run the floor hard and put back layups,” Jack said. “And if we can do those things and add more to it, it would be a blessing.” Hemphill is joined in the paint by another freshman forward, Lawrencia Moten. The three-star recruit will leave her own mark on
not only Buffalo, but on her family legacy as well. Her father, Lawrence Moten, is still the all-time leading scorer in the history of Syracuse basketball. For Moten, she will need to focus the early part of her first year in Buffalo on rehabbing. Because of an injury prior to her senior campaign, she was forced to miss the entire season last year. “It’s been a long journey, blew her knee out about 14 months ago,” Jack said. “So her progression is going to be different than some of these [newcomers] because of her injury and we’re gonna navigate through that with her as well.” The progress may come slow but it could yield great rewards for the Bulls. If Moten can return to the form she displayed prior to the injury she could be a major part of the rotation for the Bulls later in the season. She has embraced the Bulls’ team mentality and is willing to defer the role she’s used to for the sake of helping the team win.
ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
John Stutzman is UB’s head wrestling coach. It has been his dream since he was a wrestler here in the 1990s
come the head coach for UB for 15 years. “This has always been the job he’s wanted, the day that I met him,” Annette said. Stutzman coached at Northern Illinois University and Bloomsburg University before he came to UB in 2013. He remembers officially being named head coach and described it as a dream. Stutzman models his coaching system after Dan Gable, arguably the greatest wrestler of all time. Gable instituted a system in Iowa based around the notion that no opposing wrestler is unbeatable. “I like that style, I think it fits well with the personality of Western New York and Midwest type kid,” Stutzman said. Stutzman is also a student of the sport. He watches the best programs in the country and follows whom they’re recruiting and what they’re doing. “I want them to feel like every time they enter the wrestling room, it’s Christmas,” Stutzman said. These past few seasons, that’s been the case. Every year, the program has gotten better and inches toward Stutzman’s ultimate
goal of becoming a nationally ranked team. Buffalo had its best season last year and they sent three wrestlers to the NCAA tournament. During matches, Stutzman is still all over his wrestlers. He makes sure they are doing whatever they need to do to win. “He’s crazy. He’s all over the place, he’s fun though, he makes it fun,” said junior Austin Weigel. “He’s really into it… you could tell he loves it.” Stutzman is not shy about his expectations. He wants to build Buffalo into a perennial top 15 program and he is not exaggerating. His wrestlers speak with the same rhetoric. Stutzman’s love for the sport has everyone around the program believing they can be as great as he says they can. “You don’t find very many people who love what they do in life,” Annette said. “For him, he’s the only person I can honestly say, he loves everything he does with wrestling.”
“My role on the team, right now, is definitely someone whose coming off the bench and trying to give energy out to my team,” Moten said. “I definitely need to rebound for my team and finish around the basket and just fill in where needed, it’s different than high school cause everyone’s a star player on their high school, so it’s like an all-star team here.” Hemphill and Moten have the potential to form a formidable duo down low for the Bulls over the next four years. The freshman class is rounded out by guard Theresa Onwuka. A long and athletic guard, she could see action at a couple different positions for Buffalo. Even in high school, her coach’s praised her hustle and Jack see’s that same hustle now. “[Onwuka] is a good kid, she’s a ferocious driver, unbelievable teammate, a hard worker, and amazing student. She’s just going to be a person who’s going to come in and if you need energy, just send her in the game and automatically the energy changes into a different notch. I just think that she’s gonna have to learn how to play through mistakes just like any freshman.” Jack knows freshmen are going to go through their share of mistakes and heartaches, something she calls a “freshman moment.” That freshman moment, she explained, is that point in the year where a freshman can no longer fly under the radar
because the other team finally has the film to study them. But she and her staff will help the freshman get over the hump and get their season back on track. Captain and senior guard JoAnna Smith also knows that she and her teammates have to take it upon themselves to get the freshmen to the level they need to be. “We have to bring them along with us, we still need another three, another five, another eight,” Smith said. “We need to get the best out of them, we have to pull it out of them. So game time it will be easy if we can make them comfortable in practice.” The final newcomer to complete the team is junior guard Cierra Dillard. Another native Western New Yorker, she chose to transfer to Buffalo after two seasons playing for the University of Massachusetts. Part of the decision was to be closer to home but a bigger part of it was to join the budding dynasty. “I love what coach Jack is doing with the program,” Dillard said. “I love her style of coaching, I think it fits my style very well, I think she’ll bring me up to my potential that I’ll play in. I think that she’s doing a great job with the team here. I just wanted to join that and help and continue the growth here at UB.” Although NCAA transfer rules will keep Dillard out of competition this season, she could be a force to be reckoned with in the MAC next year. She led the Minutemen in both scoring (15.5 points per game) and steals (2.0 steals per game). Dillard’s scoring could come as a muchneeded replacement for Smith, who is graduating following this season. Regardless of their statistical turnout, Jack just wants to know that these new players are willing to give their all to the team. “My expectation is that we leave it out there every single possession, every single game, every single time we represent the University at Buffalo,” Jack said. “We have to be able to look in the mirror and know we left it all out there, win or lose.”
email: sports@ubspectrum.com
*Daniel Petruccelli and Thomas Zafonte contributed reporting to this story. TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Head coach Felisha Leggette-Jack stands with her freshmen and transfers. She hopes they will help her win a second straight MAC Championship.
email: sports@ubspectrum.com