World-renowned artist Robert Wilson lectures at Albright-Knox
Grammy-winner cellist takes CFA stage THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950
ubspectrum.com
Steven Shapin on his upcoming book “You are what you eat”
monday, october 13, 2014
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Volume 64 No. 21
The leaves are changing and Western New York is covered in hues of orange, yello w and red. Check out Senior Photo Editor Chad Cooper’s off-the-grid experience at Letchworth State Park this past weekend. See page 4 for more photos.
InFocus: Ebola
UB students and faculty examine epidemic in discussion series
Underage students hope Surrender stays a reliable nightlife option South Campus area hosts trend of unstable 18-and-over bar scene
COURTESY OF SURRENDER
After multiple bars closed on Main Street over the past few years, UB students have had to turn to new locations to party. Surrender (pictured) replaced Mojo’s this past spring.
ASHLEY INKUMSAH
STAFF WRITER
EBOLA VIRUS PARTICLE, COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES
GISELLE LAM
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Olga Crombie, assistant director of UB Study Abroad, said she is preparing for worried phone calls from parents after recently accepting 16 UB students into a program to Tanzania. Due to the widespread news of the Ebola epidemic, Crombie understands parents may be angry or fearful of their children traveling to Africa. “Feelings are going to be even more ramped up,” Crombie said. Crombie was one of approximately 40 people to share her thoughts in UB’s latest InFocus discussion. On Oct. 10, students and faculty gathered in Capen Hall to discuss the current Ebola epidemic. The virus continues to remain prominent in American media, especially following the first case in the United States. A nurse who cared for Thomas Duncan, an American who died from Ebola Wednesday, was diagnosed with the virus, health officials said Sunday. Friday’s discussion was the ninth installment in the InFocus series, which started in the fall of 2014. Previous topics have included Miley Cyrus, Syria and smoking. Dr. Heather Lindstrom, a research assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health at UB and chief epidemiologist with the Erie County Department of Health, moderated the event. Her role was to guide participants through an active discussion on how people are responding to the current Ebola epidemic – which she
said is enormous in comparison with past outbreaks. As of Sunday, there have been about 8,000 confirmed cases of Ebola and 4,000 Ebola-related deaths in West Africa and other countries around the world, according to Lindstrom. Up until the start of the current epidemic – which the CDC cites as March 2014 – there were about 3,000 cases, showing how “the magnitude has truly changed,” she said. Kelly Kamm, adjunct instructor in the department of epidemiology and environmental health, partnered with Lindstrom in leading this discussion. She asked participants why, as a western country, the United States should care about what is going on in Africa. Robert Rondinaro, a junior biology major, said the world is globalized and international travel is available and accessible, facilitating possible infections across national borders. “If you don’t try to contain the diseases right at the initial source, you’re going to have to deal with outbreaks all over the world and that becomes exponentially harder to contain,” Rondinaro said. Lindstrom also asked participants if they felt the news cycle has been “scaring the heck out of the public” or if the media is trying to “keep things calm and collected.” Chris Bragdon, a student engagement coordinator and international student adviser at UB, said the news has been fair and consistent, but what scares the public is their imagination. SEE EBOLA, PAGE 2
Students on South Campus are used to a few things: rowdy house parties, stuffing their faces at Jim’s SteakOut – and dealing with a steady string of bar closures, whether it stems from assault charges or supplying alcohol to minors. In the last three years, four popular South Campus bars shut down. At the very least, many bars near South Campus have been unreliable and unpredictable and left the under-21 crowd with few options. But students have hope the area’s newest addition – Surrender – will stick around. The area that once boasted multiple bar options for students now has two choices: Surrender and staple The Steer. Some still long for the days it was easy to bar hop. Surrender, which opened in late February, took the place of Mojo’s – one of the four bars to close recently – and allows students at 18-plus entry, unlike The Steer. Mike Miranda, owner of Surrender, decided to turn the venue into another 18-and-over club to give students a place to hang out. “If you had a friend who was under the age of 21, they still come in and hang out and have a good time and be with friends,” he said. But lately, students have a funny relationship with the South Campus night scene – they don’t want to get too attached to any location. They don’t trust it – like Morgan Hirschorn, a junior speech and hearing major. Hirschorn misses Northside, which closed in 2013. “On any given weekend, Northside was packed with students of all different ages,” she said. “It was nice to have a place where all of the students could intermingle and have a good time, regard-
less of how old they were.” But the quick closure of 18-plus spot Molly’s Pub – which Buffalo Police had to shut down in May – left Hirschorn hesitant to trust Surrender would stay open. She thought it was going to be another bar that “was going to quickly open and shut down within months.” But after waiting a semester, Hirschorn and her friends were happily surprised with the new bar. She changed her mind about how long the new club would be open. She no longer thinks Surrender is going to be a “quick shut-down like Molly’s was.” “They scan ID’s and take entry more seriously than Molly’s did,” she said. “[Surrender] still allows underage students to come in and have a good time together, which is something we were missing for a while.” Jeffrey Basil, who owned Molly’s Pub, is now facing second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter charges. Basil allegedly shoved National Air guardsman, William Sager Jr., down a flight of stairs. Sager suffered traumatic brain injuries and died in late July. Molly’s was also charged with eight violations of the State Liquor Authority including assault, employing police officers and concealing Basil as the owner of the bar. Owner Miranda said Surrender has had a 20 percent increase in sales since Molly’s closed. “When I first heard that Molly’s closed, I was shocked,” said Xavier Perez, a sophomore Spanish major. “When you walked the streets of South Campus on a Saturday night, you would see the 21 and over crowd all buried up in The Steer, and all the other kids my age would either be heading out to a house party or they’d be lined up outside of Molly’s.” SEE NIGHT LIFE, PAGE 2