UBSPECTRUM.COM
MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
DATING AS A MILLENNIAL P.3
VOLUME 66 NO. 37
STUDENTS CREATE STORAGE COMPANY P.6
Latin American SA crowned winners at International Fiesta LASA integrates immigration and family into crowd-pleasing performance
LIFE ON THE ROAD P.8
UB students question meal plan time gaps SA Assembly proposes removal of meal plan time gaps EMA MAKAS STAFF WRITER
BENJAMIN BLANCHET ASST. ARTS EDITOR
Latin American Student Association (LASA) examined the troubles of immigration policies through a familial theme at International Fiesta on Saturday night. LASA’s performance began with a family squeezing together into a photo frame and border agents separating the family. A brick wall appeared on stage as the family split into two sides – the U.S. on one side and Latin America on the other. This year’s International Fiesta compe-
tition brought in more than 250 performers participating in eleven different pieces in the Center for the Arts. Aside from LASA’s victory, Filipino American SA won second place and Malaysian SA won third place. Five judges ranging from Campus Living to International Student Scholar and Services (ISSS) evaluated the performances based on technicality, cultural relativity and creativity. Student Association (SA) distributed one thousand undergraduate student tickets and there were tickets available for public sale. The event’s budget was roughly $20,000, according to SA International Council Co-
sively open to UB undergraduates. Roughly 3,750 were in attendance and the show cost $110,000 to produce, according to Marc Rosenblitt, SA Enterntainment Coordinator. Noah is best known for anchoring “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central after succeeding Jon Stewart in 2015. Noah is also a New York Times bestselling author of “Born a Crime.” Noah took the stage with some perfectly timed Buffalo wing jokes. He opened the show commenting on how cold Buffalo is and asked, “How does anyone live here?” Noah’s laid back, dry humor propelled into more than an hour-long show and hit all of the big social issues in the news at the moment including: race, politics and immigration. Noah took quick jabs at President Donald Trump and never failed to make the audience laugh about more serious issues like immigration. Most of the topics he discussed arguably could have been segments on his show, and it was as if the audience was treated to a live recording. Noah talked about cell phones devolving millennials - a topic that took a bit of warming up before the audience cracked a laugh. Noah argued that cell phones are affecting women the most and that once a girl gets trapped in “a vortex of selfies,” there’s nothing one can do to save her. Noah also poked fun at some of his first experiences after moving to Los Angeles from South Africa four years ago.
When students are running late for breakfast and the clock hits 10:46 a.m., it is officially too late for them to use their breakfast meal credit. On weekdays, students can use a breakfast meal swipe from 7 a.m-10:30 a.m. If a student wants to purchase a meal between 10:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m., they must use dining dollars or campus cash. Campus Dining and Shops (CDS) implements these half-hour gaps during which students cannot use a meal credit three times a day. CDS made adjustments to the meal credit schedule effective on Jan. 30 in response to the SA resolution presented on Nov. 17. SA Assembly is currently petitioning CDS to have these time gaps removed. Students feel they should be able to use their meal credits whenever they want. Freshman biomedical sciences major Sara Kolipinski said the convenience of the meal plan depends on a student’s personal schedule. “In reference to my class schedule, the meal hours do work for me during weekdays, but weekends when I don’t have class it tends to be more inconvenient. I would personally just love to be able to use my meal credits whenever. It would make things a lot more simple,” Kolipinski said. Tyler Kluepfel, a sophomore accounting major, said students tend to have hectic schedules that conflict with the meal plan hours. “It can be inconvenient and I definitely feel like I spend more money during unrestricted hours. Even when I can’t use my meal credits, I still want to buy food,” Kluepfel said. Speaker of the Assembly, Mike Brown, believes students should be able to use their meal credits whenever it is convenient for them and CDS should adhere to the student’s schedule rather than the other way around. “It’s not an ideal scenario they have given to us, that people can’t use a credit that they have already paid for,” Brown said. These gaps are “operationally necessary given the technology associated with the overall meal plan program” according to CDS executive director, Jeff Brady, in a Feb. 3 SA press release. Brady said the changes in gap times now provide more “consistency” in operations. Raymond Kohl, CDS marketing manager, said CDS strives to provide the best value and convenience for students, especially campus residents. He also said meal plans help students, especially incoming freshmen, feel more organized in terms of planning their time and meal budget.
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KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Latin American Student Association (LASA) celebrate on stage after winning this year’s International Fiesta. LASA’s performance portrayed the troubles of immigration policies through zouk, Reggaeton and Rueda.
ordinator Danny Vo. President Donald Trump audio clips and news reports played between emotionally charged Latin dances. The on-stage family eventually reunited through dance and rejoined the photo frame – a bond that couldn’t be broken by the wall. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
Trevor Noah nails politically infused performance Comedy Central host appears at UB Comedy Series
ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah headlined SA’s annual Comedy Series Saturday night. The “Daily Show” host talked about issues ranging from race, immigration and politics.
MAX KALNITZ SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
Trevor Noah had no filter while performing his material. Noah made it clear from the start of the show that he didn’t care what type of provocative slurs he used. He joked with
the crowd about how uncomfortable they seemed after he said the n-word. Noah headlined the Student Association’s annual Comedy Series in Alumni Arena Saturday night, enticing fans with colorful stories of his journey from South Africa to the U.S., as well as his opinions on current events and politics. The performance was exclu-
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Monday, March 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
MEAL STRUGGLES
question meal plan time gaps CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“We have the time gaps for organization purposes. With the meal plan the way it is, we can look over meals from each time frame and know exactly how much we need to order for next time. The time gaps help keep things efficient,” Kohl said. Brown said CDS often cites “technological issues” as a reason for not having as much flexibility with meal plan time gaps. “They blamed technology for not being able to support a change in the system, which to be honest, I think they’re being incredibly untruthful about. I have many friends who work or have worked in campus dining, and from what I’ve experienced, cashiers really can take meal credits whenever,” said Brown. In response to Brown’s statement, Kohl said he is unsure of where Brown is getting his information and believes it to be untrue. “That’s not the case, no. The technology is a solid argument. You can’t charge different meal periods at different times. Cashiers can’t do that. There’s different values with different meals,” Kohl said. Matthew Eichhorn, a sophomore computer science major and Assembly member, would prefer to use dining dollars instead of meal credits. He said if you’re late, you miss a meal, but with dining dollars there is no risk of money being wasted. “It’s just frustrating when policies limit the way we can use the money that we paid for. We should be able to use our own money in the way that’s most convenient for us,” Eichhorn said.
Brown also thinks doing away with meal credits altogether and switching to dining dollars is a good idea. “Personally, I think that just doing dining dollars [instead of meals] would be a lot better, because then you get just what you pay for. Otherwise, it’s like a monopoly, trying to get students to spend as much money as they can, and not giving them back the full value of what they spend either,” Brown said. Brown and Eichhorn think CDS is trying to take on a “parental role” for students. “That’s not their place, that is simply not their role, and that’s the same impression we’re getting with these meal times, even the meal credits system in general,” Brown said. Kohl said CDS does offer upperclassmen the option of having dining dollars instead of meal credits. CDS has tried offering the dining dollars option to underclassmen, but found students generally did not like that option. “With the dining dollars, students would blow through the money and then not have enough left for the rest of the semester, then they’d have to call home and ask parents for more money. The meal plans are essentially a more economical way for students to purchase food,” Kohl said. Brown said the Assembly will follow up with students who sign their petition by inviting them to discuss the meal plan time gaps issue and voice their concerns at an Assembly-hosted town hall after Spring break.
MEAL GAPS:
WEEKENDS-
WEEKDAYS
WEEKENDS
10:31AM - 10:44AM 4:01PM - 4:29PM 8:31PM - 8:59PM BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER LATE NIGHT BRUNCH
$4.75 $9.25 $9.25 $5.50 $9.25
BEFORE 10:30AM 4:01PM - 4:29PM 8:31PM - 8:59PM
MONDAY - FRIDAY
7:00AM - 10:30AM
MONDAY - FRIDAY
10:45AM - 4:00PM
MONDAY - SUNDAY
4:30PM - 8:30PM
MONDAY - SUNDAY
9:30PM - 3:00AM
WEEKENDS / HOLIDAYS
10:30AM - 4:00PM
FRESHMN: first-year students must have a meal plan ANY 19 PLAN
ANY 14 PLAN
$2875 per semester • • •
$2725 per semester
19 MEALS A WEEK $200 DINING DOLLARS 3 GUEST MEALS PASSES
• • •
14 MEALS A WEEK $300 DINING DOLLARS 3 GUEST MEALS PASSES
UPPERCLASSMEN: alternative meal plan options (optional) RESIDENT BLOCK 260
RESIDENT BLOCK 160
$2800 per semester • • •
RESIDENT BLOCK 100
$2025 per semester
260 MEALS PER SEMESTER $250 DINING DOLLARS 3 GUEST MEALS PASSES
• • •
160 MEALS PER SEMESTER $350 DINING DOLLARS 3 GUEST MEALS PASSES
$1600 per semester • • •
100 MEALS PER SEMESTER $450 DINING DOLLARS 3 GUEST MEALS PASSES
GRAPHIC BY PIERCE STRUDLER
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OPINION Pursuit of happiness THE SPECTRUM
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How my determination led to success
MANAGING EDITOR
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TORI ROSEMAN MANAGING EDITOR
For a student, nothing is more frustrating than thinking you’re done with homework, or a project only to figure out you messed up and need to start over. After about a semester of reporting, this is exactly what happened with my article, “Isolated: International Students not Integrated.” I had spoken with administration and students, gathered data and made graphs. I crafted something long and
well-worded that I thought expressed my message well. But when I showed it to the editors above me, they told me it wasn’t ready. There were holes in the story; we’d catch flack for lack of clarity and UB opinion. My heart was broken – I thought I was done, yet I basically had to start all over. A lot of this frustration stemmed from the fact it was other students who told me my piece wasn’t ready. How did they know better? Sure, they had a little more experience, but didn’t they understand how hard I had worked. I left school as summer break came and didn’t touch the piece. I began to slowly work at it again my junior year, getting interviews here and there. I lost passion for the piece and felt myself hitting dead end after dead end. No one would give me any sort of budget – administration was hard to meet with and I was becoming self-conscious over
Dating as a millennial The rules of hookup culture are impossible
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THE SPECTRUM Monday, March 6, 2017 Volume 66 Number 37 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
I spent much of my middle school and high school life thinking when I grow up my life would be perfect. I’d be skinny, pretty, have the perfect boyfriend and life would be just like how it is in the movies. Turns out, I wasn’t blessed with the perfect life I assumed would just fall into place. I didn’t get discovered as some amazing supermodel, nor did I find the perfect
prince who somehow fit the mold of the man I wanted to marry. In fact, I’m not even close. In my experience as a twenty-somethingyear-old millennial, dating sucks. I’ve gone out and met guys, tried dating apps and so far no one exceptional has come into my life. Even if they had, it probably wouldn’t work out anyway. These days, no college student wants the “liability” or “responsibility” of a relationship. Everyone is too busy with his or her own lives to throw caring about someone else in the mix. Most guys on Tinder usually turn out to be looking for a quickie at worst, or friend with benefits at best, and honestly I’m kind of sick of it. This isn’t to say life won’t go on without a guy in my life, but love sounds pretty nice, especially in such a stressful point of my life. Dating culture in my experience has been really strange: people are
Divide delivers Ed Sheeran’s greatest attributes come together for new album
BRENTON J. BLANCHET STAFF WRITER
Album: Divide Artist: Ed Sheeran Label: Asylum Records UK / Atlantic Records Release Date: March 3 Grade: B+ Ed Sheeran’s musical hiatus felt like centuries long to fans. The English singer and songwriter released a record in 2013, toured, then took some time off of social media. His time off certainly payed off. Sheeran’s newest release, Divide, is a well-arranged and unique collection of tracks which showcase the artist’s masterful songwriting. Divide brings together addictive acoustic rap, beautiful ballads, and culturally diverse tracks, and does so tastefully. With all sorts of diversity on this record, one simplistic track finds a way to stick out. “Dive” brings out the bluesy side of Sheeran. He sings of the fear of being lead on by the woman he’s in love with, while his strained and pas-
sionate vocal runs prove to be the song’s driving force. Sheeran perfectly ties the song together by throwing in a short and sincere guitar solo. Sincerity is a reoccurring theme in Divide, as Sheeran opens up about his personal life. “Supermarket Flowers,” arguably one of the most emotional tracks off the album, will bring any listener to tears. The song is a tribute to Ed’s grandmother, who recently passed away, and is written from the perspective of his mother. The name of the album, Divide, suits its content quite well. Ed’s heart-warming songs are matched equally with upbeat acoustic-pop songs. The album’s most humorous cut, “New Man,” is an ode to the lover of Sheeran’s ex. The songwriter mocks his ex’s new boyfriend, and includes every embarrassing attribute that he can think of. Sheeran calls the new boyfriend’s “man bag” a purse, brings up the fact that he makes gang signs during rap songs, and laughs about how he wears sunglasses indoors. Another notable acoustic-pop cut, “What Do I Know?” is the
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Monday, March 6, 2017
how long the piece was taking me to write. I promised drafts that went nowhere; my story was barely moving. I presented something at the end of the year, but I knew the story wasn’t ready. In the fall I interviewed more students and sought more vigorous help from the journalism advisor, Jody Biehl. After more interviews and research, I was ready to run the piece at the end of fall 2016. When the day came though, Jody, the editor-in-chief Gabi and I were all hesitant. Jody still felt that there were holes in the story. We didn’t have great pictures for the article and we were missing a more compelling narrative. Once again, I was extremely disappointed. It was at this point that I made a decision. I could work until the piece was ready, or in my last semester I could give up and work on something else. I decided to push forward. I set up more interviews, took photos and searched for a more compelling narrative. We set a date – the International issue – as the goal to run the piece. Last Wednesday, we ran around taking more pictures, talking to more
students and pulling together all of the writing. After reading the article about 15 times, finally, we drafted it in the paper. It was done. I can say I feel relieved, which I do, but more than anything I am excited. Now, I can finally work on something else. I have a renewed passion for journalism and writing. I cannot wait for what’s ahead. So thank you, to everyone who had patience with me. Thank you to everyone who spoke to me – even if you didn’t make it into the final article, you provided context and information that was completely necessary. Thank you to everyone who read some of the countless drafts I wrote and believed in this piece. Above everything, an enormous thank you to Jody Biehl. I would not be the writer I am today, the newspaper would not be what it is without you and I only hope to be half the journalist you are. This piece would not have come together without you. To everyone who reads my article – please, appreciate the work that went into crafting this.
“together” but “not official” or just “hooking up.” They only put in like 50 percent of the effort of a relationship so that they can get laid on a regular basis, or so they say. Technically you’re not together, but you’re still staying monogamous. If you hook up or even post a picture with someone else, it’s some kind of betrayal, even though you were never together from the start. No one wants the kind of commitment that a relationship requires and I think this is a huge step back for our generation. It’s great that we care so much about school and our personal success, but being alone will probably get old after a while. When your “non-significant other” is getting jealous because you’re showing interest in someone else to prove a point, is it really worth it? You’re risking losing someone you might just like and this is the kind of drama you were trying to avoid by not getting into a relationship in the first place. Going the extra mile to say you’re “dating” isn’t so terrible and could be rewarding. Instead of just sleeping and fighting with someone, per-
haps try going out and doing something fun together. Who knows, you might just enjoy spending time with them and even want them to be a part of your life. The risk might be worth the reward and the consequences aren’t too huge either. We go to a school with almost 30,000 other people – odds are, there’s someone in that crowd who you might just be compatible with. It may not work out, but at least you tried. Maybe the love of your life sits next to you in your biology lecture, but you don’t even bother trying to connect because you’re too busy with school work and your wild social life. Don’t use your schoolwork or your social life as an excuse or justification because this is one of the last times in our lives that we’ll be surrounded with a bunch of people roughly our age that have similar goals. We all just need to move past this hookup culture and appreciate the world around us and the great people it has to offer.
most socially-conscious track on the album. “What Do I Know?” is Ed’s way of expressing that love can solve just about anything. Sheeran is aware of the world’s misfortunes and uses this song as a catalyst to teach love. This easy going acoustic track features catchy melodic humming, as Ed sings “Love Can Change the world in a moment, but what do I know.” The album’s lead single, “Shape of You,” shows up early in the track list. The smash hit, which has caught the radio by storm, is the epitome of fun and catchy pop music with unique instrumentation. Sheeran’s album doesn’t fail to showcase diversity outside of just ballads and acoustic pop. The album contains a few genre diverse and culturally diverse tracks. “Barcelona” follows the same format of Sheeran’s other pop-like cuts, but strays away in many ways. The song features a short yet exciting saxophone feature toward the end of the track, as Ed throws in some Spanish phrases. The track is different from what has been heard from the singer in the past, but helps morph Divide in the diverse collection of music that it is. “Nancy Mulligan” is another tune which plays in with the album’s diversity. The song is a gutsy Irish track that gets listeners ready to dance with the melodic fiddle solo in the background.
email: tori.roseman@ubspectrum.com
email: lindsay.gilder@ubspectrum.com
COURTESY OF ATLANTIC RECORDS
Ed Sheeran’s most recent album Divide dropped Friday, March 3 after its single “Shape of You” attracted a lot of attention. Divide now holds the title for highest number of first-day streams for an album with 56,727,861 streams.
Sheeran showcases his family’s heritage as he speaks about the love of Mulligan and William Sheeran. The end of the track is fun and laced with clapping; something that would be matched with an Irish jig. Ed closes Divide with “Save Myself,” a song about making sacrifices. The song brings infuses strings, piano and vocals to promote selflove. Sheeran makes the song as beautifully honest as he could. Divide has shown Ed Sheeran to be a man capable of it all. He is a soulful vocalist, instrumentalist and songwriter. The album may fall flat on occasion, but overall, it’s a special and diverse mix of acoustic love songs. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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Monday, March 6, 2017
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE SPECTRUM
Trevor Noah nails politically infused performance CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
He recalled living with his friend Dave, a typical laid back Californian surfer guy. He talked about his first time trying tacos, something he never had growing up. Mike Brown, a sophomore computer science major, thought Noah’s focus on the significance of language was the best part of the show. “I laughed the hardest at the taco truck story about the napkin,” Brown said. “He showcased a lot of hilarious examples of differences in word meanings in the English language and African languages.” Brown said he also appreciated how serious Noah’s jokes were at times and liked how Noah addressed world issues such as racism and politics. “I think he had a funny yet compelling and insightful approach to those more challenging topics,” Brown said. Leo Romeo, a freshman media study major, enjoyed how current Noah’s material was. He
added that Noah did a good job at targeting his material toward a college audience. “Trevor Noah was able to connect with us on what is happening in society today,” Romeo said. “He talked about all the things that matter to college students; politics, pop culture, and race. He knew how to make us laugh and make the horrible things seem funny.” A reoccurring theme in Noah’s show was tales of growing up poor in Africa. He compared how fun his African friends’ first trip to America and Disney World was to what fun was like in South Africa. “We went to Disney world and they were having so much fun. Literally we weren’t even doing anything, we were just standing in the park and they were going crazy they just kept saying ‘oh my god this is so much fun.’” Noah focused the last portion of his show on addressing race and politics. “I never thought I’d check twitter to see how dangerous the world is that day, I don’t understand how he could be the president of anything everything he says is insane,” he
said regarding Trump’s use of Twitter. He commented on how absurd it was that Trump wants to keep certain people out of the country. He suggested that since the U.S. gets flavor from all over the world, Americans shouldn’t use any spices that come from other countries. “If you don’t like a certain race of people, don’t eat their food. How about that?! Then all you’d be stuck with is potatoes, no spices just bland potatoes,” Noah said. Noah’s ending bit was one of the most serious of the night. In his African tongue, the word nig*er means, “to give.” He said he was confused of the meaning of the word when he got to America. “As a kid, if my mother saw me arguing with my cousins over who could play with a toy, she’d point to my cousin and say ‘nig*er please.’ It’s similar to hating only black cars, don’t let it bother you, the word without action doesn’t mean anything,” Noah said. He continuously emphasized it’s the action behind the word, not the word itself.
He told the audience to do as his mother told him. “If someone calls you the n-word, give it back to them with a smile and they won’t know what to do with themselves,” Noah said. Fellow South African comedian David Kibuuka opened for Noah; he came out energetic and ready to warm the crowd up. From making jokes about having sex to the awkwardness of the fairy tale Humpty Dumpty, Kibuuka succeeded in reaching the crowd, but sometimes missed the mark on his jokes. “I felt that he was funny with some of the beginning material, but as he continued, his jokes fell flat and I could tell that some of them just made people feel uncomfortable,” Brown said. Noah and Kibuuka proved to be a dynamic duo, delivering an entertaining performance for this year’s Comedy Series. email: max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com
Latin American SA crowned winners at International Fiesta CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The crowd erupted at the performance’s conclusion with exuberant cheers before the LASA received their first place trophy. Jamersin Redfern, president of LASA and senior psychology and history major, performed in his second International Fiesta and said it felt surreal considering his organization didn’t place in the competition last year. “I believe [taking] first place shows what can be done and so much more,” Redfern said. “If we stand up and fight for what we believe in, things will work out that way. You just have to keep believing and keep working towards it.” Hours of endless practices paid off for LASA’s 30-plus performers, with practice ending at 5 a.m. on the morning of the show. On-stage, dances like a Brazilian-style zouk reflected post-election emotions. Dancers moved to reggaeton to represent a powerful, emotional release and an upbeat Cuban-style Rueda number brought circular merger to the family unit. Thais Nuñez, dance liaison for LASA and senior psychology major explained some of the choices for the performance. “Latin dances tend to be sensual in nature and we’re trying to sway away from that whole sensuality and focus on the power of what we stand for, giving that emotion, connection, and frustration and putting that in the dance,” Nuñez said. Before winning, LASA performers were told to try their best to get their message across to the audience. For many of the group’s performers, this message hit home. Jeffrey Taveras, a senior psychology major, performed with LASA for his fourth time. This year, he performed as a father who was separated from his two daughters. Taveras, who was born in the Domini-
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
UB Bhangra (top left), Saung Budaya (top right) and LASA (bottom) all competed Saturday evening in UB’s annual International Fiesta in the Center for the Arts.
can Republic and moved to the U.S. at three years old, admired how the performance encapsulates his family. Taveras thinks some people will disagree with the organization’s stance on immigration, but said there has to be a level of respect for differences. “In the media, there’s a lot of things going out there about the wall – which is obviously something separating Mexico as a country and the United States but it’s more than the wall, it’s about fear and ‘people coming in here,’” Taveras said. UB Glee opened the night with the National Anthem as multiple MCs hosted the Fiesta. The ceremony holders dazzled with humor and hype and extended their hands and frequently invited students on stage. MASA took third place for their depiction of a complicated mother and son relationship, which leaves the mother implementing
a curse upon her son. The performers took the crowd on serene trips with outfits that flashed reflective blues and smoothly executed acting, which included the mother being “tossed” to the stage. FASA’s second place performance was told from the perspective of a father talking to his son. He explained to his son the story of how he met his mother and how the community around them became a family. The organization included cultural facets like “makatod” – bird dance where performers flapped feathered wings – and “tinikling” – a dance where performers hopped between poles on the stage and on top of benches. Dhenise Angeles, president of FASA and junior intended nursing major, believes all of the late night practices were worth getting second place. “My team did such an amazing job so I couldn’t be more happy for all of us, not even us but LASA and MASA as well. I’m happy with where we [placed] and no one was expecting to win so I just told my team to have fun and we did,” Angeles said. Last year’s winners, Indian SA (ISA) did not place at the show but displayed Bollywood, garba, raas and other Indian dances. Sahiba Rupal, president and International Fiesta team captain for ISA, thought her team did a great job regardless of the result and said all of the organizations in International Council are like a family, win or lose. Other organizations like Organization of Arab Students Dabke Troupe (OAS), brought belly-dancing and Lebanese-style footwork with the message of different cultures coming together in spite of dividing factors. Sri Kivan, a senior mechanical engineering major, is studying abroad from the United Kingdom and performed as part of MASA. “It’s exciting and it feels like a dream because I saw the whole videos from UB, so I’ve seen this event before and today I’m
part of the act, so it feels really nice and exciting,” Kivan said. First timers to the event enjoyed the different cultural elements on display. Taylor Brown, a senior sociology and health and human services major ,and Kuda Kaseke, a senior accounting major from Zimbabwe, attended the event for the first time and both said they enjoyed the show. “I regret not coming before but I was really impressed by the quality of the performances. I loved the outfits and how colorful they are,” Brown said. Kaseke enjoyed LASA’s performance and said she knew as soon as they had finished that they would win. She enjoyed the overall message of their dance and how powerful it was. “The story that they’re telling is so relevant and it’s not just for LASA - it’s for everybody and it relates to all of us, especially international students,” Kaseke said. Redfern closed with a message to all performers and audience members. He said the meaning behind the dance is much more powerful than winning any award. “If you can get the message across, it relates to so many people,” Redfern said. “The fact that it can relate to so many people show support – it helps out and it shows we’re not just about the Latin community, we’re about everyone in international council and everyone that is struggling to stay in America to have a better life for themselves.” email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
5
Monday, March 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
CAMPUS
NATIONALLY
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences hires 12 new faculty members
Obama representative says Trump’s wiretap claims are ‘simply false’ Obama representative Kevin Lewis said Saturday that President Trump’s claims that former President Barack Obama wiretapped Trump Tower during the presidential election are “simply false.” “A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice,” Lewis said. “As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false.”
The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences hired 12 new faculty members over the past several months. The faculty members are teaching in five different departments with varied clinical and research backgrounds. This comes after the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) has downsized in its faculty over the years. The Department of Medicine saw the greatest increase in faculty members, with the following seven medical doctors hired as assistant professors: Awais Ahmed, Ajilan Atasoy, Bethany C. Calkins, Kenneth A. Garbarino, Jeong Min Kim, Vincent C. Lee and Rajeev Sharma. Of these seven, Calkins is the only UB alumnus who was hired. The Department of Bioinformatics hired health sciences librarian Diane G. Schwartz, whose focus is on educating biomedical scientists about evidencebased practice and career-long learning. Patrick D. Glasgow, M.D. and Sangrok Oh, D.O. joined the department of family medicine as clinical instructors. The Pathology and Anatomical Services Department hired assistant professor Yongho Bae, a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Bae studies arterial stiffness and its connection to cardiovascular disease. Steven N. Hochwald, M.D. joined the Department of Surgery. Hochwald is an attending surgeon at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Pro-Trump rallies spread out across the country President Trump tweeted last weekend that those who voted for him should organize rallies to show their support. “Maybe the millions of people who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN should have their own rally,” Trump tweeted. “It would be the biggest of them all!” His supporters responded organizing “Spirit of America” rallies across the country which, spread out in 28 different states with hundreds of protesters participating. Counter-protests arose in Minnesota and Berkeley California with some growing violent.
LOCALLY
GLOBALLY
Police discover text messages of Buffalo man who died in police custody Buffalo Police discovered a series of “I can’t breathe” text messages on Sunday from Wardel Davis, a Buffalo man who died in police custody last month, according to The Buffalo News. Davis, who was 20-years-old texted his friend for 30 minutes, stating he was having trouble breathing. The texts are now a part of the state attorney general’s separate investigation into Davis’ death. Davis was arrested for drug possession and prison contraband last month. He was supposed to be sent to jail on Wednesday morning for the charges, but never made it to court. He died on Hoyt Street after engaging in a scuffle with two Buffalo police officers, Todd C. McAlister and Nicholas J. Parisi. He tried to flee from the fight, and the officers handcuffed him Buffalo Police said Davis suffered from “medical distress” after being handcuffed.
Governor Andrew Cuomo visits Israel Governor Andrew Cuomo arrived in Israel early Sunday morning to bring a “message of solidarity” to the Israeli people. Cuomo’s visit is scheduled to include meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. Cuomo is also set to meet with Nir Barkat, mayor of Jerusalem, as well as several Israeli business leaders. He plans to visit the Western Wall and Yad Vashem, the Holocaust remembrance museum, according to The New York Time. Cuomo’s trip comes after incidents of anti-Semitic threats and vandalism occurring in New York and nationwide. “There has been a wave of anti-Semitism, and it has been very disturbing to members of the Jewish community,” Cuomo said in an interview with The New York Times. “Yeah, you could go down the block to a temple, but if you’re really sincere, you do more, you act more boldly. And the actions should be commensurate to the grievances.”
Underage drinking raid at Town of Niagara bar leads to arrest, several tows Authorities raided Cruisers Bar in the Town of Niagara on Saturday night in response to complaints of underage customers being served alcohol, loud music and property damage. The raid was conducted by the Niagara County Sheriff ’s Office along with New York State Police, Town of Niagara Police Department, New York State Liquor Authority and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Malik Waite, 20-years-old was charged with underage drinking and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Niagara court. Additionally, several cars illegally parked on both sides of 98th Street outside of the bar were towed.
Northern Ireland’s Catholic nationalist party celebrates biggest victory ever Sinn Fein, Northern Ireland’s republican Catholic nationalist party, won its largest number of legislative seats in history on Thursday, according to NPR. Sinn Fein secured 27 of 90 available seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The opposing Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) lost 10 seats, leaving them with 28. This is the first time the DUP has been without a firm majority since Ireland was partitioned in 1921. email: news@ubspectrum.com
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6
NEWS
Monday, March 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
Students solve storage dilemmas with new company
Students use new company to compete in Panasci Entrepreneurship competition LINDSAY GILDER ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
When Sam Kuruvilla was a sophomore in high school, he bought his first car with the money he earned selling chocolate. Although he’s no longer selling chocolate out of his backpack, Kuruvilla’s entrepreneurial edge continues to motivate him at UB. His latest venture: a website for storage units. In the fall of 2016, Kuruvilla, a junior financial analysis and marketing major, teamed up with Kittikawin Cheecharern, a senior communication major, to create a new company called Storbnb. The website is a platform for students to rent or lease empty space for storage. Students can earn money by renting out their space and renters can store their belongings cheaply. The team also hopes its website will foster a sense of community by allowing people to rent from their neighbors instead of traditional storage facilities. “Everything is done from a website, which is very mobile friendly, comparable to airbnb,” Kuruvilla said. “You can filter the space you need by amount of space, size, climate control and price.” The duo is competing in the Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition, where students from a variety of backgrounds can compete to maximize their potential and create viable businesses in Western NY, according to the school of management’s website. Their goal is to win the $25,000 prize to fully
MARGO BURGIO, THE SPECTRUM
Sam Kuruvilla, a junior financial analysis and marketing major, and Kittikawin Cheecharern, a senior communication major, team up for the Panasci competition helping students find better storage solutions.
incorporate their company. The company currently conducts background checks for each seller to prevent mishaps, but the team wants the added security of legal services, since stored belongings are sometimes lost or damaged. Storbnb was inspired by Kuruvilla and Cheecharern’s own experiences as international students. Both have struggled with the inconvenience of storing their belongings at storage units off-campus. “I didn’t like the high cost and distance storage units are from campus; driving back and forth to haul everything was not fun,” Kuruvilla said. Cheecharern is from Thailand and said he has struggled to find affordable storage areas in Buffalo when he goes home over the summer. “We want to keep more money in the community,” Kuruvilla said. “It helps both
the renter, since it’s cheaper and closer, and the student storing, since you’re monetizing your unused space.” Cheecharern and Kuruvilla launched their first trial for Storbnb over the 2016 winter break when three international students stored their cars in students’ garages while they were away. “We definitely want to build a community of trust and people trusting their stuff being stored with their neighbors,” Cheecharern said. Mallikarjun Siddappa, a senior industrial and systems engineering major, used Storbnb for his car over winter break. “I paid about $85 to park my car safely for a period of a month and a half,” Siddappa said. “They provided me an amazing service. As a customer, I am privileged to
vouch for them and their business.” Win or lose, Kuruvilla said Storbnb has already benefitted from the competition. The judges, entrepreneurs themselves, offer advice and feedback to the competitors in the first round. The second round judges see how the company reacts to their feedback. “I think the process of feedback is very valuable because a lot of entrepreneurs are in their own heads and have their own business ideas but the seasoned business people give a lot of constructive advice,” Cheecharern said. Kuruvilla and Cheecharern said the competition has given them more exposure to strategies for growing and marketing. “The question is can we go from here to Syracuse to Western New York to New York state, and then big schools, big 10’s, and stuff like that.” Thomas Ublrich, the assistant dean of the school of management and executive director for entrepreneurial leadership and Blackstone Launchpad, has mentored them through the process, acting as a “sounding board” for ideas. Ulbrich said he is most impressed with the team’s “ability to validate the business opportunity through interacting directly with customers.” Cheecharern and Kuruvilla take a “lean startup approach,” surveying potential users and “getting out there” to talk to students and receive feedback on their company. “I’ve served with Blackstone Launchpad as a sounding board for them to bounce ideas off of,” Ulbrich said. “I think the most important part of starting any business is to not build it on a dream, you need find customers that will actually pay for it.” The team will find out if they are going to make the final competition on March 29 and the final competition will take place on April 14 at 4 p.m. at UB’s Center for the Arts. email: features@ubspectrum.com
UB professors weigh in on Gov. Cuomo’s free tuition plan MADDY FOWLER ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Students may be able to attend any SUNY and CUNY schools with free tuition in the near future. But UB professors are questioning what “free tuition” means. On Jan. 3, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a proposal to make college tuition-free at all SUNY and CUNY institutions for families making less than $125,000 per year. Cuomo The $163 million proposal, known as the Excelsior Scholarship, is the first of its kind in the nation. If the plan is approved by the state legislature, it will be phased in over the next three years, beginning for New York state residents who make $100,000 or less per year in the fall of 2017, and then increasing to $110,000 in 2018 and eventually including families making up to $125,000 in 2019. Many UB professors are in favor of this proposal while others believe it would hurt the quality of education. The Excelsior Scholarship would be used as a supplement to existing federal and state financial aid. In order to be eligible to the scholarship, students must be enrolled in at least 15 credits per semester. The program offers some flexibility; students may reduce their course load to 12 credits if they enroll in 18 credits the following semester. This stipulation is designed to get students to graduate within four years. “The purpose for the [15 credits requirement] is to encourage a change in behavior,” said Elsa Magee, vice president of Cuomo’s Higher Education Services Corp. in a Buffalo News article. Currently, only 39 percent of SUNY students at four-year colleges graduate in four years.
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of details provided in the proposal. “I think the quoted figures of how much it is going to cost coming from the general fund are optimistic… the figure is assuming maximum federal aid to colleges and universities in the state,” Neiheisel said. “So, given the current [presidential] administration, I’m not sanguine about the prospect of all of that federal aid coming to the state.” Political science professor Harvey Palmer said he is “optimistic in a conservative way” about Cuomo’s plan. However, Palmer has concerns about how future tuition increases could affect the program. “The plan right now is only going to cover tuition at the current rate, but Governor Cuomo is also proposing a $250 increase in tuition per year over the next five years,” Palmer said students would still get free tuition, but it would be based on the current rate, so the individual schools would have to cover the additional $250.
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Political science professor James Campbell thinks while it is “great” to have the state government help with student expenses, he is concerned that Cuomo’s plan could prevent universities from raising tuition in the future. He thinks over time, the state would pay the universities less and less, and the universities would not be able to make up the loss in funding by raising tuition. “What we’ve seen in the past – not just in New York, but in other states as well – is that states are paying a smaller share of the cost of higher education and public universities have made up the difference by raising tuition,” Campbell said. He thinks if universities were unable to raise tuition, it would “debase” the quality of higher education. “They would hire fewer faculty, pay faculty less…they’d be cutting corners even more. So I don’t want to see the quality of higher education suffer any more than it has already suffered over time,” Campbell said. Campbell thinks a better solution would be for New York to adopt something similar to Georgia’s Helping Outstanding Students Educationally (HOPE) scholarship program. The HOPE scholarship is a state-funded, merit-based program that provides tuition assistance to students who achieve a high school G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher and maintain a 3.0 G.P.A. in college, according to the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Students in Georgia have the option of using their scholarship at a public Georgia state college, or using it to partially fund tuition at a private college. “This competition would keep tuition prices lower. That’s the better way to do it,” Campbell said. email: maddy.fowler@ubspectrum.com
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THE SPECTRUM
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8
SPORTS
Monday, March 6, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
Life on the road UB baseball players spend spring semester traveling JUSTIN BYSTRAK STAFF WRITER
Before the baseball team plays its first home game on Apr. 7, they will have traveled 5,859 total miles to play non-conference opponents. Due to the unforgiving winters of Buffalo, the Bulls are forced to spend much of their spring semester juggling classes and constant travel. They have already traveled to Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia in the first three weeks of this season. They typically play games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday before taking another bus ride all the way back to Buffalo. “Monday there’s no excuse, you gotta get to class,” said junior pitcher and communication major Charlie Sobieraski. “Even though it might be tough getting home at 6 a.m. and then having to get up at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. for a class.” Despite free time during bus rides, players say getting schoolwork done can be challenging. Players say wifi is often spotty and the traveling conditions make it hard to get work done. Instead, the team gets their schoolwork done in the lobby of hotels. Players try to stay ahead of schedule by going over lectures and getting work done before they hit the road. “It’s tough when you’re trying to be a full time student and you’re missing class on Thursday and Friday,” said head baseball coach Ron Torgalski. “We need to recruit guys that we know are gonna be able to handle that challenge of missing two days of classes each week and being able to stay on top of their studies.” Maintaining a healthy diet on the road is also a challenge. The bus usually stops halfway through the trip at a plaza. Chipotle and piz-
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Brian Dudek gets up to bat. UB baseball players spend much of their spring semester on the road.
za are the most popular food options. Snacks from gas stations also hold the players over. Going down south, the Bulls are facing teams that have been practicing outside almost year-round. The Murray State Racers, the second team the Bulls played this year, were able to have nine intrasquad scrimmages before their weekend series against Buffalo. UB got outside twice before their first game. The team practices inside during the start of the season at the North Amherst Recreation Center on Millersport Highway. According to senior pitcher and computer science major Alec Tuohy, there is only about 50 yards of turf to work with. Hitters practice against pitchers inside a batting cage featuring a dark setting with a
the Rundown This week in UB Athletics THOMAS ZAFONTE ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Baseball (4-5, MAC 0-0) The Bulls played in another three game road series over the weekend against the James Madison Bulldogs (7-2). On Friday the Bulls won 13-8, with junior shortstop Ben Haefner, sophomore first baseman Andrew Taft, and senior second baseman Brian Dudek all having home runs. The Bulls continued on Saturday losing 14-6 to the Bulldogs, letting up eight runs in the sixth inning. They had their second straight loss at their last game of the series on Sunday. The Bulls play their next game on the road against the Canisius Golden Griffins (8-3) on Tuesday. Men’s basketball (17-14, MAC 117) The Bulls played their final game of the regular season in Alumni Arena Friday night, beating Bowling Green (13-18, MAC 7-11) 80-68. Senior wing Blake Hamilton put up 32 points, marking his third time this season he has scored more than 30 points in a game. With the win, the Bulls have secured a bye from the first round of the MAC tournament. Their next game will be on March 9 against the winner of the Kent State (18-13, MAC 108), Central Michigan game (16-15, MAC 6-12) in the Quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament. Women’s basketball (20-9, MAC 10-8) On Saturday, the Bulls lost a highly contested game to the Kent State Golden Flashes (19-11, MAC 13-5) in their final reg-
ular season game. They lost despite a huge performance for junior forward Courtney Wilkins, who had 21 points along with 9 rebounds in the game. This is the eighth conference loss for the Bulls, after coming in to conference play with one loss. The Bulls play the Bowling Green Falcons (8-22, MAC 4-14) on Monday at 5:30 p.m. in Alumni Arena for an opening round game of the MAC tournament.
white background that blends in with the baseball. “Hitters get dominated because they can’t see,” Tuohy said. Ben Haefner, junior shortstop and exercise science student also says it is difficult to pick up the spin on the ball to identify what pitch is being thrown because hitters aren’t used to actually seeing the spin while inside. There is also the challenge of getting used to the strike zone again without being surrounded by a cage. “The velocity seems a little faster than it actually is,” Haefner said. “Guys throwing 82 miles per hour, it jumps out at you a little more.” Being able to practice inside does have its benefits, according to Torgalski. It allows
Men’s tennis (5-4, MAC 0-0) The Bulls started their weekend on Saturday beating the Bryant Bulldogs (5-8) 6-1 in matches. This marked the fourth straight wins for the Bulls, after starting the season 1-3. On Sunday, the Bulls steak came to an end, falling to the Princeton Tiger (6-6) 6-1 in matches. The Bulls next game is away on March 17 against the Binghamton Bobcats (4-7). Women’s tennis (5-3, MAC 0-0) The Bulls had a double header this weekend, defeating the Duquesne Dukes (7-4) 4-3 in matches on Friday. They hit the road and came up short to Towson (4-2) losing 4-3 on Saturday.
the team to work on small things, such as bunting off of a machine and hitting off a tee, which are practiced more indoors. In efforts to get outside as much as possible, the team has had a couple of practices on the football field. There they are able to hit, have infield and outfield practice, practice base running and have pitchers throw live against hitters off of a plastic mound. “If you feel bad for yourself, you’re not really gonna take the next step,” Sobieraski said. “But if you look at it like it’s another day to get better, then it can really help you in the long run.” If weather is permitting, the team practices at UB Stadium. There, they have infield and outfield practice, practice base running and have pitchers throw live against hitters. Getting outside is a real benefit for Tuohy, as he is first in the pitching rotation every weekend, typically starting games on Fridays. “I just do it. No one really cares how much rest you get,” Tuohy said. “You have a lot of time to think about it, so you just mentally prepare on the bus.” The long road schedule is used as a recruitment tool by Torgalski. The majority of the players that he recruits are from the northeast, so they are used to playing in cold conditions. “It’s our job to put together a schedule that is not only challenging, but is exciting for recruits,” Torgalski said. “When they see that we’re going to Houston or Oklahoma or Georgia and see some big teams on your schedule, it’s exciting.” The tough conditions don’t bother most Bulls though. The only improvement that Tuohy would make would be to allow the baseball team to fly more often, but he understands that it is an unrealistic wish. “All that comes with money,” Tuohy said. “We bring in zero dollars and spend a lot of dollars.” email: sports@ubspectrum.com
They play their next game against the St. Francis University Red Flashes (3-7) on Friday. Wrestling The wrestling team had a big weekend at MAC Championships. Sophomore heavyweight Jake Gunning won the conference individual title at 285 pounds, giving Buffalo it’s first individual title since 2011. Gunning, along with fellow sophomores Bryan Lantry (133 pounds) and Kyle Akins (125 pounds), will compete at NCAA Championships on March 16 in Saint Louis. The Bulls as a team finished sixth overall with 80.5 points. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Softball (2-13, MAC 0-0) Over the weekend, The Bulls went west to play in the Colorado State Tournament. Despite picking up their first two wins last weekend, the Bulls failed to pick up a win this weekend. They lost both their games against the Idaho State Bengals (5-8), losing 21-9 on Friday, then losing 9-4 to the Bengals on Saturday. The Bulls had a pair of games to Colorado State University Rams (8-4), losing Friday 3-0 and then losing their Saturday game 8-0 after 5 innings. On Sunday, the Bulls played the Penn State Lions (7-10) losing 14-1. The Bulls will head to Memphis to participate in the Memphis Softball Tournament on Friday. Men’s swimming and diving The Bulls competed in the MAC tournament this weekend at Southern Illinois University. The Bulls managed to take home eight gold medals over the weekend, winning 12 medals in total. At the end of the weekend the Bulls came in third as a team, with Central Michigan winning the MAC title. The Bulls next event would be the NCAA final events if any swimmer or diver qualifies.
ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
David Kadiri goes up for a dunk. It has been an eventful week for UB Athletics and many teams are seeing their season come to an end soon.