The Spectrum Vol. 68 No. 17 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

THE SPECTRUM VOL. 68 NO. 17 | OCTOBER 29, 2018

THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950

Metallica chases the lightning at the KeyBank Center

> SEE PAGE 6

The Spectrum’s exclusive interview with Joe Biden

Joe Biden speaks at UB’s 32nd Distinguished Speaker Series

Score Board:

> SEE PAGE 8

Former vice president inspires sold-out Alumni Arena crowd with speech and Q&A

HANNAH STEIN, BRENTON BLANCHET

EDITOR IN CHEF, MANAGING EDITOR

> SEE PAGE 8

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand hosts town hall event at UB Gillibrand discusses healthcare, immigration policy and NFTA rail extension during campaign stop

SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR, STAFF WRITER

Former vice president discusses bomb scares, Trump’s values before Distinguished Speaker Series event

Volleyball takes down the top: Bulls need all five sets to beat Bowling Green

UB Athletics’ game results

BENJAMIN BLANCHET, TANVEEN VOHRA

WAYNE PENALES | THE SPECTRUM Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Thursday's Distinguished Speaker Series. Biden spoke about the current political climate, the recent targeted attack and his hopes in creating a tamer political environment.

UBSPECTRUM

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) discussed immigration, the U.S. economy and climate concerns during a town hall event at UB on Friday. Gillibrand, who is running for re-election on Nov. 6, answered questions for roughly an hour at Slee Hall. Jean Wactawski-Wende, dean of the School of Public Health and Health Professions, moderated the town hall, but no attendee who asked questions identified themselves as a student. Roughly 140 people attended the event. Wactawski-Wende selected audience members to speak via a random lottery draw. Gillibrand began the event with a short ad-

dress mentioning “all the work” UB President Satish Tripathi has done at UB and the Student Association’s efforts in helping to organize the event. SA posted about the event on Facebook, but not on its Twitter, Instagram or events calendar. Gillibrand’s event seldomly centered on UB affairs, as mostly local residents asked about issues not pertaining to the university. Throughout, Gillibrand responded to a range of questions on state disability initiatives, urban transit, selective service and a Niagara Falls community youth center. One audience member asked for Gillibrand’s take on healthcare reform and discussed the concept of “Medicare for All,” a universal healthcare proposal which calls for a government-run, single-payer system. Gillibrand said healthcare costs are “spiraling out of control” and there are places where cost can be cut. “I would get the insurance industry out of the process,” Gillibrand said. “I would create a

> SEE SENATOR

GILLIBRAND | PAGE 2

HANNAH STEIN, BRENTON BLANCHET

EDITOR IN CHEF, MANAGING EDITOR

Q: In light of today’s targeted attack toward you and the other targeted attacks this past week, what is your response to this and how do you see this impacting the security of our nation? A: First of all, I got to give a lot of credit to the postal service and to the men and women who are more in danger than anybody else was. At least in my case the two bombs never got to > SEE BIDEN

INTERVIEW | PAGE 5

UB research employee dies

Joe Biden walked out to a standing ovation at Alumni Arena Thursday night, just hours after becoming a target in a list of nationwide political bomb threats. The former vice president, who started the speech by shouting out UB’s successful football team, quickly shifted the tone and addressed the pressing news of the day. He used the moment to quote his mother > SEE

JOE BIDEN SPEAKS | PAGE 5

JACK LI | THE SPECTRUM Senator Kirsten Gillibrand spoke to residents in a town hall discussion on Friday. Gillibrand answered questions about healthcare, public transit and selective service.

Community members react after Ropes course on Pittsburgh synagogue massacre edge of Campus

deemed ‘hazard’ by UB ofﬁcial

NEWS DESK

An employee found an unconscious colleague in a North Campus lab on Oct. 20 at 1:30 p.m. The unconscious employee, 32-year-old research associate Ajay Singh, was later declared dead at the Milliard Fillmore Suburban Hospital. University Police responded to the call and Getzville and Amherst medical personnel performed CPR and administered an AED to Singh for over an hour but were unable to revive him. Singh’s cause of death was unknown as of Wednesday night, but a preliminary examination pointed to asphyxiation from choking on food. Singh, an Amherst resident originally from India, was a postdoctoral research associate in UB’s Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics. His research areas included organic synthesis, nanomedicine, drug delivery, photoacoustic imaging and molecular imaging, according to the institute’s website. Singh was also published widely in top-tier scientific journals, was an editor for two respected journals and had several patent applications, according to a university statement. email: news@ubspectrum.com

DAVILA TARAKINIKINI | THE SPECTRUM Shoes hang from the ropes course located next to Sweet Home Senior High School. The course is no longer ofﬁcially used by either school WAYNE PENALES | THE SPECTRUM Buffalo community members gather at Temple Beth Tzedek for “Gathering of Hope and Healing” vigil on Sunday night.

Eleven dead, six injured following mass shooting in Pennsylvania BENJAMIN BLANCHET SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR

Eleven people are dead and six people are injured following a mass shooting at a Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Saturday. The shooting is among the deadliest at-

tacks on Jewish people in United States’ history, according to The Associated Press. Among the shooting victims are Jewish worshippers and police officers. A suspected gunman, Robert Bowers, opened fire at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. On Saturday, the Department of Justice filed 29 federal charges, including hate crimes and weapons charges, against Bowers, according to the department’s > SEE COMMUNITY

REACTS | PAGE 2

THE THE SPECTRUM SPECTRUM WILL WILL BE BE INTERVIEWING INTERVIEWING UB UB PRESIDENT PRESIDENT SATISH SATISH TRIPATHI TRIPATHI ON ON NOV. NOV. 55 WHAT WHAT QUESTIONS QUESTIONS WOULD WOULD YOU YOU LIKE LIKE FOR FOR US US TO TO ASK ASK HIM? HIM? EMAIL EMAIL US US AT AT EIC@UBSPECTRUM.COM EIC@UBSPECTRUM.COM

Sweet Home Senior High School ropes course still standing THOMAS ZAFONTE SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

If you walk five minutes past Sweet Home Senior High School into the neighboring woods, you’ll find a rope bridge hanging from tree-to-tree, sneakers hanging off the ropes and a fallen tree with belay hooks and climbing gear still attached. > SEE ROPE

COURSE | PAGE 8

NEWS

2 | Monday, October 29, 2018 FROM PAGE 1

SENATOR GILLIBRAND

not-for-profit public option, it doesn’t matter if it’s based on Medicare, Medicaid or something else.” Gillibrand talked about the “trillions” of dollars Americans spend on health care, through co-pays, premiums and deductibles. She said ideally, anyone –– employers or not –– would provide health care so both employed and unemployed Americans can still access health care. She said if you take the “power of the drug company” and the “power of the insurance company” out of the equation, Americans’ money would go directly to Medicare, which would lower the cost of healthcare and create “full transparency” for cost. Another audience member asked about Buffalo’s West Side refugee and immigrant population and resettlement agencies working to integrate them into the community. Gillibrand talked about how diversity was a strength, not a weakness, before launching into an attack of President Donald Trump’s immigration policy, which she said is “harming America” and “undermining the entire asylum process.” Gillibrand said she blames the current immigration process for diminishing the reputation of the Immigration and Customs EnFROM PAGE 1

COMMUNITY REACTS

website. Daniel Levy, a junior public health major and Jewish student, said when he first heard about Saturday’s shooting he felt like his heart was broken. “Time after time, people are persecuted for acting a certain way, whether it be following a religion, having certain political views or having a comfortable way of identifying one’s self,” Levy said. “Every year there are always situations where people are negatively effected and even killed because they act a certain way. I wish all my thoughts and prayers to the people who were affected by the massacre and hope that we never forget.” In the context of gun violence and mass shootings, Levy said he believes that gun

ubspectrum.com

forcement. She said she believes the only way to combat this would be to “dissolve and reimagine” ICE altogether. Other attendees quizzed Gillibrand on modes of para-transportation and housing for the disabled community. One attendee mentioned that with increased rents in the city, disabled people are unable to afford housing due to their low income. The attendee mentioned how peer-to-peer ridesharing companies, such as Uber and Lyft, offer limited accessibility to riders with disabilities. Gillibrand responded, saying she plans to work with local representatives to get more money for housing specifically in Buffalo. She went on to say that affordable housing is a grave problem across America and is aggravated by President Trump’s federal spending cuts on housing programs. “There’s no community in America that needs more or little housing. But, getting rid of federal grants to provide housing to seniors, the disabled or low-income workers is a real problem,” she said. Gillibrand also said she was troubled by the fact that Uber and Lyft provide limited access for disabled people. Later, a resident –– who identified himself as a father of two –– asked Gillibrand to clarify her stance on marijuana legalization. He asked whether legalization would impact drug

abuse among children. Gillibrand said while she shared his worries and would not want her children to smoke marijuana, her support of decriminalization is different. “The reason I support decriminalisation is because, unfortunately, marijuana laws are disproportionately enforced on people of color,” Gillibrand said. “It’s really egregious. In New York City, if you’re black or brown, you’re 10 times more likely to be arrested for possession than if you’re white.” Others such as Jeffery Amplement, Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority’s assistant manager of grants and government affairs, asked Gillibrand about the future of the NFTA’s Amherst rail extension. He asked Gillibrand how federal money could help the project, which would extend into North Campus. “We’re in the process of doing environmental reviews for what we refer to as the ‘locally preferred alternative’ to extend the train system forward, which will run through South Campus, through Amherst and over to North Campus,” Amplement said. Gillibrand said she’s working in Washington, D.C. to increase transit funding amidst President Trump’s efforts to defund projects. Gillibrand said she supports the rail extension and intends to work with local leaders toward

the project’s completion. “The good news is that it’s a bipartisan issue. Most elected leaders in our state truly believe in transit dollars, back transit and funding transportation because it’s an economic growth engine,” Gillibrand said. Charlie Baxter, a local resident, asked Gillibrand about the “top-tier issues” that Democrats should focus on and how to engage community members who aren’t politically active. Gillibrand said the top three issues she cares about are education, healthcare and jobs. She said the more we focus on those three values, the Democrats will have a message that resonates everywhere and meets the needs of New Yorkers. Baxter said he appreciates Gillibrand’s answer and understands her perspective. “My interest in the communication of the Democratic party as a whole stems from the fact that so many people are inactive politically,” Baxter said. “The Republican and Democratic voters combined don’t equal the number of eligible voters that don’t participate, so I was really interested in mostly her response in the means of increasing voter activity.”

laws in America should be enforced more, but not to the point where people should lose their guns. “I know many people who have guns and they shouldn’t lose their ability to have a gun because of the issues taking place [in America],” Levy said. “I do believe that this and all of the mass shootings [in America] are tragedies, but I don’t believe that violence will ... stop because of guns. However, I don’t believe that it should be this easy to obtain certain types of guns that could cause mass amounts of harm.” Members of Jewishubspectrum.com on-campus organizations, such as Hillel of Buffalo, said they are emotionally hurt and devastated by the attack this past weekend. Rabbi Sara Rich, executive director of Hillel of Buffalo, said her group’s hearts go out to the Pittsburgh Jewish communi-

ty and Buffalo community members who know anyone affected by the tragedy. “We condemn this violence and pray for a time when no one is persecuted for religious beliefs, race, ethnicity or any other differences that sometimes set people apart,” Rich said. Rich said the attack was “horrifying,” but due to similar recent shootings, it “was not shocking and that alone is tragic.” “I hope the community responds by refusing to become jaded and complacent, when it happens to Jews or to any other ubspectrum.com group,” Rich said. “We cannot become numb to violence and hatred in our society. “ Others, such as Logan Woodard –– Hillel of Buffalo’s Springboard Ezra Jewish education specialist –– echo Rich’s thoughts.

“I think it’s truly tragic and it’s very heartbreaking,” Woodard said. “I definitely think that it’s scary that this is an unfortunate reality for people.” Rich said as Hillel is a student-driven organization, she is looking to students for its next steps. “I hope Hillel can partner with other campus groups to raise awareness and work together towards justice and mutual respect,” Rich said. Hillel of Buffalo will be hosting a vigil on Monday in response to the synagogue massacre. The vigil will happen at the Hillel of Buffalo suite, 101B, in the UB Commons at 4:30 p.m. Chabad at Buffalo will also be holding a vigil on Monday at the Chabad House at 6 p.m.

email: @BenjaminUBSpec twitter: features@ubspectrum.com

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OPINION

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THE SPECTRUM Monday, October 29, 2018 Volume 68 Number 17 Circulation: 4,000

EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hannah Stein MANAGING EDITOR Brenton J. Blanchet CREATIVE DIRECTORS Phuong Vu Chase Wilcoxen, Asst. Anh Phuong Tran, Asst. COPY EDITORS Savanna Caldwell Cassi Enderle Lauryn King NEWS EDITOR Max Kalnitz, Senior Jacklyn Walters, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS Benjamin Blanchet, Senior Kirsten Dean, Asst.

ARTS EDITORS Brian Evans, Senior Samantha Vargas, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS Thomas Zafonte, Senior Nathaniel Mendelson

Bomb scare should open discussion about recognizing heroes and preventing future similar incidents body builder, male dancer and pizza delivery driver who lived in the van he plastered with pro-Trump and anti-CNN stickers. Sayok’s social media presence – which included direct threats to politicians on Twitter – and fingerprints on the packages, led to his arrest. But even before that, U.S Postal Service workers and Secret Service employees had flagged the packages as suspicious. We are disgusted by the actions of the perpetrator and proud of how our nation’s law enforcement came together to solve this emergency. We’re also asking deep questions about the role the media played. The New York Times and The Washington Post quickly jumped on the story, and in the days leading up to Sayok’s arrest, raised questions about the identity of the perpetrator and a potential motive. When officials took Sayok into custody on Friday, his name and history became the focal point of the story.

This is normal when someone commits a crime of this magnitude. And these are facts that, as a society, we want to know. We want to know his name. We want to know why he committed the crime. But there’s another angle most publications overlooked. Few publications focused on the dozens of people who helped track down and intercept the packages before they caused harm. We haven’t learned a single name of any of the postal workers who helped flag the packages. When we dwell predominantly on the cause of attacks or possible attacks, we give a greater voice to the perpetrator and too little recognition to the heroes behind the headlines. Sayok didn’t injure a single person and yet we in the media are not writing about efficiency, we are focusing on the bomber’s history. Although the bomber’s history is of interest to many, the everyday hard work that prevented this trag-

edy is glossed over. This isn’t the case in every story. In 2009, US Airways pilot Chesley Sullenberger showed courage and heroic skill when he landed his plane safely in the Hudson River after a bird took out both engines. All 155 passengers on that plane survived and Sullenberger became a hero and the subject of a Hollywood film. Readers aren’t as focused on the specifics of the plane’s malfunctions, but want to know how the hero saved the day. James Shaw, a Nashville father, risked his life to strip a gunman of his weapon in a Waffle House last year, and he was the story – more so than the man who killed four. The heroes in this week’s story stayed in the background. But that doesn’t mean reporters shouldn’t tell their stories. This is what our country needs to hear. It’s part of our job.

Men’s basketball debut was excellent, means little in big picture

it came there to do; get trampled by the Bulls. It happened, but who wasn’t expecting it? We should be happy that despite a low shooting performance from three of 24 percent, the Bulls still looked unbeatable on offense and defense. Just remember, anything else should be considered a red flag. Head coach Nate Oats commented on the poor shooting but praised everything else about Buffalo’s performance. It’s due praise too, with the Bulls showing a variety of skills on both ends of the court. Freshman guard Ronaldo Segu had one of the best Bulls debuts in recent memory. In Segu’s first game with the team, he led in scoring and passing with 14 points and 7 assists. ‘Rondo’s’ ball control and shooting were on full display as Daemen looked helpless to the double-threat.

He led in minutes and distributed the ball well with whatever unit he was on the floor with. Segu shot 6-of-11 and 40 percent from three-point range, looking comfortable with his jump shot already. It will be something to keep an eye on as Buffalo’s quality of opponents increases. If there was one unexpected positive takeaway for Buffalo, it’s that Segu is already looking ready to play at the Division I level, all this while he didn’t even start. It made the Bulls look like a deep team at home with a sixplayer unit that could all have big games. Harris, Graves, Massinburg, Perkins, Segu and Caruthers present a dangerous attacking unit, one that could be one of the NCAA’s best if its three shooting comes together. That unit could only get deeper with senior forward Montell

chase a dress this time. I had never tried on a wedding dress, never walked in a bridal salon and didn’t have my planned entourage with me. All I knew was that I couldn’t ignore this good of a sale. We got to the salon, I was set up with a stylist and then started picking out what to try on. I bought the third dress I tried on. I loved it from the second I put it on, but it wasn’t a style I was expecting to like, so I tried on three more after it just to be sure. When I couldn’t stop comparing the other dresses to the third one, I tried it on again at the end. My stylist put a veil on me and turned me around to take a second look. As soon as I looked at myself in the mirror, I immediately started crying and knew that this dress was the one. I wasn’t expecting to have that dramatic of a reaction to seeing myself in a dress, but I am glad I did because it made the decision so easy to make. I didn’t have to overthink the purchase or wonder what other, potentially better dresses were out there. My dress made me cry happy tears, so it can’t be beat. I won’t disclose what the dress looks like, just in case my fiancé decides to pick up this article. I want my dress to be a complete surprise when he sees me in it next summer. I tried on a total of six dresses that day, all different styles to make sure I knew all of the options available to me. They were all beautiful, but only one made me cry. That third dress was unbeatable – the deal was un-

beatable, too. Since the dress was a floor sample, I was even able to walk out with it that day. No ordering and waiting for it to be shipped to me. I spent around an hour and a half in the salon, from the time I walked in to the time I walked out with my dress in hand. I’ve spent more time shopping in regular clothing stores in malls. I admit that I am very picky when it comes to clothes. It took me months to find my prom dress, so I thought the perfect wedding dress, which is a much bigger deal than prom, would be impossible to find. I was worried that there wouldn’t be a dress out there that wowed me or I wouldn’t know a dress was the one when I found it. Whether it was luck or fate or a mixture of both, I found my dream wedding dress and the decision was so clear. It was my first time going shopping for it, the third dress I ever tried on and the purchase was half off. To say the least, it was easy. What I thought would take months took half of an afternoon, and in the whirlwind of things required for wedding planning, I am thankful a decision was quick and easy. While I do sometimes wish I didn’t find my dress so quickly, so that I could keep having fun trying on different dresses and bring along my bridesmaids, I wouldn’t change a thing about my experience.

EDITORIAL BOARD

It’s been a frightening week in national news. A Florida resident sent at least 13 pipe bombs to 12 targets, including James Clapper at CNN, former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden and billionaire political donor George Soros. For three days our nation was terrorized and fearful. We had no idea who was sending these bombs. But it all ended Friday, when one man was arrested and charged. No one got hurt. Some attribute his capture to luck. The bomber slipped up, made his intentions clear on social media and none of his bombs worked. But seeing this as luck means overlooking the heroic efforts behind the scenes. Within three days, the FBI, the U.S. Postal Service, terrorism experts and the Secret Service collaborated and pinpointed the suspect, 56-year-old Cesar Sayok, a one-time

MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Shubh Jain, Senior Jack Li Pranav Kadam, Asst.

CARTOONISTS Ardi Digap Taj Taylor

PROFESSIONAL STAFF OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER Ayesha Kazi GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGERS JuYung Hong

ABOUT THE SPECTRUM The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Opinion section 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.

THOMAS ZAFONTE SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

A 97-50 basketball win is always a reason for celebration for UB sports fans. Buffalo looked great against Daemen Friday night in what would be the Bulls’ season debut at Alumni Arena.

Wedding dress shopping was surprisingly easy

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The Bulls even scored 55 in the second half alone and six players had double-digit scoring games. All the returning names looked in top form with senior forward Jeremy Harris pushing a doubledouble with 11 points and 9 rebounds and senior forward Nick Perkins having 11 points and 8 rebounds. Senior guard Dontay Caruthers looked unblockable, marching through the paint shooting 5-of-6 with 10 points. Senior guard CJ Massinburg did it all on the court with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. That’s not even including the strong performances from the freshmen and sophomore guard Jayvon Graves. There is just one asterisk to all this; the Daemen Wildcats. Division II Daemen knew what

Saying ‘Yes to the Dress’

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Monday, October 29, 2018 | 3

KIRSTEN DEAN ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR

Yes, I recently bought my wedding dress. No, I did not make the trek to Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City to be on TLC’s hit show – even though I have watched “Say Yes to the Dress” religiously for as long as I can remember. Although I was not on camera, I did say “yes to the dress,” and in those words exactly. I had a great experience and found the perfect dress by just staying in Buffalo. If you read my last column about getting engaged, you would remember that planning for a wedding on top of work and classes is stressful to say the least. Though I have made a lot of progress in my planning, there is

still a long way for me to go. Luckily, buying a wedding dress, something I thought would be very difficult, was the easiest step in my journey so far. After looking at all the recommended wedding timelines the internet and bridal magazines were giving me, I knew that I had to get going on a dress. Typically, shopping is easy, but dress shopping requires a ton of planning. You have to try them on, order one, wait for shipping, get alterations done, attend numerous fittings and only then, are you prepared to actually wear the dress on your big day. With all of that ahead of me, I had to get cracking. I was starting to research bridal salons and was about to start booking appointments that worked for my bridal party’s schedules. Last minute, I heard about a sale going on later that week at a bridal salon in Williamsville. They were moving locations and had all of their older styles (a.k.a. not from this current season) on sale for 50 percent off. This type of sale on designer gowns is unheard of, so I knew I had to at least go and check it out. Since it was a sale and I found out about it late, I couldn’t bring as large of a party along with me and it wouldn’t have worked with my bridesmaids’ schedules anyway. I brought just my mom with me and she was all the input I needed. I really wasn’t expecting to pur-

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> SEE BASKETBALL | PAGE 6

email:kirsten.dean@ubspectrum.com twitter: @KirstenUBSpec

FEATURES

4 | Monday, October 29, 2018

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JOE BIDEN SPEAKS

in one of his many personal anecdotes of the night. “Folks, we don’t have all the facts yet and we don’t know who’s behind this and why they’re doing it,” Biden said. “But as my mother used to say, ‘With something bad, Joey, something good will come if you look hard enough for it.’ My hope is this recent spat of these pipe bombs being mailed might wake everybody in my business up a little bit and [they will] realize that we have to begin to put this country back together again.” Following his discussion of the recent threats, Biden spoke with optimism about the press, restoring democracy and combating sexual assault for the 32nd annual Distinguished Speakers Series event. Biden touched on these topics by using decades worth of political experiences as anecdotes and creating an overall positive theme despite current political tensions. The speech brought out a sold-out crowd of 6,500 people and started roughly 20 minutes late. A faculty-administered question and answer session followed Biden’s speech and called up students to ask the former VP their submitted questions. University Police held a press conference Thursday morning and said the event had a heightened level of security compared to what attendees are used to for Distinguished Speaker Series events. Chris Bartolomei, interim University Police chief said UPD had preparations in place before this week’s bomb threats, but “enhanced the plan” after the incidents. He did not reveal the plan’s specifics. The protocol involved screenFROM PAGE 1

BIDEN INTERVIEW

me fortunately, number one. Number two, I don’t think we should overreact about it, but I do think that it gives some reason for us to tone down the rhetoric. We have to start choosing hope over hate, friends over our enemies, you know, internationally we have – Republicans are not my enemies; they’re my friends, they’re my competitors. I mean for real, for my whole career it has been that way. We shouldn’t look at each other as if we’re in some sort of death lock. I understand you have the largest collection of [James] Joyce here on campus. Colleagues always tease me because I’m always teasing Irish poets, but this is like Yeats’s poem, “the center is not holding.” I think if everyone takes a deep breath and begins to focus on who we are as a country … And what’s happening today leading to this intensity of this and what I imagine turns off all of your students as well is that we question certain motives. You’re bad, you’re evil, the reason you’re doing this is because you’re not a good Christian, you’re doing this because you don’t love America – instead of arguing the issues. And it just brings out the worst in the American people – far left and far right – it just brings out the worst in them. It creates an atmosphere that isn’t conducive to certain decency and truth. And so I think it’s time. I mean I hope to God that this sort of wakes up the country a little bit and citizens start demanding that we speak with respect. That we become part of the American story again. We’ve always been about fairness and decency. Everyone’s lived up to it, but it’s been the mantra of “We hold these truths selfevident.” I mean I just hope it turns the knob a little bit here and the people who don’t respond, I hope the public, whether the Democrats or Republicans say “You’re not going to be my congresswoman, senator or whoever – and that’s my hope...” Q: You mentioned in a Nevada rally last week that President Trump has “shredded” American values. Did you anticipate this when he took office and do you think he has potential to redeem these values? A: I was quoting George Will and quoting the columnist David Brooks. And David Brooks talks about, he said, there’s a fabric – a moral fabric, an invisible fabric – that holds up society. And it’s made up of decency: giving hate no safe harbor, treating people with respect, realizing that [in] America there’s things bigger than an individual. And he talked about it being shredded, those values. And he talked about how the way in which, referring to immigrants as animals, talking about your opposition as they’re “hatefilled,” I mean even now I heard, coming over [here], that democrats are organizing a – I forget the phrase he used –– this march north. We’re about to be “invaded” by these hoards who are a thousand miles away, but that doesn’t matter, you know what I mean? It’s just, I didn’t anticipate that [Steve] Bannon and the alt-right would have as much influence as they seem to have.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT ings before entrance, detection dogs and UPD recommended attendees to not bring bags to speed up the process. “Obviously I’d say we’re at a heightened state of alert and again, we have made some modifications to the plan, but we do have a pretty robust plan to start with,” Bartolomei said at the press conference. During his speech, Biden said he has never looked at an opponent as an enemy and that he hopes fellow politicians will work toward creating a tamer political environment. “Americans is who we are. We’re Americans before we’re Democrats or Republicans or Independent,” Biden said over the audience’s booming applause. “The press is not the enemy of the people. Immigrants are not animals. My hope and prayer is that all of our leaders will work to lower the temperature of the political dialogue and I have faith that they will do that.” In order for a democracy to function, Biden said it requires “a certain kind of honorable citizen.” He spoke about the “moral fabric” that holds up a society and makes up a democracy. Biden’s volume throughout the speech was fairly quiet, but when the politician projected his voice, the importance of his points echoed. Biden raised his voice over the audience’s applause when he said America’s successes have come from equality, opportunity and freedom of expression. “As I’ve said many times before, America is an ideal – the single most unique nation in the world because of that,” Biden said. He said Americans have never walked away from inalienable rights, but we have to “remember who in God’s name we are.”

Club members from UB’s Young Democratic Socialists of America protested Biden’s ideals. The protesters arrived before the event and stayed in front of the Alumni entrance for over an hour. “There’s this perception of Joe Biden as your friendly uncle and that’s really not the case,” said Sean McDonough, YDSA treasurer and junior political science major. “He’s done a lot of awful things throughout his history and his career in the senate and as vice president and we just wanted to shine some light on those.” The crowd inside of Alumni, however, was receptive to the former VP with several standing ovations. During his speech, Biden addressed the concerns of working class men and women who are worried about America’s future. He said many people are left feeling alienated and frightened because of how “rapid” things are changing with roughly 200,000 people losing their jobs within the past 20 months and the “alarming” increase in technology. There are greater reasons for optimism, though, according to Biden. America not only has the strongest military in the world, but it has the “most productive workers in the world,” the largest economy in the world, the most diversity and highest research universities in the world, Biden said, amping up his volume and the audience’s applause. “And we, the United States of America, is wondering whether we can compete? Give me a break,” he said. A 40-minute question and answer session, moderated by Suzanne Rosenblith, dean of UB’s Graduate School of Education, followed the speech.

Monday, October 29, 2018 | 5 Rosenblith opened up the floor to pre-selected students and faculty who, along with the dean, asked Biden questions about student debt, an “open and honest” exchange of ideas on campus and presidential leadership attributes. Throughout the session, Biden walked away from his designated seat on the stage’s couch, and paced back and forth to address those who asked questions. Biden’s answers were detailed and lengthy, feeling almost like a continuation of his speech, but his stage movements and shift in volume kept the audience engaged. Michael Fanning, a senior finance major who said he has voted Republican in the past, was one of the many students who identified with Biden’s message Thursday night. “I kind of identify with the message about bringing people back together and returning [to] decency, or bringing decency back to the forefront,” Fanning said. “The one comment I really liked from him was ‘it’s hard to really hate somebody if you don’t get to know them.’” Biden left the audience with a hopeful message at the conclusion of his speech. “It’s time for us to choose hope over fear, unity over division, allies over adversaries, truth over lies, a brighter future for America over the desperate grip the darkest elements of our past have on our ankles. It’s time for us to lead again. We just have to get back on our feet. … We can make hope and history rhyme because we have it all – We just have to remember who the hell we are.” email: Hannah.Stein@ubspectrum.com Brenton.Blanchet@ubspectrum.com twitter: @HannahJStein @BrentBlanchSpec

And I never have quite seen it quite like this before. And so, in that sense, I’m a little surprised of the strategy. Q: Can you talk about the current political climate and the media? While serving under President Barack Obama, how did you handle situations where you may have not agreed with the media? Look, you got to be a grown up, man. I think that I agree with Jefferson. To paraphrase it with Jefferson, he said “You let me have the democratic system we have now and no free media, or free media, give me the free media, that’s the kind of country I want to live in.” And I believe that. And the media has gotten some things wrong about me from my perspective, been really tough on me when I’ve screwed up, what I have done, but it’s the ballast that keeps this democracy in place. I mean it really is. I’m not saying it because you’re aspiring folks in the media, but it really, really is. But the media also has to – there’s a lot going on in your prospective profession right now because it’s really hard to breakthrough unless it’s really sensational. And so there’s a balance. On balance, the brightest people I have dealt with and I’ve dealt with an awful lot of people in my career on balance are the media are incredibly welleducated and incredibly informed. … It’s awful hard. … Your generation is going to have to figure it out. I’m not being a wise guy because the whole internet, all social media, it’s really hard and I imagine it’s hard for you as well it’s probably harder for me than you, but to figure out what’s truth than what’s not truth out there. But I think the media, the mainstream media is just that. They have an obligation and they try to fulfill it to report the facts, you know, to hold us accountable. So, in other words, I don’t remember President Obama or me ever calling in or saying the media was this, that or the other thing. This woman here worked for me in the White House she’s from Buffalo. [She said] “No because we were honest brokers on both sides. You could agree to disagree on both sides, but we were honest brokers."

WAYNE PENALES | THE SPECTRUM Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks at Thursday's Distinguished Speaker Series in Alumni Arena.

election with roughly 20,000 students being undergraduates. What are your thoughts on this and do you think there’s still a way to increase voter turnout with numbers like this? A: … I remember going to a Democratic convention, an off-year convention, and I was a participant but I wasn’t any big role. I got a knock on the motel door I’m in before the evening session and these four guys are standing in my door. I thought they were friends of mine. One was a former governor, one was a former congressman and the other was the chairman of the Democratic party and the other was a major political figure, a former chief justice of the court. I had a towel around me. I was shaving and I was embarrassed. I said “give me a second.” They came in and sat at the end of the beds and I’m sitting there with a towel around me and wiping the shaving cream off my face. And the chief justice … said “Joe, we just had dinner and we think you should run for the senate.” I said “what?” And I swear to God. Richard Nixon won my state by 60 percent of the vote that year. I looked at him and said “Justice, I’m not old enough” and he said “You don’t know your Constitution well, Joe. It says you can be elected at any age, you just can’t be sworn in until you’re 30.” So I remember riding home thinking ‘what the hell just happened?’ I never, never thought about running for the Senate. I remember going home and I went to one of

“ I don’t want to hear

about how bad politics is. It was a hell of a lot worse in 1967, ‘68, ‘69, and ‘70. And so you guys can change it, but I think that things are changing as I go around the country. We’ve got so many talented, young, new candidates: women and men who have said ‘enough, man.’” - Joe Biden

Q: For our own student government here at UB, in terms of elections, we had a 4 percent student voter turnout in the past

my professors at Delaware who I really admired, a professor of political philosophy. I asked what he thought and he said “you should do it” and I said “really?” He said “remember Plato” and I’m thinking ‘what the hell did Plato say?’ He said -- to paraphrase Plato -- “the penalty good men play for not being involved in government is being governed by people worse that themselves.” That’s what your generation has to figure out. … The day I did Harvard’s commencement, the Kennedy School came out with a report that said your generation is the most informed, the least prejudice, the most inclusive and the brightest generation in American history. But it also showed only seven percent of the women and nine percent of the men would even consider running for public office. And so I have no sympathy for y’all. You get exactly what you deserve. I don’t want to hear about how bad politics is. It was a hell of a lot worse in 1967, ‘68, ‘69, and ‘70. And so you guys can change it but I think that things are changing as I go around the country. We’ve got so many talented, young, new candidates: women and men who have said “enough, man.” I just got the highest award you can get from a civil rights museum down in Memphis last week and there was a woman named Fannie Lou Hamer and Fannie Lou made famous the phrase in the Civil Rights Movement “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” I hope your generation is sick and tired of being sick and tired about what you’re seeing. If your generation, just 18 to 25 year olds, voted last time around on the same percentage as the national population, it would have been 5.7 million more votes cast. And guess what? We’d have a different president. Things would be different. So I don’t want to hear it. email: Hannah.Stein@ubspectrum.com and Brenton. Blanchet@ubspectrum.com twitter: @HannahJStein and @BrentBlanchSpec.

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW AT UBSPECTRUM.COM

6 | Monday, October 29, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Metal luminaries stay true to form to sold-out crowd BRIAN EVANS SENIOR ARTS EDITOR

James Hetfield noticed a 12-year-old fan in the front row on Saturday while discussing Metallica’s massive fanbase. “Everyone is allowed in the Metallica family at any time in their life: young, middleaged and old,” Hetfield said. “They’re all here represented in the Metallica family.” The family lead vocalist Hetfield spoke of gave a resounding welcome to the metal legends on Saturday night at the sold-out KeyBank Center. Over a nearly three-hour, 15-song set, Metallica settled into a pocket of energy while performing new cuts and long-running setlist staples. Metallica is currently on its “WorldWired Tour” in support of its tenth studio album “Hardwired...To Self Destruct.” The stage for the “WorldWired Tour” found a home in the middle of the KeyBank Center and gave an impeccable view to the audience. Hanging above the stage were cube-shaped screens, displaying footage alongside tracks as well as illuminating the stage throughout the evening. Metallica quickly jumped into a quick-fire set with opener “Hardwired” from “Hardwired...To Self Destruct.” Metallica quickly moved to “Atlas, Rise!” before Hetfield addressed the crowd for the first time.

SHUBH JAIN | THE SPECTRUM Metallica found a home at the KeyBank Center on Saturday night. Hardcore fans and newcomers rejoiced over a nearly three-hour set featuring cuts from “Hardwired...To Self Destruct” as well as concert staples like “One” and “Seek and Destroy.”

“We hope you’re here to have some fun because that’s why we’re here,” Hetfield said. Metallica wasted no time giving fans a classic track with “Seek and Destroy,” resulting in immense applause mixed with fist-pumping and head-banging from most in attendance. This would become the trend throughout the evening as Metallica gave metalheads a reason to rejoice. Cuts from “Hardwired… To Self Destruct” received exciting praise and recognition from fans on Saturday. The set featured newer tracks, among those being “Now That We’re Dead,” giving Metallica confirmation of the effect of its newest work. Lead guitarist Kirk Hammett was lively

on Saturday, providing focused and intricate guitar work and solos that limited a necessity to hog the limelight. Instead Hammett picked his spots rather particularly, waiting for the appropriate moments to shred with the band and on his own. Drummer Lars Ulrich provided a strong framework for each track throughout the evening, pouring waves of energy and power into each cymbal crash and drum fill. His drums were the clearest part of Metallica’s performance, as the first half of Metallica’s set seemed to mash Hetfield’s and Hammett’s guitar into one. Robert Trujillo’s bass was rendered nonexistent for the same amount of time, leav-

ubspectrum.com ing Ulrich as the soul driver of the rhythm section. Hammett effectively stood as a figure to marvel at throughout the first half of Metallica’s set. He wasn’t too over-the-top or showy with his solos and picked his stage positions wisely. Metallica has amassed a following for both its influence on the heavy metal sound as well as electrifying performances. Saturday night felt bottom heavy at the KeyBank Center, and Metallica seemed content focusing on the quality of its tracks rather than its live performance. But classic tracks like “For Whom the Bell Tolls” ignited the spark Metallica needed. Trujillo introduced the fan favorite with a bass medley, which led into a thumping bass drum from Ulrich. The song brought most in attendance to their feet, with Hetfield providing exceptional vocals that showed little sign of age. Metallica reached the end of its set with concert-staple “One,” providing a deceptively soft and melodic opening rendition of the classic track, which only made the crescendo more powerful. Metallica closed its main set with the up-tempo “Master of Puppets” to an ecstatic crowd. Without pause, Metallica descended from the stage for several minutes only to return for three encores. Metallica hit a stride once again with encores “Battery” and “Nothing Else Matters,” before the timeless “Enter Sandman” reverberated throughout the arena. Metallica rejoiced on Saturday night, and received gratifying confirmation that its family is alive and well in Buffalo. email: Brian.Evans@ubspectrum.com twitter: @BrianEvansSpec

OPINION FROM PAGE 3

BASKETBALL

McRae looking like a reliable passing option in the paint for Bull’s deep guard roster. McRae was given several alley-oops Friday to a mixed result. If Buffalo can get the timing down, McRae could be essential to the offense. Freshman forward Jeenathan Williams had a solid night with 11 points, but shot

4-of-12 for the night. It didn’t help either that he led the team with 3 turnovers and shot 25 percent from three. Williams could be a solid scorer off the bench early this season. One of the bigger surprises of the night was sophomore center Brock Bertman. Bertman gives the Bulls some much-needed size, being the only true big-man on the team. Bertman had 9 points, shooting 4-of-4. He had 6 rebounds on the day and

looked comfortable blocking by the rim. Still Bertman had troubles on defense with shooters and quicker opponents. Bertman also shot 1-of-4 for free throws, something a player who occupies the rim has to do better at. That said, his performance is mostly a positive with great improvement shown by Buffalo’s only center. UB is one game in and there is no need to panic. With games against the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Syra-

cuse Orange around the corner, Friday’s game is a positive sign that Buffalo looks sharp early this season. Still, with it being an exhibition game against a jobber, the expectation should be Buffalo finding a similar result when it takes on the St. Francis Red Flash in the regular season opener on Nov. 6 at Alumni Arena. email: thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com twitter: @Thomas_Spectrum

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SPORTS

8 | Monday, October 29, 2018

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Volleyball takes down the top Bulls need all ﬁve sets to beat Bowling Green SPORTS DESK SPORTS DESK

UB volleyball played with the heart that head coach Blair Brown Lipsitz has been begging for all season this weekend. The Bulls took the two top teams in the MidAmerican Conference East Division to five sets. Buffalo split the weekend 1-1 against the Miami (OH) RedHawks (19-5, 11-1 MAC) and the Bowling Green Falcons (15-10, 9-3 MAC). After a loss to the worst team in the MAC last week, it would be very easy to predict the Bulls losing both games. But Buffalo has been a road warrior this season and has won the majority of conference games outside of Alumni Arena. At 6-6 in conference play and 14-10 overall, the Bulls are tied for third in the MAC East Division. Buffalo has three straight home games coming up, where it can secure a better playoff spot. All three games will be

against teams with worse records. Against Miami (OH), the Bulls put up one of their best overall performances of the season. They had a better hitting percentage and battled for every single set. Miami (OH) opened up the fifth set on a 7-3 run, but the Bulls battled back. The RedHawks made it 13-8 until the Bulls were able to rally off four consecutive points to make it 13-12. Buffalo was just shy of the comeback at 15-12. After losing the first set to Bowling Green, Buffalo won back-to-back sets to take a 2-1 advantage for the match. One set was with-

SPECTRUM Senior midblocker Megan Wernette looks for the spike in a game at home. The Bulls beat the Bowling Green Falcons this past Saturday.

Breaking down Men’s basketball key nonconference matchups NATHANIEL MENDELSON SPORTS EDITOR

West Virginia Mountaineers, Nov. 9 The Bulls’ first road game of the season is against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The Mountaineers made it all the way to the Sweet 16 in last year’s tournament. Head coach Bob Huggins boasts one of the best defenses in the country. Huggins likes to play a full-court press and trap opponents, forcing them into multiple turnovers. The Mountaineers are currently ranked 13th in the country according to the Associated Press and sophomore Sagaba Konate is one of the best shot-blockers in the country.

Southern Illinois Salukis, Nov. 12 The Southern Illinois Salukis not only have FROM PAGE 1

ROPE COURSE

All of this is easily accessible to Sweet Home teens. There’s even a trail leading to the course near the high school and no fence or sign blocking entry. The ropes course was a project spearheaded by members of Sweet Home Senior High School who wanted to build an outdoor feature in the forest next to the school’s baseball field. There’s just one problem: that neighboring forest is on land owned by the University at Buffalo, potentially creating a hazard for students and a liability issue. “The whole thing is a hazard in my eyes,” said Russell Crispell, director of Outdoor Pursuits at UB. “The structures are still standing, and it’s so close to [the high school]. The ropes course itself is hard to access but it’s still possible. What has me nervous is that there is a trust fall pole still there that could be used.” Despite being closer to the high school, the land is a part of over 200 acres of UB property that remains forest. Now, with the course still standing, no club from either school uses it in an official capacity. But there’s evidence that the course attracts visitors – since April, sneakers have piled up on the ropes. UB officials have yet to comment on the

email: sports@ubspectrum.com twitter: @UBSpecSports

WAYNE PENALES | THE

Non-Conference roundup Men’s basketball dominated the Daemen Wildcats 97-50 to open up its season. The Bulls returned to action and displayed exactly why they are the team to beat in the MidAmerican Conference this season. The Bulls boast depth at all positions on the court and have have the potential to be better with the additions of freshman guard Ronaldo Segu and freshman forward Jeenathan Williams. Segu led the team in points and assists on Saturday. Buffalo will need new and returning players as they have one of the toughest nonconference schedules in the country, matching up with multiple teams expected to make the NCAA tournament in March.

out junior setter Scout McLerran who only played two sets on the night. Sophomore setter Tia Gleason took her place and led the Bulls with 31 assists. When they reached the fifth set, the Bulls were not going to have a repeat of the previous night. At 10-10 the Bulls rallied three points in a row and were able to seal the match 15-11. Next up for the Bulls are two home games this weekend against Kent State (12-14, 5-7 MAC) and Ohio (11-14, 6-6 MAC). The Kent State game is on Friday at 6 p.m. and Ohio is Saturday at 6 p.m.

JACK LI | THE SPECTRUM Senior guard Dontay Caruthers picks up his dribble. Caruthers is a former MAC defensive player of the year and will be critical to the Bulls’ defensive success this year.

total steals, steals per game and turnovers per game last season.

St. Bonaventure Bonnies, Dec. 8 The Bonnies are not the same team that made the NCAA tournament last season. They lost key players Matt Mobley and Jaylen Adams. This game would be an easy win for the Bulls if it was played at home. Unfortunately, the Bulls will play in the Reilly Center. The spirit of the top NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski is still in the rafters and will do his best to prevent the Bulls from dominating a much weaker opponent.

The Syracuse Orange, Dec. 18

one of the best names in college basketball, they also return all five starters from last season. Bustingbrackets.com picked Southern Illinois to place third in the Missouri Valley Conference, the same conference that had last season’s Cinderella team Loyola-Chicago. The Salukis also return their top two scorers in Armon Fletcher and Kavion Pippen. Bulls senior forward Nick Perkins will have all he can handle matching up against Pippen, who stands at 6 feet 10 inches. Bulls head coach Nate Oats might opt to go with a larger center in Montell McRae. These teams match up again in December.

The Bulls get a chance for revenge against the Orange after last season’s loss. Both teams return with fresh faces and more experience for what should be one of the best matchups this season for either side. Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim has been dominating New York basketball for what seems like forever, but his team is not perfect. The Bulls need to watch for Tyus Battle who is one of the best returning players in the country. But, Syracuse will not have five-star recruit Darius Bazley who opted to cancel his enrollment and prepare for the NBA instead.

Belfast Hall of Fame Classic, Nov. 30 - Dec. 1

Buffalo closes out its non-conference schedule against a Big East foe that ranks only behind national champion Villanova in the conference. Markus Howard will give Buffalo guards trouble, but the Bulls have two of the top defensive guards in the MAC with junior Davonta Jordan and senior Dontay Caruthers. Sophomore guard Jayvon Graves will need to step up after leading the team in blocks last season.

The Bulls travel across the pond to Belfast, Ireland at the end of November to compete in a tournament where they should be the best team and favorite to win. The only guaranteed matchup is against a Milwaukee Panthers team that was picked to finish 8th in the Horizon Conference. The Bulls could potentially play against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks who have been a consistent mid-major powerhouse the last five years. The Lumberjacks led the NCAA in situation or answer specific questions from The Spectrum, but are looking into the matter, according to UB spokesperson John DellaContrada. The course worries Crispell, who is concerned about the use of the land and the potential danger it poses. “To me it’s pretty clear that now it’s just an unused ropes course sitting on UB,” Crispell said in an interview this April. “That’s land I would like to use for Outdoor Pursuits that I’ve talked to the school about before, but haven’t been allowed to use it. Sweet Home High School doesn’t use [the course] anymore after UB discussed the situation with them, is what I’ve been told.” The Spectrum reached out to administrators at Sweet Home Senior High School through calls and email throughout October, but none were willing to comment. The school has been a part of the Amherst community since 1956 and has neighbored North Campus since its construction. The ropes course includes a trust fall pole that is still in usable condition and a climbing ladder that reaches the height of the trees that is still intact. Less accessible are the walking bridge that has wooden platforms to step on and a tightrope “Bermuda bridge” section. There is also a fallen tree that still has hooks

Marquette Golden Eagles, Dec. 21

email:nathaniel.mendelson@ubspectrum.com twitter :@NateMendelson

and climbing gear attached to it. There are signs around the high school entrance stating, “No trespassing, ropes course not to be used without supervision by authorized personnel.” Visitors coming from UB see deteriorating barbed wire fences, with fading “No trespassing” signs on them. “What is surprising is that Sweet Home could build a whole ropes course, use it and UB not know about it,” Crispell said. “UB has so much space but there seems like there is little interest in using it. So a school like Sweet Home, seeing the unused space near their school, no wonder they went forward with it.” According to Crispell, a club at Sweet Home built and used the ropes course for a short period. “I don’t know how the situation played out between the schools besides Sweet Home being told to stop using it,” Crispell said. “Besides kids throwing old sneakers at it, I am not sure why either school hasn’t worked to take the course down.” Crispell said he hopes to see the land used soon, but was more confident that the university would continue to do little with it. The university has not commented on any plans for future land use. email:thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com twitter:@Thomas_Spectrum