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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018 PAGE 3 SA President’s shortcomings emphasize the importance of informed voting Students should care about who controls $4.4 million in student funds
PAGE 6 Fowl play: Andrew Bird rocks the CFA Singer, multi-instrumentalist takes audience through his diverse music career
UB Council of Advocacy and Leadership addresses student concerns Student leaders discuss student fees, new non-smoking policy proposal and Greek life safety
ALLISON STAEBELL, THE SPECTRUM
UB Council of Advocacy and Leadership meeting held last Wednesday. Graduate Student Association President Tanja Aho (left), Student Wide Judiciary Chief Justice Joe Wolf (center) and Undergraduate Student Association President Leslie Veloz (right) sitting in at meeting.
ANNA SAVCHENKO ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Members of the Council of Advocacy and Leadership met on Wednesday night to discuss student concerns such as rising student fees and the enforcement of UB’s non-smoking policy. COAL is made up of the seven student government presidents, the Student Wide Judiciary Chief Justice Joe Wolf and chaired by assembly speak-
School of Engineering begins research on driverless bus Autonomous Olli bus to be tested at North Campus locations BENJAMIN BLANCHET SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR
Principal investigators met Thursday to discuss UB’s purchase of a driverless Olli bus. The bus, composed of 3D printed material, does not come with a steering wheel and uses 360-degree sensors to drive. The passenger bus seats 12 people and runs on an electrical charge. The Olli bus typically costs over $300,000, but UB purchased the vehicle at a discounted cost of $250,000. The New York State Energy and Research Development Authority and the state’s Department of Transportation funded most of the purchase. The university paid for the remaining $40,000 the state couldn’t pay. The vehicle has been tested throughout Europe in countries like Germany and Denmark. UB is one of a number of places in the U.S. getting their hands on the bus this year. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
VOLUME 67 NO. 35
er and UB Council student representative Mike Brown. Brown, a junior computer science and political science major, led the discussion; occasionally handing the floor to fellow members SA President Leslie Veloz, Wolf, Graduate Student Association President Tanja Aho, president of the School of Pharmacy SA Lucas Grenolds, president of Medical Student Polity Derek Spath and president of Pan-Hellenic Council and
Greek-life representative Brielle Anderson. Last week’s broad-based fee meeting was among the meeting’s issues. Veloz, a senior psychology and English major, expressed her concern over the lack of adequate services available for regular students, while they pay the athletics fee to provide teams with tutoring services. Veloz said it was unclear as to how the final decision on the fees is made, how student feedback is interpreted and how these fees will be ultimately used. “For undergrads, the recreation fee and the health fee are the things we see the most direct benefit to,” Veloz said. “With students that were there advocating, they expressed their discontent in the athletics fee. Not only do we pay for everything relating to athletics, but also we pay for tutors for their teams when our general tutoring services cannot accommodate our student body.” Veloz said she will follow up with the student affairs department and Vice President of Student Life A. Scott Weber for further discussion of the fees. Philip Glick, chair of UB Faculty Senate, asked members of COAL to consider endorsing the Breathe Free UB report. The new policy, as well as a report that recommends Smoke Free UB policy revisions, has the intent of making UB “a truly smoke-free, vape-free and tobacco-free campus,” Glick said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
SHOWCASING AND CELEBRATING BLACK EXCELLENCE Black Student Union’s annual Black Explosion show highlights more than fashion
EMILY LI, THE SPECTRUM
Models pose for Black Student Union’s Black Explosion fashion show. The event celebrated the 50th anniversary of BSU and showcased student and local talent in the fields of music, dance and clothing.
BRENTON J. BLANCHET SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
Saturday night’s Black Explosion was more than a fashion show; it was a celebration of art, culture and black excellence. This year’s show, “Chateau Noir,” or Black Castle, was named in honor of the Black Student Union itself and the work it does, in commemoration of its 50th anniversary on campus. BSU spent over $34,000 on Black Explosion and related activities according to SA’s general ledger. The annual fashion show brought in a seemingly smaller-than-usual crowd to the Adam’s Mark Hotel this past weekend, but excitement for the show was tremendous.
The hotel offered a red-lit ballroom with several overhead chandeliers and wall-filling mirrors, but none of that distracted attendees from the diverse night of glamour, music, dance, fashion and overall that talent made the event truly shine. Although the show started over an hour late, the crowd didn’t seem to mind. Attendees filtered in sporadically, but once everyone took their seats and the first string of models took the stage to show off Jah Doubois’s line, D.I.R.T.B.O.M.B, it became clear how intriguing the stage’s setup really was. With entrance points on both sides of the stage, models came in from two different directions, giving everyone in the crowd something to keep an eye on. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
The Spectrum is having lunch with President Tripathi on Tuesday.
What questions would you like for us to ask him? Email us at eic@ubspectrum.com. ubspectrum.com
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PAGE 10 Hemphill sets UB rebound record in win against Ohio Buffalo comes alive offensively in the second half
NFTA approves study for metrorail extension to North Campus The study is the latest development for a train expected in at least 15 years
SARAH CROWLEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority board approved a $4.8 million study Thursday to extend metro rail service to UB’s North Campus. The study, expected to take between two and three years to complete, will assess the environmental impacts of expanding the metro-rail north to UB and south into the Cobblestone District, according to WBFO. The proposed route would run underground from University Station to near Bailey Avenue and Eggert Road, through to Niagara Falls Boulevard to Maple Avenue, then to Sweet Home and through the campus to Audubon. The project will be funded by NYS as part of Buffalo Billion, a project led by Governor Andrew Cuomo to invest $1 billion in the WNY area. The rail extension itself is projected to take a decade, putting the prospect of new trains at least 15 years out. Representative Brian Higgins expressed concern over funding the project. He said the NFTA should focus instead on improving current quality and service of the metro rail. He also expressed doubts that Washington D.C. will help fund the eventual extension, which experts estimate could cost up to $1.2 billion. Higgins has said he doesn’t think the fiscal climate in D.C. looks good for mass transit projects at the moment. A more reasonable goal would be to improve current services, given the possible dearth of federal support and an increasing need to accommodate a burgeoning downtown medical corridor, Higgins said. He supports a planned restoration of the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad terminal and its incorporation into the light rail system. NFTA Executive Director Kimberly Minkel said expanding the Metro Rail is projected to double the number of riders on the system, which would lead to a reduction in traffic congestion and fewer emissions. She also said the expansion would have an estimated $1.7 billion economic impact and raise property values by about $300 million in the area around the proposed rail line, according to WIVB. The approved consultant is the Montreal-based engineering firm WSP, which has worked on expansions of the New York and Los Angeles transit systems, One World Trade Center and the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to its website. email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com twitter: @crowleyspectrum
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Monday, February 26, 2018
OPINION
Monday, February 26, 2018
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Hannah Stein
MANAGING EDITOR
The Spectrum | Page 3
SA President’s shortcomings emphasize the importance of informed voting
David Tunis-Garcia EDITORIAL EDITOR
Maddy Fowler COPY EDITORS
Dan McKeon, Chief Emma Medina Cassie Enderly, Asst. Lauryn King, Asst. Savanna Caldwell, Asst.
Students should care about who controls $4.4 million in student funds EDITORIAL BOARD
NEWS EDITORS
Sarah Crowley, Senior Max Kalnitz Haruka Lucas Kosugi, Asst. Anna Savchenko, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS
Benjamin Blanchet, Senior Erik Tingue, Asst. Wanly Chen, Asst. ARTS EDITORS
Brenton Blanchet, Senior Brian Evans, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Thomas Zafonte, Senior Daniel Petruccelli MULTIMEDIA EDITORS
Allison Staebell, Senior Elijah Pike, Asst. Jack Li, Asst. CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Pierce Strudler CARTOONIST
Ardi Digap
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
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ADVERTISING MANAGER
Ayesha Kazi GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGERS
Stephen Jean-Pierre JuYung Hong, Asst.
THE SPECTRUM Monday, February 26, 2018 Volume 67 Number 35 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
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mester, she took 12 credits to help her ease into her new position, but to make up for that, she has to take 21 credits this semester. While we understand what it’s like to have demanding course loads and know academics should come first, her decision reflects poor planning and organizational skills. By taking a below-average course load during the fall semester, she had to take on an aboveaverage course load for the spring. As a result, her work performance is suffering. It would have made more sense to divide up those credits over two semesters. Roughly 20,000 undergraduates are enrolled at UB, yet only 2,535 students voted in last year’s SA e-board elections. Treasurer Janet Austin ran on a separate ticket from Veloz and was elected by just 15 votes. With so few students voting in SA elections, your voice holds tremendous power. UB undergraduates pay a $104.75 student activity fee each semester. The money goes directly to the Student Association’s $4.4 million budget, which is managed by the SA e-board. Students should care about who is in charge of their money. But too often, SA e-board elections are decided based on popularity rather than merit. Last year, Veloz was vice presi-
– What a childhood game means to me – WANLY CHEN ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
When I was a child, hide-and-seek was one of my favorite games. Hiding in dark alleyways and having an amused fear of being found was innocent child’s play. As an adult, the game has taken on another meaning for me. I was followed a few days ago around Main Street. It was in the early afternoon and I was walking alone. The man initially called out to me, but I ignored him. I decided to walk faster and contemplated whether I should enter any stores to avoid him. But it was too late. I heard his footsteps creep behind me, and soon he was at my side. “Hey, what’s your name?” he said.
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Hide-and-seek
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The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100
SA President Leslie Veloz has not been logging enough office hours and recently nominated an unqualified candidate for vice president. While her presidency will be ending after this school year, her failure to fulfill some of her responsibilities highlights why students need to not only vote in SA elections, but also make sure they are picking a qualified candidate. Veloz is supposed to have 17 to 21 office hours per week, but only has 12 scheduled. This semester, she clocked 19.5 hours in week one, 14 hours in week two and 28 hours in week three, according to SA timesheets. These hours were lower when we first asked to see the timesheets. Veloz said in an email this discrepancy happened because she forgot to clock in for certain office hours and fixed the error once we spotted the low number of hours. After we questioned her hours, Veloz held a special staff meeting on “transparency” –– which The Spectrum was barred from attending. Veloz has harped on transparency; it was one of her biggest campaign platforms. “If elected, we will be more incorporated into the student body’s life, more involved with everything and continue to support clubs, being visible and making sure the student body is able to speak with us and speak with us at all times,” Veloz told The Spectrum during her campaign. But we question how transparent a president who fails to meet office hour requirements and does not allow the press into a meeting purportedly about transparency really is. Veloz said she had to cut back on office hours this semester due to an increased credit load. Last se-
I stammered and shook my head. He stands confused. “You have a boyfriend?” he asked. The perfect question for the script I mastered. Yes, I lied. He thought about my response, and asked again. I nodded more confidently and hurried away; I wouldn’t give him the time to accept my answer. Later that day, I told my friend that I was followed. He told me the man could have just been walking behind me. But from experience, that’s rarely the case. In a recent study of 2,000 adults, 34 percent of women and 12 percent of men reported being followed, according to Stop Street Harassment. This means as a woman, I have a one in three chance of being followed. That is just unacceptable.
dent of Black Student Union, UB’s largest undergraduate club. She ran on soft promises of “transparency” and “diversity”; her platform lacked concrete initiatives, other than hiring more female and minority faculty. While hiring more diverse faculty is a noble goal, it’s a vague promise that almost anyone can get behind. And it’s not really something within the SA e-board’s purview. Veloz was one of the few candidates without prior SA experience on the administrative or legislative side, but she said this was a good thing. “I’m the VP of the largest minority club. … We’ve all been supporting and been involved with and on the receiving end of the student experience so we can really relate. We already have a relationship with our student body, so now we want to advocate for them on an administrative level,” she told The Spectrum during her campaign last year. Veloz’s presidency hasn’t been without notable accomplishments. She made it so the SA president can e-mail the entire student body; she made Fall Fest more “student oriented” by including student acts; she said she meets with President Tripathi monthly; she conducted a survey which found 25 percent of UB students are food insecure and
I was 16 when I experienced my first real danger. I knew I was being followed because the man copied my route home. In a neighborhood where everybody knew each other, I could not recognize him. To play it safe, I made a detour. Arriving at my “destination,” I pretended to look at my phone while he passed me. For a second, I thought I was just paranoid and headed back home. But as I turned the corner, I realized he was walking towards me again. I quickly abandoned my plans to go home. At a crowded intersection, I took advantage of my invisibility and made it to a restaurant. From the restaurant’s window, I looked for him. He was on the corner searching for me. I stayed in that restaurant until my neighbor came to pick me up. Since that incident, I carry pepper spray for protection. In New York State, following a person in public is classified as a class-B misdemeanor. But when I was followed for the first time,
she is now advocating for an oncampus food pantry as a result. And she is currently conducting a survey with the Graduate Student Association and Intercultural Diversity Center to find out if students feel UB is inclusive and diverse enough. The results will help the next e-board gauge student needs, Veloz said. We believe Veloz’s heart is in the right place, but we just don’t know that she was the right fit for the role of president. While experience on an SA club e-board is valuable, this background is more appropriate for a prospective vice president, as the vice president oversees SA clubs. Someone in the executive position, on the other hand, should have administrative or legislative experience with SA. If Veloz cannot meet office hour requirements and is showing up to meetings late, her leadership skills are questionable. If she cannot nominate a vice presidential candidate who is qualified, her judgment is questionable. After Vice President Jamersin Redfern had to step down for personal reasons, Veloz nominated her friend Samirra Felix, who lacks sufficient SA experience and couldn’t even name the seven councils the vice president works with. Last year we went with an outsider for SA president, and this was the result. Students should take the time to research candidates and make sure they have the right experience and qualifications in the future. This is our school and our money. When we’re apathetic, unqualified candidates end up in highranking, highly paid positions. Veloz’s missteps serve as a lesson about the importance of voting in SA elections. Students need to care, and they need to show up to make sure we do not repeat the same mistake. We urge students to make their voices heard during the elections for next year’s e-board, which will take place March 27 to 29. email: opinion@ubspectrum.com
I didn’t have a description of my follower and I was walking too randomly to give an accurate location to call for help. The law only states a consequence, but it fails to understand that between debating paranoia and danger, there isn’t enough time to call the police. When my little sister turned 13, I began to teach her what to do when she encountered these situations. I taught her “when” and not “if,” because I knew it would happen to her, as it already has. I taught her the world where car windows and store glasses become mirrors, malls become safe havens and keys become weapons. I taught her my version of hideand-seek –– the one where seekers are the pursuers and the hiders are the potential victims. The rule and thrill of the game is still there, but the fear is now real. Run, hide and don’t get found. email: wanly.chen@ubspectrum.com twitter: @wanly_chen
NEWS
Page 4 | The Spectrum
Clemens Hall elevator in need of repair Facilities expect to have tentative repair date soon
Monday, February 26, 2018
UB Council of Advocacy and Leadership addresses student concerns
NEWS DESK
An elevator in Clemens Hall is still in need of repair, four months after a pipe ruptured, causing extensive damage to several floors in the building. Elevators 1 and 2 needed new controls immediately following the flood after being directly hit by water, according to the University Facilities Office. Elevator 3 is also malfunctioning. University Facilities is in the process of getting quotes to update the controls on this elevator as well. “We’re sorry for the inconvenience this has caused; we hope to have a tentative date for repair soon,” University Facilities said in an email. The flood has resulted in about $150,000 in damages, according to UB spokesperson John Della Contrada. The damages were primarily for elevator repairs, labor and ma-
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 JACK LI, THE SPECTRUM Nearly five months after a flood in Clemens Hall disrupted a week of classes, causing $150,000 in damages, one of the damaged elevators remains out-of-order.
terials like dry wall and carpeting. email: news@ubspectrum.com
Comprehensive Fee Waiver due Wednesday Students can request to have some aspects of comprehensive fee waived by Feb. 28 NEWS DESK
Students have until Wednesday to request a Comprehensive Fee Waiver, which would allow them to opt out of paying some aspects of the comprehensive fee for the Spring 2018 semester. If eligible, students can be exempt from paying Health Services; Transportation; Campus Life; and Athletics and Recreation Fees. The university proposed a 2.53 percent increase of the Comprehensive Fee for the 2018-2019 academic year. To qualify, a student’s study must take place “outside of the University at Buffalo grounds,” according to the UB student account website. The Health Servic-
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es, Transportation and Campus Life fees combine for a $539.50 expenditure during the Spring 2018 semester. The Athletics and Recreation Fee combine for $281.50. The waiver does not exempt students from the College, Technology and Transcript fees, which totaled $465.75 during the 2018 spring semester. Student Accounts granted 2,876 waivers during the 2016-17 academic year. Graduate students were granted 62.6 percent of the waivers and undergraduates were granted the other 37.4 percent. The waiver application is available on the Student Accounts website.
The policy recommends $50 fines or one to two hours of community service for violations within designated 100-feet buffer zones surrounding campus buildings. The report also calls for academic holds to block class registration and graduation until students pay the fine. “Every day, especially at the childhood development center, there are kids in jeopardy of being exposed to not only smoke, but to cigarette butts that are blown down,” Glick said. “They suck on them and can get nicotine poisoning.” Glick said he is working with Erie County Legislator Patrick Burke to propose the sponsorship of an ordinance that would enforce UB campuses as nonsmoking zones. President Satish Tripathi publicly said he is not willing to enforce the non-smoking policy without a law. Aho expressed concern that the policy would lead to potential “over-policing” on-campus. “If [university police] will be tasked to do the enforcement, we’re going to have even more officers interacting with students –– interactions that often don’t help; they provoke, and they certainly
don’t teach anybody anything,” Aho said. Aho said she would be more supportive of a volunteer force. The members voted to table the proposal due to it being partially incomplete. Other issues discussed during the meeting included the concern of Amherst Police breaking into Greek life social gatherings without a probable cause. Anderson said the use of force and overpolicing of Greek social gatherings near South Campus can sometimes be scary, and that the Pan-Hellenic Council is seeking for ways to find a medium of communication between undergraduates and police. “We almost feel like we don’t have a voice sometimes, which can be very frustrating as students,” Anderson said. “[Amherst Police] seem to do more about college parties than crime down there.” The Pan-Hellenic Council is seeking solutions for the lack of Greek housing on campus and over policing. Proposed ideas included finding a safer community for Greek life housing and potentially moving Greek life from South Campus to inhibit North Campus. email: anna.savchencko@ubspectrum.com twitter: @annasavchenkooo
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NEWS
Monday, February 26, 2018
The Spectrum | Page 5
Healthy changes coming to Buffalo’s East Side UB partners with Project Rainfall, offers healthy options MAX KALNITZ NEWS EDITOR
Buffalo residents in a neighborhood dubbed a “food desert” will have healthier and affordable options to choose from thanks to a new partnership between the private sector, UB and community leaders. Project Rainfall, a food system social enterprise in Buffalo’s Northland Corridor, was spearheaded by NeuWater and Associates chief executive Rita HubbardRobinson. The Northland Corridor, a project under the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation, is redeveloping numerous properties in the Northland Avenue Belt Line Corridor. The project’s goal is to renovate properties while revitalizing surrounding neighborhoods and provide employment opportunities to residents. Project Rainfall will be in a new building near the Houde Engineering Complex and Factory at 537 East Delavan Ave. in Buffalo’s East Side. The surrounding area lacks a supermarket or a place to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. The building is located directly in between a McDonald’s and a KFC. In the next two years, Hubbard-Robinson will transform the old warehouse into an affordable farmer’s market. Two thirds of the 40,000-square foot building will serve as a hydro and aquaponics farm, growing fresh fruits and vegetables. The remaining space will feature an indooroutdoor farmer’s market, an educational kitchen, a multi-purpose room and a storeroom for the food grown on site. Eventual-
ly, a wellness center will offer residents easy access to healthcare and dieticians. Much of the food grown will be sold to restaurateurs and wholesalers, allowing revenue to provide healthy living and wellness classes and services to include community and family cooking classes and other nutritional workshops, according to Hubbard-Robinson. Hubbard-Robinson said Project Rainfall is an ambitious project and is hoping to avoid gentrification. She’s aware of what’s happened to many downtown areas as highend renovations are made and is confident this will only benefit nearby neighborhoods. “It’s a two-fold problem: you want people to be interested, but people who have been here and suffered through the disinvestment, they shouldn’t be punished by more expenses,” Hubbard-Robinson said. “We haven’t done anything without the community, nor has Northland Corridor. We’ve been very involved with [the] Buffalo Urban Development Corporation to make sure that this is the right plan for helping this area.” During his State of the City address Thursday, Mayor Byron Brown announced that the project received funding from the National Invest Health Initiative. Buffalo is one of 50 cities to receive backing from the organization. UB students and faculty helped plan the project’s development, from business plans to designs for on-site solar panel farms. The participating departments included graphic design, architecture, urban and regional planning, community health and health behavior and management. Hubbard-Robinson laid the foundation for the vision in 2009. She hopes to open the building in two years and reach a break-even point in four. She said by
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PROJECT RAINFALL EXTERIOR RENDERING: 537 EAST DELAVAN AVENUE COURTESY OF RITA HUBBARD-ROBINSON
Traditionally Buffalo’s East Side has struggled with access to fresh, affordable produce. With Project Rainfall, community leader Rita Hubbard-Robinson plans to build a farmer’s market and indoor hydroponics farm on East Delevan Avenue. By doing so she hopes to encourage locals to eat healthier and educate residents on healthy eating and cooking.
building the space, she hopes to change the eating patterns of residents in the area who typically have a poor diet filled with processed and fast food. “When you start peeling back the layers of this problem, you see that the main problems surround public health,” Hubbard-Robinson said. “We’re talking about cultural norms stemming from poverty and access. Looking at the nexus of unhealthy food and unhealthy eating, it’s not going to be easy to make a change. If you don’t have access to something, you can’t create behaviors around it, especially if what you can access is only fatty foods with high sodium and sugar.” Heather Orom, assistant dean for the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Department, said roughly half of the people living near the Northland Corridor make an annual income of under $25,000. Because of monetary restrictions, many people can’t afford to live a healthy lifestyle. Orom is also a professor for the department of Community Health and Health Behavior. Her students worked with HubbardRobinson in 2011 on the Grider Health assessment, which involved interviews with 100 residents of a neighborhood near the project site to assess residents’ health issues and access to health care. “Many [students] went door-to-door and led community talk back events,” Orom said. “We found really high rates of chronic disease –– 57 percent had high blood pressure, 16 percent had diabetes and 23 percent had asthma. Rates for New York State are 26, 9 and 15, respectively.” The assessment prompted HubbardRobinson to take action. Ever since, she’s envisioned making the community healthier while working within a tight budget. Students and faculty in UB’s MBA program created a business plan for the project that will keep the prices of site-grown food reasonable. Farmers will also be invited to sell their own crops at the site. Students in a studio lab at the School of Architecture worked to develop a community solar project with the Northland Beltline Community Taxpayers’ Association that would, in part, help Project Rainfall reduce energy costs associated with growing food, along with reducing energy costs for the residents. Zoe Hamstead, a professor in the urban
and regional planning department, said her department got involved with Project Rainfall in the fall after winning a $1 million grant from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “Energy to Lead” competition. After working with UB sustainability officials to survey where they could best spend the money in Buffalo, Hubbard-Robinson and Hamstead decided solar energy could be a great way to offset the cost of Project Rainfall. “There’s so much potential for community solar energy. We can set up panels at the building and sell it offsite, engaging in financial transactions to support the project,” Hamstead said. “If the community is interested in co-developing the solar panels, not only will it help offset the project’s cost, but the community could reduce their own energy bills.” Hamstead said she plans on conducting workshops with residents to educate them about solar energy. She acknowledged that there are many misconceptions about the panels and said community feedback is important since locals will ultimately be the ones utilizing the building. “We’re going to see what the community reaction is like, see what designs they like and how comfortable they feel with utilizing this energy in their own homes,” Hamstead said. “If we can identify people in the community who are excited and provide training for them on community solar, they can take it forward and reuse the material and education for future generations.” For Hubbard-Robinson, the finished product can’t come quick enough. After helping with Community Health Education and Outreach at ECMC on Buffalo’s East Side for six years, she said she is eager for investment in the area. “Access to healthy food is a serious problem on the East Side of the city. If there is no access to healthy food, the customs surrounding healthy behaviors are difficult to be cultivated,” Hubbard-Robinson said. “Buffalo’s East Side has been considered underdeveloped so it’s exciting to see them receive this amazing opportunity. Health outcomes have an adverse impact on our workforce, family stability and social norms. Creating a project that will help turn the tide is timely.” email: max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com twitter: @Max_Kalnitz
Page 6 | The Spectrum
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Fowl play: Andrew Bird rocks the CFA
COURTESY OF JORDAN OSCAR/CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Singer and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird took his national tour to the CFA Saturday night. Bird demonstrated his eclectic musical ability through a survey of his discography.
Singer, multi-instrumentalist takes audience through his diverse music career
DAN MCKEON, HANNAH STEIN, DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA SPECTRUM EDITORS
Andrew Bird took the audience through his lifelong musical career in a two-hour show Saturday night in the Center for the Arts. He bowed, strummed and plucked the strings, played it clean and distorted with pedals, and looped his own sound back to build on himself. The genre-bending virtuoso pushed the instrument to its limit while also pushing the audience’s emotional boundaries. He played songs from his earliest albums, “Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs” and “Armchair Apocrypha,” to his most recent albums “Echolocations: River” and “Are You Serious,” which range in genre from baroque pop and indie rock, to folk and classical. Bird began his show by crafting an orchestra alone. With just one violin and videos of him-
self playing in a river under an LA bridge or in a canyon in Utah, Bird played off his own recorded improvisations, the acoustics and natural sounds of those environments, and layerings of his own live sound. Topographical maps of the places he filmed were lit up on the screen behind him, mirroring the soundscape Bird was creating. As the layering continued, a double gramophone behind Bird began spinning, adding a new sound to the mix. The oscillation warped and distorted, bending the sound as the visualizations of the canyon and the river became more and more abstract. Bird’s signature whistling pierced through the orchestral sound he had delicately crafted, adding a sonic sharpness that closed out both “Echolocation” pieces. The show switched gears as Bird’s backing band took the stage and broke out into “A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left.” Bird traded his violin and classical tone for a guitar and a more tradition-
al rock sound. For the rest of the night, Abe Rounds held it down on the drums, Tyler Chester sat at the keys and Alan Hampton played bass while aiding Bird on vocals; Hampton also made his “whistling debut” that night, according to Bird. Bird and his flock at times switched to a folkier sound, with Hampton and Chester picking up acoustic guitars and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Bird in front of Rounds. They moved back and forth between the two setups throughout the night. Bird debuted two new songs during the night, saying that some people get nervous playing new songs before officially releasing them, but he reveled in the thrill of performing new music for a crowd. He stopped a few times throughout the night to restart a song. On one track, he forgot the opening lines. On another, Bird fell out of sync with his looper pedal and asked the band to try it again. The audience
School of Engineering begins research on driverless bus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Dr. Adel Sadek; a civil, structural and environmental engineering professor, is one of the project’s principal investigators. Sadek said his project mainly concerns the technical and economic feasibility of the bus, detection of pedestrians or obstacles and whether it can run in Buffalo weather. “We’re looking at it to complement what the Metro line has provided,” Sadek said. “The Metro line will get you to the station, but you have to make the last mile of the trip. The idea would be the autonomous vehicle would help us address this.” Delivery of the bus, which is produced by Local Motors, is expected toward the end of April. Researchers will begin operating the bus on private or sanctioned-off roads after
that. Sadek discussed the project on Thursday with transportation officials, UB facilities, Local Motors, David C. Duchscherer of Wendel Companies and others. Project members talked about the location of the electric shuttle and how the bus could be housed off Getzville’s Millersport Highway or near the Center for Tomorrow lot. Dr. Chunming Qiao, a SUNY distinguished professor and chair of the computer science department, said researchers are looking into how Olli can fit in Buffalo’s climate. “We are concerned whether it can operate in a campus environment under inclement weather,” Qiao said. “These are technical issues with sensors, controls and there
Monday, February 26, 2018
are in fact a lot of regulatory policy issues we are navigating through because this is one of the first times something like this has been done in the state.” New York State law requires that the bus be operated on North Campus’ Service Road, which is not public. If researchers at UB want to do public road testing, they must apply to test through the DMV, pay $5,000,000 in liability fees and arrange for a police escort. The state allowed UB to test their newly-purchased vehicle on campus roads. “Still, there are a lot of undefined rules and I think this project will also help in terms of our legislature and the public, for them to understand what these vehicles’ implications are,” Qiao said. “Hope-
laughed along and applauded the flubs. During “Capsized,” Bird shredded his violin harder than any other guitar solo while lamenting the post-breakup frame of mind. After his next track, “Lusitania,” Bird took a moment to check in on the audience. “Is everybody OK?” Bird asked. The audience answered with applause, and he continued. At times, Bird slipped into playing a character during songs, making impassioned gestures and emphatic facial expressions, letting the emotion of the song take a physical form. In “Are You Serious,” he made motions with one hand while he had his violin in the other. He swayed his head and used strong, sharp bowing to keep the energy up throughout the set. Before he sang “Pulaski at Night,” Bird talked about a friend from outside the country, who always wanted to see the Pulaski neighborhood at night. Bird joked that they thought it was a funny request, as “no one would want to see Pulaski at night.” The band ended the regular set with the jaunty “Danse Carribe,” leaving the stage to a standing ovation and with the double gramophone still oscillating. Bird and company returned for a three-song set. Again, Bird stopped a song, this time giving up on it and deciding to play something else before leaving the stage for the last time that night, to another standing ovation. Bird’s next stop on the tour is in Princeton, NJ at the McCarter Theater Monday night. Hannah Mechanic contributed reporting. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
fully, we can help the lawmakers to draft up reasonable laws and rules that can facilitate this kind of research and vehicle deployment in the future.” Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan and Stanford University all have their own approaches to autonomous vehicle recording. Carnegie Mellon collaborated with UB for an autonomous vehicle showcase in June 2017. The process of testing autonomous vehicles is new to UB, but Sadek is glad to take a role in the project. “UB has always been trying to build capacity in the area of testing autonomous vehicles,” Sadek said. “We hope to be a leader in New York State in that area; nationally too. Our niche at this point is about testing and evaluation.” email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com twitter: @BenjaminUBSpec
Monday, February 26, 2018
SPORTS
COURTESY OF UBBULLS.COM
The Bulls’
Senior Mitchell Moore runs down the track. Moore was part of the Bulls 4x400 relay at the indoor MAC championships.
silver lining
UB track and field collects four medals at indoor MAC championships DANIEL PETRUCCELLI SPORTS EDITOR
Selina Von Jackowski left Saturday’s MidAmerican Conference championships with a school record and a silver medal. The junior’s time of 8.40 seconds on the 60-meter hurdles beat the previous school record of 8.44 that stood for five years. Von Jackowski and the Bulls track and field team were in Bowling Green, Ohio over the weekend for the MAC indoor track and field championships. Buffalo medaled in four events, including three silvers and a bronze. In total, seven Bulls came home with hardware. The men and women both came up short in the team scores, with the men getting fifth out
The Spectrum | Page 7
of five teams and the women coming in ninth out of the 12 MAC schools. The tournament took place on Friday and Saturday with the Bulls picking up two medals on each day. Senior Jess Dhaliwall secured the first medal for the women on Friday when she picked up bronze in the weight throw. She set a personal record with a top throw of 20.16 meters.
The men secured their first medal on Friday as well, collecting silver in the distance medley. The team of junior Jack Jibb, sophomore Chimaobi Ezeilo, freshman Patrick Hazlitt and junior Dan Muldoon finished with a time of 10:11.25; almost a full second faster than their previous season-best and seed-time of 10:12.03. Friday’s other standout performance was senior Martine Bye. She finished just
short of the podium in the pentathlon, coming in fourth with 3632 points. She was first in the high jump and third in the shot put during the pentathlon. Von Jackowski opened up Saturday by winning her medal, finishing just .09 seconds behind the first place finisher. The men’s second medal came in the 800-meter. Sophomore Leon Atkins finished with a time of 1:54.04. Senior Thomas Meehan qualified for the finals of the event as well and came in seventh. Eastern Michigan won the title for both the men and women, and its women’s team had more than double the points of the second place school. The Bulls saw six athletes named to allMAC squads after the event. The men had Atkins, Ezeilo, Hazlitt, Jibb and Muldoon all selected to the all-MAC second team. Von Jackowski was the lone selection for the women, earning second-team all-MAC honors. email: daniel.petruccelli@ubspectrum.com
Women’s swimming and diving places third at MAC championships Senior Megan Burns wins 50-yard, 100-yard freestyle for fourth straight year
NATHANIEL MENDELSON STAFF WRITER
The Buffalo women’s swimming and diving team placed third at the Mid-American Conference championships. The tournament began Wednesday night and concluded on Saturday. The Bulls (8-0, 4-0 MAC) collected 573 points in the overall standings, only 17.5 points behind the second place Eastern Michigan Eagles (8-1, 4-0 MAC ). The third place finish matches the program’s best finish at the conference championships. On Thursday, senior swimmer Megan Burns won the 50-yard freestyle with a season-best time of 22.47 seconds. On Saturday, she recorded a season-best time of 48.61 seconds in the 100-yard to become the first ever
four-time champion in either event. Burns would earn her fourth First Team all-MAC honor with the performance. Senior swimmer Hannah Miller earned her first First Team all-MAC honor in her career. The Bulls also had four swimmers on the Second Team all-MAC; freshman Brittney Beetcher, freshman Nicole Roitenberg, sophomore Andrea Ernst and senior Eve Kosten earned the honor for the first time in each of their careers. Burns was the only Bull to win gold during the championships, though multiple athletes posted season- and careerbest times. The 800-yard freestyle relay team of Burns, Miller, Ernst and freshman Olivia Sapio finished second with a season best time of 7:15.48. For the 400-yard freestyle relay, the quartet of Burns, Kosten, Ernst and junior Catherine Schultheis finished with a season best of 3:19.06, only 0.14 seconds behind the event and overall champion the Akron Zips (6-1, 3-1 MAC). Miller placed third in the 1,650 yard freestyle with a career
SHOWCASING AND CELEBRATING BLACK EXCELLENCE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
EMILY LI, THE SPECTRUM
A model poses for Black Student Union’s Black Explosion fashion show. The event celebrated the 50th anniversary of BSU and showcased student and local talent in the fields of music, dance, and clothing.
This was also the crowd’s first look at the practice and intricacy of the night’s models. As they rocked Dubois’s sequin-sprinkled hoodies, t-shirts and crewnecks, the models occasionally switched hats and glasses amongst each other and lifted each other up. Even with the venue’s dim and luring lighting, the vibrancy of one designer’s work could be seen just about anywhere. Moshé Douglas, a senior graphic design major and one-year designing veteran, showcased his Peace and Parmesan line. The line features bright-colored, bleached and distressed hoodies and shirts, a testament to the artist’s individuality. “I’m a unique person and people notice me in a room. I feel like I reflect my work,” Douglas said. “I put my own individualism inside my work. There are a lot of colors. People seem to dig it and I like it so that works.” After Douglas’s craft hit the stage, Cayla Renee’s Drip swimwear and lingerie lines proved to be just as colorful and unique. Renee’s work brought summer to life as models showed off the polka dot, cheetah print and vibrant bikinis. The swimsuits could be tied in six different styles, focusing on body type instead of size. Although Renee was initially nervous for the
COURTESY OF UBBULLS.COM
Senior diver Kelly Moran launches herself into the pool. The swimming and diving team competed in the MAC championships this weekend coming in third overall.
best time of 16:27.17. It is also the second fastest time in school history. The Bulls did not fare well in both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving competition. Sophomore Olivia Gosselin was the Bulls’ highest performer in the 1-meter with 235.40 points and placed thirteenth overall.
Senior Kelly Moran was not beaten in the 3-meter event all season and was looking to win her first MAC Championship. Moran was the lone Bull to qualify for the 3-meter dive final and finished ninth in the event.
night, it didn’t last. “Before I get here, there’s always so much nervousness and anxiety,” Renee said. “But once I’m here and I see all my swimsuits and art here with me, I’m calm.” The uniqueness of Renee’s swimwear wasn’t Saturday’s only display of something brand new. One of the most unique but exhilarating moments of the night was when Jorel Cunningham took the stage with his electric guitar to perform the Black National Anthem, or “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson. As an ode to black guitar-pioneer Jimi Hendrix, Cunningham shredded and left the crowd cheering. After playing the anthem, the guitarist noted he was using a “recreation of history” to “create new history.” Music group Poetic Melody highlighted other black artists in their medley performance shortly after. With just a violin, keyboard, guitar and some spoken word, the group’s sound filled up the ballroom as they played through renditions of SZA’s “The Weekend,” Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You” and Childish Gambino’s “Redbone.” The spoken word hit topics like love, trust and pain, and with the medley’s ever-changing yet recognizable melodies, the crowd paid close attention. UB’s CrossFyah dance team and Buffalo State’s Legacy dance team both highlighted the work of black artists, as well. CrossFyah tackled the skillful choreography of N.E.R.D’s “Lemon,” worked its
way through Migos’ “Stir Fry” and stayed in sync through the whole performance. In between songs were quotes from influential black artists, including Kanye West. Host and performer Rotimi, famous for his current role in the TV series “Power,” wrapped up the show with just as much thrill and excitement that students and locals showcased throughout the night. He jumped in the audience, performed hits like “Want More,” and gave the crowd the biggest dose of audience involvement of the fashion show, high-fiving and singing to a majority of the crowd up close. As he performed, the final models graced the stage in glamorous, sequin-laced attire. After the event, BSU Activities Coordinator Anyssa Evelyn said she was glad with how it all turned out. After planning since the summer, her work was done. “I think we were able to make do with what we had and be the best that we could be with the space that we had and everything,” Evelyn said. “I thought it was a great event and I’m really happy.” Nathaniel Cadet, BSU’s Activities Coordinator, took a lot away from the trials of the event. “I am quite ecstatic with the way that we managed to fight adversity to get to this point,” Cadet said. “We dealt with a lot of everything. … We learned to come together as a family and push through and work as a business. It’s a great way of celebrating 50 years of being on this campus.”
email: sports@ubspectrum.com
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The Spectrum | Page 9
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SPORTS
Monday, February 26, 2018
THOMAS ZAFONTE SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
ALLISON STAEBELL, THE SPECTRUM
Sophomore forward Summer Hemphill goes for a shot in Alumni Arena. Hemphill broke the school record for most rebounds in a single game Saturday afternoon when the Bulls took on the Ohio Bobcats.
The Bulls won 70-53 after struggling against the Ohio Bobcats’ defense in the first half Saturday afternoon. The Bulls set the school win record at 23 with this game. Junior guard Autumn Jones led the Bulls in scoring with 14 points, all of which came in the second half. Sophomore forward Summer Hemphill set the school record for rebounds with 23 and had 10 points in the Mid-American Conference game. “I had no clue. I was thinking I had at least 10, not thinking it was nowhere near 20 or setting a school record,” Hemphill said in the post-game press conference. “I was just getting rebounds for the guards.” With the Bulls (23-4, 14-2 MAC) already clinching the East division, Buffalo is left chasing the Central Michigan Chippewas (23-4, 15-1 MAC) for the top spot in the MAC with two games left this season. The win over the Bobcats (15-12, 9-7 MAC) keeps the Bulls one game behind with the Chippewas picking up a win on Saturday. “We want to not be in this big of a hole in the first half,” said head coach Felisha Legette-Jack. “This is a team that in the past I would have to yell at to get them going. I came in there made a quick adjustment. … Once we made that adjustment it was a matter of when.” The game started as a defensive battle. Both teams were able to hold the other on offense, limiting shooting and forcing turnovers. Combined the teams shot 8-30 and had 10 turnovers in the first period. The Bulls tried several three-point attempts early in the period and came up empty, shooting 1-6 from beyond the arc in the period. At the end of the first, the Bulls led 13-11. The second period saw both teams keep up the defensive pressure, causing Legette-Jack to call a timeout at 4:56
with the Bulls trailing 17-18. Even after the break, both teams continued to play tight-knit defense. The Bulls continued to struggle with shooting in the period, going 0-7 from beyond the arc. None of the Bulls had more than 6 points in the first half with Buffalo only scoring 8 points in the second period. The Bulls trailed 26-21 at the end of the half. “We saw a 2-3 zone and looked at it like it was a big bad wolf,” Legette-Jack said. “It was just a 2-3 zone and it must start sagging when our motivation is to attack. We started chucking up threes and stopped attacking the zone.” The Bulls headed into the third period after a season-low scoring performance in the first half. Jones came out and made her first two three-point attempts to allow the Bulls to close in on the lead. Both teams picked up on offense, scoring a combined 29 points to make it a 40-36 Bulls lead with 4:45 left in the period. The Bulls would finish the period leading 47-41. The Bulls stayed hot in the second half to outscore the Bobcats 23-12. Multiple Bulls picked up shooting, letting Buffalo play a variety of players and still grow its lead. “We finally found our way to play,” Hemphill said. “So they couldn’t handle how we were defending them. Then our defense led to our offense and it was just overwhelming them.” The Bobcats kept their defense tight all night with all five defenders playing close to the hoop. The Bulls were able to break down the Ohio defense as the game went on. The Bobcats had a strong performance from sophomore guard Amani Burke who had a game-high of 18 points. The Bulls’ next game will be against the Kent State Golden Flashes (12-16, 5-11 MAC) on Wednesday at Kent with tipoff set for 7 p.m. email: thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com twitter: @Thomas_Spectrum
THE HUNT FOR AN ATHLETIC DIRECTOR UB continues to look for an athletic director; Kathy Twist serves in interim
THOMAS ZAFONTE SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
UB has still not announced the new athletic director after news broke on Jan. 17 that Allen Greene would be leaving to become AD at Auburn University, a top Division-I sports school. The ongoing search is not new to UB after the previous two ADs had tenures shorter than three years. Kathy Twist is serving as interim director until a new director is announced. The president’s office created a search committee for a new director on Feb. 7. The committee includes coaches, administrators, athletes, professors and other university staff. All committee members declined to comment on the search’s progress. “Because of the confidentiality of the search process, the search committee cannot comment on potential candidates,” said Beth Del Genio, the president’s chief of staff and committee co- chair. “But I can say that our focus is on recruiting an outstanding person for this important leadership position at UB.” Experience in NCAA Division-I sports, marketing, public relations and finances are all necessary, according to UB’s website. Commitment to diversity, expectation of competitive success and strong communication skills are also listed. Del Genio said all public information on the situation will be shared through the website.
JACK LI, THE SPECTRUM
Interim athletic director Kathy Twist during an interview with the Spectrum. Twist is acting AD until the school chooses a new full-time choice.
“I think [the search committee] is considering everyone on the table,” Twist said. “Right now I am going to do this job the best I can. I do want to be an AD someday; for now I want to make sure I am doing this job very well.” Twist took over shortly after Greene’s departure from UB. Twist has been working at UB since 1994, when she became assistant coach for the women’s tennis team. She went on to become the women’s tennis coach for 16 seasons and was the winningest coach in program history. Before taking the role as interim AD, Twist was the senior associate athletic director for sport administration and senior woman administrator. Twist said the transition into the interim role was smooth, as she was already fa-
miliar with UB athletics and everyone involved. “Student athlete experience has always been my focus so I want to make sure that it is going to be the best it can possibly be, whether that is academics or athletics,” Twist said. “You do that by building the team around the team like coaches and academic advisors, and I really want to keep that going.” Twist said winning is also a priority, and she looks toward building facilities if needed. During Greene’s tenure he announced the Murchie Family Field House, planned for completion in spring 2019. While Twist believes her history at UB is a benefit for her as interim AD, others feel experience with the school is not necesary.
“In terms of a new athletic director, where they are originally from is irrelevant,” said sophomore UB volleyball player Hannah Watson. “What matters is where they intend to go during their time as the leader of the division of athletics here at the University at Buffalo.” Watson, who played two complete seasons with the Bulls, is the acting spirit officer for UB’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The committee acts under the NCAA and is made up of DivisionI student athletes. Every conference is required to have a member on the national SAAC board. UB’s SAAC council is part of the search committee. SAAC’s role in the process is to give student athletes a voice in the project. Watson said Greene developed a new sense of unity in the department with athletes, staff and alumni. Watson is not part of the SAAC representatives in the committee, but said she hopes to see the communication established in the department by Greene continue. “I and many other student-athletes are thankful for Allen Greene’s contributions to building the reputation and culture of the University at Buffalo’s division of athletics and wish him nothing but the best at Auburn University,” Watson said. The committee will continue its search with multiple teams now preparing for MAC championships. email: thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com twitter: @Thomas_Spectrum