T H E I N D E P E N D E N T TSHTEU D NETP E PN UD BE LN I CTA S TT IO NA I VTEI R Y FA T T HBEU U FF E T1 B 9U 50 I NED UN D EO NFT TPH UEB LUI C OSNI T O NA I VLEOR,S S I TI N Y CA FFALO, SINCE 1950
Friends and faculty remember former UB student Jonah Snyder
UBSPECTRUM.COM
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
HANNAH STEIN
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Jonah Snyder will always be remembered as a kind, passionate and caring individual who never failed to put a smile on someone’s face. Friends described Snyder as someone who helps them to be their best. Snyder, a 20-year-old from West Seneca, died in a medical emergency at a pro wrestling gym, Black and Brave Wrestling Academy in Moline, Illinois on Sept. 7. Snyder passed away en route to the Genesis Medical Center. Snyder was a UB student for two years as a communication major and was a tuba player on the UB marching band. Nancy Ortiz, Snyder’s girlfriend and junior communication major at UB, said his family is still waiting to hear back on some reports but she said as far as she knows, he was in “perfect health.” Ortiz said Snyder talked about wrestling and watched it almost every day. He studied technique and worked out every day. Ortiz said Snyder had the wrestling academy on his mind for years and it was his “destination.” “He always said college wasn’t for him,” Ortiz said. “He knew that professional wrestling was his dream and he couldn’t wait to get out of the college lifestyle and pursue training in a professional manner. He did say he was going to miss the people [at UB] because everyone was always so kind to him.” “When he would talk about wrestling, his voice would burst with excitement and his eyes would light up. It was his passion – he described it as his passion. Everyone could see it,” Ortiz said. “He would kind of be quiet when you’d first meet him, but if you got him to talk about wrestling, he just opened up.” Ortiz said the program was supposed to last a few months and once Snyder was done with the program, the director of the program, Seth Rollins, would certify Snyder to be in the wrestling program, which would have qualified him for potential wrestling positions in companies. Snyder considered being in various fields in wrestling such as the communication field. “Those were all backup plans to his ultimate dream, which was to be in the ring wrestling and being a champion,” Ortiz said. Ortiz said Snyder always talked about having the wrestling belt in his hands after he would win. Snyder was on the wrestling team at West Seneca High School before he came to UB. Ortiz met Snyder during her freshman year in the marching band. They were placed next to each other for every game. When the band split into practice groups one day, Ortiz said Snyder seemed “really cute and nice” but she was too shy to talk to him. She said it turned out he felt the same way.
COURTESY OF NANCY ORTIZ
Jonah Snyder poses with his girlfriend Nancy Ortiz. The former UB student died from a medical emergency in Moline, Illinois on Sept. 7. Ortiz said no one has ever made her happier than he did.
She said no one has ever made her happier than Snyder. She described him as a teddy bear. “He could make anyone smile. He was so generous and caring to everyone without exception,” Ortiz said. “He’s greatly missed. He was just so wonderful. Words can’t describe how wonderful a man he was and still is.” Ortiz saw Snyder for the last time on Sept. 2 at the opening Bulls football game. He was sitting in the stands because he had to leave early. “It was really special [to see him in the stands] because he didn’t plan on having ties with the university at that point but it meant a lot to me that he took time out of his day to come see me and the marching band perform,” Ortiz said. The marching band was a big part of Sny-
der’s life, according to Ortiz. “He cared about everyone on the band. It was a big part of his life and to see him showing support for me personally and the organization – it meant a lot,” Ortiz said. James Mauck, director of Athletic Bands, had Snyder as a student for two years in UB’s pep band and marching band. Mauck described Snyder as “very affable, fun, dedicated and really funny.” He spent a lot of time with Snyder over the years. He said Snyder was a wonderful student and a great friend to band students. “Whatever he decided to do, he was dedicated to,” Mauck said. Mauck said Snyder loved the marching band and the kids who were in it. He said everyone “misses him terribly.” Mauck said Snyder visited the marching
Election excitement UB students and professors discuss the importance of voting VICTORIA HARTWELL STAFF WRITER
Most UB students will have the opportunity to vote for the first time in the presidential election on Nov. 8. While some students are excited to have
a voice in the election, some are choosing not to vote. In 2012, there were approximately 50 million millennials – people born between 1981 and 1998 – eligible to vote in the presidential election, according to Pew Research Center. The same study showed that only 46 percent of those eligible voters said they actually voted in the election. “It is important that young people vote because we need to be involved in deciding who we want shaping our future,” said Reed Tighe, a senior political science major and
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president of UB College Republicans. Tighe said many students on campus “tune out” politics, which he said is a pattern at colleges across the country. Tighe said he believes Donald Trump understands the youth of America and will change the country where needed. “We deserve better than Hillary Clinton and her long trail of lies and corruption,” Tighe said. James Campbell, a political science professor, emphasized the importance of col-
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VOLUME 66 NO. 7
band a week before he passed away. “He was all excited about heading off to wrestling camp and at the same time he said he was going to miss band,” he said. “You can say he wanted to be here but you can’t be at two places at the same time.” Jack Jerabek, a junior history and political major at SUNY Geneseo, met Snyder in seventh grade in concert band. Jerabek said he was “incredibly close” with Snyder. Jerabek was also in the marching band with Snyder in high school. “Snyder was known as the happiest guy alive and made an impact on everyone he met,” Jerabek said. Jerabek said Snyder was always trying to help people out and make them happy. “[Being in the marching band] was really something special for the both of us. He started a few years before me, but when I joined, he really made me feel like I was a part of things,” Jerabek said. “He always made sure people like me, rookies, were doing the best they could do. He really worked with people so they could be the best they can be.” When Jerabek got the phone call from his friend about Snyder’s passing, he said he was in complete denial for at least two minutes. “I just couldn’t understand the words that were coming out of his mouth. It just couldn’t make sense to me,” Jerabek said. He said as soon as he received the phone call, he packed up his things from school and the next day, he went to Snyder’s house to comfort the family and make them meals. His family has been “taking it rough,” according to Ortiz. “Jonah was their first born and was the oldest child of five. He was just such a wonderful person and to have someone like that taken away from such a wonderful family, it’s hit them hard.” For those on campus who knew Snyder, there are support groups on campus to help with grief. “UB has a diverse spiritual support community and for many students who experience a death and are away from home this can provide additional support,” said Elizabeth Snider, associate and clinical director of UB Counseling Services, in an email. “Jonah was just a good guy. He was the sort of person you can share a life with no matter what the situation was,” Jerabek said. “It’s really hard because now he’s just gone and it’s hard to see someone so good-someone with that amount of goodness in his heart just get away from us all.” There will be a moment of silence on Saturday at the football game for Snyder and the marching band will perform in collaboration with the West Seneca High School marching band on Oct. 9 in honor of Snyder. email: hannah.stein@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @HannahJStein
lege students voting. “It is important for everyone, college students included, to inform themselves about politics and government,” Campbell said in an email. “[But] our political system should run on the informed consent of voters. Political decisions should be taken very seriously.” He said students who have “strong and well-informed views” may want to express their opinions at rallies. Emily Smrtic, a senior political science major, said students should be more concerned about who is going to run the country. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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2
NEWS
Thursday, September 22, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Election Briefs
Election excitement
What you should know this week for the 2016 presidential election NEWS DESK With a little less than seven weeks until the presidential election on Nov. 8, The Spectrum will be running weekly election news briefs to highlight the week in politics. Here’s what you should know:
ANGELA BARCA AND KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Emily Smrtic, a senior political science major,(left) Reed Tighe, a senior political science major (middle) and Julia Via, a sophomore biology major (right) have mixed opinions on the election. Many UB students will get to vote for the first time in the 2016 presidential election on Nov. 8.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“The race has turned into a show about who can outdo the other person,” Smrtic said. Smrtic is a registered Democrat and attended Bernie Sanders’ “A Future to Believe In” rally at Alumni Arena last April. She said she will vote for anyone “who isn’t Trump” and thinks Clinton will win by a “sizeable margin.” “[I care about the election] because as millennials we need to make good decisions that will positively affect the future,” said Allison Eckstein, a sophomore business major. Eckstein is a registered Republican and attended the Trump rally at the First Niagara Center in April. Eckstein keeps up with
election coverage by watching the news and reading articles online. Some students feel they are less likely to vote in the upcoming election. Julia Via, a sophomore biology major and registered Democrat, said she cares about the future of this country, but feels the election has taken on a “negative connotation.” “I am looking for an honest president that keeps the well being of this country in mind,” Via said. She said she currently isn’t rooting for anyone and both candidates are “equally bad.” Via believes Clinton and Trump are not “standing for and sticking to what they be-
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lieve in.” Kristin Robins, a sophomore undecided major and registered Democrat, said she would feel bad if she didn’t vote but she doesn’t keep up with election coverage. This has prompted her to not vote. “I don’t have much knowledge and wouldn’t want to make a willy-nilly vote,” Robins said. The public is “better represented” if college students vote, according to Jacob Neiheisel, a political science assistant professor. “Students don’t feel the political system has a direct impact at this age, so some choose to not vote,” Neiheisel said. “This pattern of choosing not to vote may stay with them throughout their adult lives the longer they decide not to participate. [But] you’re not a bad person if you don’t vote.” To register, go to the department of motor vehicles website, selecting “New York,” then “voter registration” and following the steps from there. email: news@ubspectrum.com
BLUE FRIDAYS
+ A new study shows Hispanic women are leading the way for the 27 million eligible Hispanic voters in the U.S. They vote by a 10 percent higher margin than men, according to a CUNY study commissioned by CNN. + Donald Trump Jr. Tweets an ad comparing the danger of three poison skittles in a bowl to the U.S. taking in Syrian refugees, according to ABC News. Skittle’s parent company Mars Inc. responded saying, “Skittles are candy, refugees are people. It’s an inappropriate analogy.” + George H.W. Bush, former Republican president, said he will vote for Hillary Clinton, according to ABC News. + The first presidential debate is on Monday Sept. 26. The debate will be held at Hofstra University on Long Island. + Third-party candidates, in particular Gary Johnson, could help Clinton win the general election. Recent polls show Clinton wins by a 2+ spread in a Clinton vs. Trump vs. Johnson vs. Stein election. In a Clinton vs. Trump election, Trump wins by a 4+ spread, according to RealClearPolitics.
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3 Removal of felony question
OPINION THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Gabriela Julia
MANAGING EDITORS
Tori Roseman COPY EDITORS
Saqib Hossain Emma Medina Margaret Wilhelm Dan McKeon Grace Trimper NEWS EDITORS
Hannah Stein, Senior Ashley Inkumsah, Senior Sarah Crowley, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS
Kenneth Kashif Thomas, Senior Evan Grisley ARTS EDITORS
Max Kaltnitz, Senior David Tunis-Garcia, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Michael Akelson, Senior PHOTO EDITORS
Kainan Guo, Senior Angela Barca Troy Wachala, Asst. . Pierce Strudler Anthony Khoury, Asst.
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
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THE SPECTRUM Thursday, September 22, 2016 Volume 66 Number 7 Circulation 4,000 The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Feedback, Opinion and Perspectives sections of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at 716-645-2152 The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100
on SUNY application is a step in the right direction This will increase student population, give those convicted a second chance Starting in July 2017, SUNY schools will stop asking their applicants whether or not they’ve been convicted of a felony. The SUNY board of trustees voted to remove the question on Sept. 14 because it created obstacles for potential students. This change will increase the number of applicants, which can only create a positive momentum for the schools in the system. It would give potential students a second chance after their conviction and would allow for more minority applicants to enter the SUNY system. By allowing those who were convicted of a felony to apply, it gives these people a way to integrate back into society, rather than going back to the streets or into old habits that caused the felonies to begin with. These prospective students become productive members of the community by receiving an education rather than falling back into the system. A report from the Center of Community Alternatives argued that there is no evidence criminal screening made colleges safer and the question had an off-putting effect on applicants with convictions – over 60 percent of SUNY applicants who have a felony conviction didn’t complete their application. The question remains – would the school ever know that these students were convicted? If they do know after their acceptance, how would this affect their lives
CARTOON BY MICHAEL PERLMAN
CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Thursday, September 22, 2016
on campus? The editors at The Spectrum feel that if the university knows someone was convicted of a felony, no matter what the charge was, they should not be allowed to live on campus. The university shouldn’t put other students in an uncomfortable position and the student roommate would have a right to know. It would be impossible to judge the felonies in a fair, case-by-case basis to allow some to live on campus and others not to. A UPM (Unlawful Possession of Marijuana) violation may be different from a violence-related conviction, but it would be unfair of the SUNY system to try to delineate who should
be allowed to live on campus and who shouldn’t. It also creates accountability for those who have committed felonies – they are more than welcome to receive an education at our university but must find their own housing. The only way these students would be allowed to live on campus would be if they lived alone, but single-person housing is hard to come by as it is. The universities who take in these students should not publically label them as convicted felons – it defeats the whole purpose of giving students a clean slate to further their education. In August 2014, a mass email
was released to all UB students to inform them student Daniel Lampke was a convicted sex offender. Should UB have sent out this email to all students and faculty? Perhaps not. But that does not mean Lampke should be allowed to live on campus where he may have to room with a minor. It is important to know who is convicted to protect other students, but that should not interfere with a student’s admittance into the school. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to have an education, especially those who are looking to start over and remove themselves from the system. email: eic@ubspectrum.com
LETTER TO THE EDITOR On the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 6, my office in Clemens Hall was found defaced with the phrases “Fuck Peter Clavin,” “Pussy,” “Bitch,” “Fagboy,” and “your class sux” scrawled on my door and a small cartoon of the late poet Amiri Baraka ripped off and tore into pieces. As much as I appreciate The Spectrum for shedding light on this despicable act I feel as though I’ve been misrepresented on at least one crucial point. For the record: #1) “He was puzzled as to why his office was targeted with homophobic slurs, rather than racial ones.” Not so. I’m not puzzled why there were homophobic slurs. My first clue into this mindset involves the concept of “toxic masculinity.” Look it up if you’re unfamiliar. If you have children or actually just care about human life in any form I urge you to do so. I informed the reporter that I teach studying popular culture, history, and politics (via music and literature &c &c) through a class, race, and gender lens – and that I identify as a feminist and teach the class firmly intent on shining a light on these oppressed perspectives. It’s why I proudly wear my “No Feminism, No Future” t-shirt because I believe it is the only sustainable path forward collectively as a truly just society. With all of this mind, I clearly understand how being a
male feminist represents a threat to the social of things as it stands in the United States in 2016 “worthy” of homophobic hate speech on my office door. #2) “Deputy Chief of Police Joshua Sticht…said UPD is currently trying to meet with Clavin to further the investigation.” Once more, not so. UB’s campus police only ever reached out to me after The Spectrum contacted them (Tuesday, Sept. 13, or a full week after the incident was reported to them by the Transnational Studies Department). It was only on that day they reached out to me via telephone to inform me that I needed to come to the station to file a report. Upon my arrival to Bissell Hall on Wednesday, Sept. 14, I found out this visit was made under deliberately false pretenses. There was no reason for me to go there except for being directed over the telephone that, as the victim, I needed to file a report – which was false. I apologized then to the investigator on Tuesday for not contacting them directly and yet this same investigator told me in person the following day that he was “mistaken,” and that no police report had to be filed by me. Viewed in this light, this visit served only as opportunity for me to be chastised for “going to the media,” and that “it wasn’t productive” to do so because “all they’re
going to do is spin it.” Furthermore, they pressured me to give up potential student names despite the unethical nature of expecting me to identify a “suspect” through classroom interactions and anonymous departmental review forms. Is this how the University Police routinely conducts criminal investigations? Most importantly, why was I called in? To help with the “investigation” or rather to be bullied into giving up some of my student names? To be chastised for publicizing it? To save face for the fact that UB police reached out to exactly no one, beginning with myself, along with the UB administration only until after they were made aware that the Spectrum was publishing a story on this incident – one week after my department had filed the initial report? Why didn’t the UB police department contact the administration? Was that my job or theirs? I’m puzzled only by the fact this hasn’t happened already what with the increasing amount of vitriol interjected into popular U.S. discourse. My neighbor has a bumper sticker on their car that reads “Trump that Bitch” and I’ve seen an alarming and increasing amount of confederate flags flying freely in my travels this summer adorning houses, garages, and flatbed trucks from Buffalo to Baltimore. I’ll argue, not very difficult-
ly, this can be directly attributed to the rise of Donald Trump as a presidential candidate for a major party here in the U.S.A. Trumpism as a phenomenon features almost exclusively the mainstreaming of classist, racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, misogynist and ableist hate speech/ actions that “some” of these political leaders and their supporters relish in. Many Trump supporters, I’ll argue, are whipped into a frenzy by an exclusive capitalist class that marginalizes them as wage slaves (look up deindustrialization and Reagan’s providing tax breaks for corporations to move operations overseas) and then teaches them that people of color and feminists are your sworn enemies (go back & look up Bacon’s Rebellion). Trumpists then gleefully espouse support for “the people’s billionaire.” If you’re seriously thinking of voting for him I can only ask you do some soul-searching and urge you more importantly to read up on Convict Leasing, the Southern Manifesto, Reagan’s voting record as Governor of California, COINTELPRO, the War on Drugs, the Iran-Contra affair and Mass Incarceration just for starters. If you need any other research tips, please just ask.
Peter Clavin Graduate Instructor of Transnational Studies
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FEATURES
Thursday, September 22, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Outdoor odyssey UB competes in nationwide outdoor challenge EVAN GRISLEY FEATURES EDITOR
Taking a hike, doing yoga or going for a bike ride will make UB students eligible to win some athletic gear. Outdoor Pursuits and the Outdoor Adventure Club are urging students to participate in this year’s Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge. The Campus Challenge is a sixweek event in which students join together on their college campuses to go outside to explore nature. UB is one of 90 schools entered into a six-week, nationwide outdoor challenge to be considered the “most outdoorsy school.” Russell Crispell, the director of Outdoor Pursuits, wants to ensure that students are exploring the area and contributing to the Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge. “The goal and objective of this is to get people outdoors, that really is my mantra,” Crispell said. “Even just going for a bike ride or quick hike can help UB and the students get outside more often and can also help us win.” The event began last week and ends Oct. 14, but students can join at any point during the event. Students are encouraged to do various activities around campus, take a picture and then enter it into the website or application to receive points.
Points go toward both a personal and school total. At the end of the challenge, a student and a school will be named “most outdoorsy.” The challenge is a way for students to get motivated to go outside and explore outdoors around the campus, but if that’s not enough incentive, there are also prizes offered. Every week, Outdoor Nation will post an activity list for each day of the week. If students complete the activity and post a photo on social media on the Campus Challenge app or website with the requested hashtag, they will be eligible to win prizes. Josh Catucci, a recent graduate with an exercise science degree, is taking classes and helping facilitate Outdoor Pursuits with the Campus Challenge. “There are daily giveaways, along with weekly [giveaways],” Catucci said. “Outdoor Nations gave us gear to give away to UB students that do on-campus challenges.” This week, The North Face is offering gear to those that can complete group activities, such as rock climbing, hiking and yoga. This isn’t just a solo event for students to win prizes. Crispell also wants UB to be in the top 10 of the 90 schools competing in the event. UB currently sits at number 10, but the number could change based on student participation. Last year UB was at 24. There are currently 235 UB participants
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in the contest. Outdoor Pursuits is working directly with Student Life to find ways for students to expose themselves to outdoor activities on campus. Student Life helps facilitate canoeing, kayaking and paddle boarding on Lake LaSalle, along with offering hikes, ice-skating and white water rafting. Sammy Glenn, a senior geography major, also known as “Nightmare” on the trails, mentioned his favorite spots to go to for advanced and beginner hikers. “The Niagara Gorge hike is very easy, but a little harder would be the eternal flame,” Glenn said. “Also stomping around Chestnut Ridge and Hunters Creek is fun, but I suggest the Adirondacks.” He recently completed the Appalachian Trail and hiked through Colorado. Crispell has taken students on trips to Alaska and mentioned how much the students bond and find direction after the trip. “Catucci graduated and had no idea what he wanted to do and then he went on the
COURTESY OF RUSSEL CRISPELL
Students huddle while exploring the Alaskan mountains. Outdoor Pursuits and the Outdoor Adventure Club are urging students to participate in this year’s Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge.
trip and is now going to graduate school in the spring or fall for outdoor recreation,” Crispell said. “He got that from the learned and shared experiences he gained from his experience with Outdoor Pursuits.” Outdoor Pursuits works in conjunction with the Outdoor Adventure Club to create events and activities to rack up as many points as possible so UB can be considered one of the top 10 most outdoorsy schools in America. “Outdoor Pursuits helps students find the passion for the outdoors and then create opportunity from that passion,” Crispell said. email: evan.grisley@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @evangrisley
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5 Graduate student’s film featured in
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday, September 22, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
Buffalo International Film Festival Past mistakes help make seamless movie in historic Buffalo landmark MAX KALNITZ SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
After his senior project took a turn for the worse, Vinny DiVirgilio knew he had to redeem himself. He was filming throughout 2014 – one of Buffalo’s coldest years on record. Due to complications with “Snowvember” and subzero temperatures, DiVirgilio, a second-year graduate student, said the film ended up being a total nightmare. Due to the cold temperatures, none of his equipment would work. He had to make a lot of last-minute changes and it proved to be a larger problem than they imagined. “All the locations backed out because of the storm, so literally a week before filming, all our sites fell through,” DiVirgilio said. “All of our equipment was freezing, we had the throw out half of our footage, recorders stopped working, literally everything was messed up. And on top of that I had a torn ACL. It was the biggest mess and even postproduction it was a mess for months.” He wanted to come back with a bigger, better film that would blow his last one out of the water. When starting production for the new movie, DiVirgilio and Andrew Dale, a writing partner and fellow UB alumnus, made sure they had multiple backup plans in case something went wrong. “Unlike the first film, no matter what, we had a backup and a second backup because we didn’t want to get stuck again,” DiVirgilio said. His new film “Beyond The Sea” had far fewer setbacks, which allowed them to focus more on filming and producing the movie
exactly how they wanted it. The film is now featured in the Buffalo International Film Festival. “The last one didn’t go how we wanted,” DiVirgilio said. “Here’s this new one, let’s do it right this time.” Their camera equipment didn’t arrive on the first day, reminding them of the difficulties they had faced in the past. The pair initially worried it would set them back, but his team had reserved some equipment from UB for small problems just like that. The film was shot on the U.S.S. Croaker, a retired WWII submarine in Erie County’s Naval Park. It was a challenge to fit an entire crew on the sub as the rooms were extremely small and narrow with barely enough room for the main actor, Dale, DiVirgilio and a film crew. “The rooms were no bigger than my office, maybe 10 by eight feet, so it was tough squeezing us all on there,” DiVirgilio said. “They let us use the ship next to us as a dressing room and storage for the week, but it was still a hassle to go between ships to get certain things or talk to an actor.” “Beyond The Sea” tells the thrilling tale of Jimmy, a navy recruit fresh out of boot camp. After a standard restocking mission, a malaria outbreak kills the entire crew except for him. Jimmy is stranded behind enemy lines during the heat of World War II, submerged in Japan’s Pacific waters. As his mind starts to question if he can make it by himself, solitude isn’t the only thing he has to worry about. The small film set was already working against them, so Dale and DiVirgilio had to shoot the film in a fraction of the time
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a regular film would take. A normal day of filming can run anywhere between eight to 12 hours, but the pair didn’t have that time. “After speaking to the representatives down at the Naval Park, we were granted four six-hour days because we were only allowed there when the staff was working,” DiVirgilio said. “We had half the time to shoot the whole film, and that included getting there, setting up, filming and taking down all the equipment so we were losing even more time from that.” After wrapping up production, DiVirgilio said he was amazed with how well the filming went considering all the restrictions he encountered while on the submarine. Just as his senior project was a learning experience, he took a lot away from his most recent project. “Looking back on it after we finished filming, Andrew and I sat down and we thought ‘How the hell did we just do that?’ We basically filmed it in one 24-hour period, and that never happens,” DiVirgilio said. DiVirgilio’s filming roots were planted in high school. After realizing he didn’t want to go to culinary school, he looked for another “hands on” career to pursue. “I did not want to be in an office all day. I have to be doing something hands-on and productive,” he said. “I was always interested in how they made the films. I would always watch the behind the scenes and featurettes from my favorite films.”
COURTESY OF VINNY DIVIRGILIO
From left to right; Ryan McCarthy (composer), Andrew Dale and Vinny DiVirgilio at the film’s private screening at North Park Theater. DiVirgilio’s film is featured in the Buffalo International Film Festival.
After watching the first “Transformers” movie, DiVirgilio realized he was amazed by the “Hollywood magic” that goes into making blockbuster feature films. “I had to watch it a second time. It blew my mind that they could do so many epic actions scenes in an empty warehouse,” he said. “Everything is fake until they add in the CGI and I wanted to know all the tricks of the trade.” DiVirgilio decided to come to UB since it was the only local school that had a good film program as well as a competitive soccer team for him to play on. During his time as an undergrad, he met his current writing partner Dale. The duo, along with other classmates, worked on their senior project together and is currently in the process of creating their own media company. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT The grapevine Graduate student’s
Thursday, September 22, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
film featured in Buffalo International Film Festival CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
“It’s funny because we didn’t meet until our junior year of college, despite finding out we had multiple mutual friends on the soccer team,” Dale said. “Our senior project was the first thing I’d ever done. I’d never written anything before then. Now Vinny and I write together and this last project turned out great.” Dale and DiVirgilio worked on “Beyond The Sea” together. DiVirgilio wrote the entire first draft and then sent it to Dale, who edited it and made additional changes. “Before we even had the story idea, Vinny had known he wanted to film at the submarine,” Dale said. “So the whole story came after we booked the location. Before a script was even written, we decided we needed something heavier and visually appealing in that type of location.” The inspiration for the film came partially from DiVirgilio’s grandfather. He was a WWII buff and after his visit to the Naval Park, DiVirgilio asked him about the era and decided he wanted to focus around the war time period. Sarah Elder, a media study professor, has had Vinny in class as an undergrad and now as a TA. She said he and his work have matured since his senior project. “It’s absolutely wonderful when you get to know a student’s individual strengths, passions, fears etc.,” she said. “If you only have a student once you don’t get to know them but I got to see Vinny’s maturation as an artist. It’s thrilling; his work has gotten a lot deeper and much more meaningful.” Elder allowed DiVirgilio to play the film
in her class for students to give him feedback. Usually people ignore criticism from younger students, but DiVirgilio was persistent and edited it over and over until he got the class’s approval. “I’ve seen three or four almost finished versions, but every time he changed it we showed it in my classes and got feedback, [and I] also gave him private editing feedback,” Elder said. “He really listened to what people said. The first time he showed the final cut, he thought it was finished, but it always needs more work. Someone would point something out and he was rather surprised and disappointed when we really analyzed it.” One of DiVirgilio’s most impressive qualities is in that the film was pursued all in his free time. He put hundreds of hours into filming and production of the film and Elder was glad to see it pay off in the end. “Vinny stuck to it and went back and re worked it, and it ended up being a great film,” Elder said. “It’s very rare to get a student so focused and to do this independently. He worked past any course requirement, taking initiative to film on something like a submarine.” “Beyond The Sea” will be screened at the Buffalo International Film Festival Monday Oct. 10. It is up for an award in the short films category. email: max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @mkalnitz
BENJAMIN BLANCHET STAFF WRITER
The semester is in full swing four weeks in, which means most students are feeling the wrath of homework, tests and term papers. This is a busy time of year but relaxation should still be a part of your weekly routine and live music is a great way to unwind at the end of the week. This week has a distinguished contributor in jazz, a team of Canadian rockers and a country superstar among the musical acts making a stop in the Queen City. Whatever your style, the end of this week is especially stocked with great performers. Treat yourself to some tunes before college life gets too stressful. George Caldwell Quartet w/ Vincent Herring Thursday, Sept. 22– Burchfield Penney Art Center In celebration of the late jazz legend John Coltrane’s 90th birthday, George Caldwell and his quartet are performing with Vincent Herring at Buffalo State’s Burchfield Penney Art Center. Caldwell is an adjunct instructor at UB as well as a Grammy-winning swing pianist who has played with the wellknown Count Basie Orchestra amongst other legends from the jazz industry. He will be joined by Herring, who has played alto saxophone with jazz cats such as Nat Adderly, Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey. Together, it’s bound to be a cool night of jazz for all those that love Trane. Jason Aldean Thursday, Sept. 22 – Darien Lake Big name country crooner Jason Aldean is coming to Western New York Thursday night. Aldean’s most recent album They Don’t Know is a top seller in the US, putting him atop the country’s favorite southern musicians. Aldean is known to be irresistibly catchy with carefree twang-laden songs like “Lights Come On” and “A Little More Summertime.” It’s just the second time in a matter of weeks a chart-topping artist has performed
SEP 24 VS.
in Buffalo, since Travis Scott performing at Fall Fest on Sept. 10. If you want to hear somebody that knows how to get the crowd rocking, grab some friends and a couple of beers to see Aldean at Darien Lake. Metric Friday, Sept. 23 – Town Ballroom Canadian rockers Metric are touring on foreign soil and plan to bring their northern sound to Town Ballroom on Friday. Led by Emily Haines, Metric has swayed into a more electronic, synth-pop territory with their recent albums Synthetica and Pagans in Vegas but still uphold love and respect from their dedicated fan base. This was supposed to be Artpark’s grand finale for the year, but the show was relocated to the Town Ballroom. Plan to see Metric close up at the downtown venue accordingly. Mutual Benefit w/ Quilt Saturday, Sept. 24 – Mohawk Place Baroque folk band Mutual Benefit is set to make a splash alongside fellow indie group Quilt downtown on Saturday night. Brooklyn-born artist Jordan Lee is behind the idyllically toned band, who released Skip a Sinking Stone earlier this year to moderate acclaim. In addition, Quilt is touring to promote their latest effort Plaza as they provide a much more psychedelic theme to open the show. The show is at one of Buffalo’s premier music venues so experiencing this orchestral rock group looks to be a solid choice The Dear Hunter Sunday, Sept. 25 – The Waiting Room Rock band The Dear Hunter kicks it into high gear to end the weekend correctly. These prog-rockers by way of Boston have a story-telling approach to lyricism, titling most of their discography as acts. The group just dropped Act V: Hymns With the Devil in Confessional earlier this month. The Dear Hunter is sure to attract rock fans from all over the area to their rock opera that will be instrumentally astounding. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
7 PM
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Come out to Baird Point Saturday from 4:00 - 6:30pm and get pumped up with DJ Rankan! Free food, Interactive inflatables provided by Student Association, and compete in the True Blue Boot Camp!
FREE Thunder Sticks Free Bottle of Water FIRST 1,000 STUDENTS!
First 500 Students
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Thursday, September 22, 2016
THE SPECTRUM
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SPORTS
Thursday, September 22, 2016
X-TREME THE SPECTRUM
UB student Steven Bennett doubles as Extreme Pogo professional
MICHAEL AKELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
When Steven Bennett was 12 years old, he waited for his parents to leave the house, grabbed his pogo stick and dragged his mattress into the backyard. He had his sights set on something extreme – to complete a full backflip on his pogo stick. “I just thought to myself, ‘this would be awesome if I could do it,’ so let’s go outside and try it,” Bennett said. He had been performing backflip dismounts – a trick where he does a backflip off of his pogo stick – since the age of nine or 10, but on that day, his attempt at a full backflip on his pogo stick failed. Justifiably, he was too afraid to go over the top on a backflip while carrying his 13-pound pogo stick. Seven years later, pogo stick backflips are routine for Bennett, who in addition to being a sophomore computer science student at UB, moonlights as a professional Extreme Pogoer. Since he was 15 years old, Bennett has been signed to Xpogo, a company that travels the country to put on Extreme Pogo shows and host competitions. The sport’s trademark event, Pogopalooza, has made way for Bennett to travel to cities such as Paris, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh and other landmark spots to compete with the best Extreme Pogoers in the world. Xpogo started in 1999 as an online forum for extreme pogoers to discuss the sport and post videos of their tricks. Bennett, who began extreme pogoing at the age of eight, learned the sport by posting videos of himself to the Xpogo forum attempting tricks and getting feedback from fellow extreme pogoers. “My mom got me and my sister a bigger pogo stick and a smaller pogo stick for Christmas one year,” Bennett said. “I think it was about three months later I saw a video on YouTube of somebody doing a backflip on a pogo stick and I’m like, ‘that’s awesome.’” For years now, Bennett has been one of the faces of the sport. Xpogo no longer ranks its competitors, but in the most recent world rankings three years ago, Bennett was ranked fifth in the world. At the most recent Extreme Pogo World Championships, known as “Pogopalooza,” he was the top money winner of the competition, walking away with $750 behind a first place finish in “best trick,” second place finish in “high jump,” and sixth place finish in “freestyle.” “I’m doing new tricks that I’m the first person in the world to do and that’s a very, very cool feeling,” Bennett said. “To be like,‘wow, I’m the only person in the world
who can do that thing.’” Before he was even 10 years old, Bennett was watching videos of some of the most difficult pogo tricks in the world, trying to emulate them in his own backyard. When he was younger, he would practice for two hours a day. The first trick Bennett learned was how to bounce on his pogo stick with no hands. To do this, he squeezes his knees to the center of the pogo stick and starts bouncing. A big step for Bennett came when he was 12 years old, and he attempted his first full backflip. Bennett’s first attempt at a full backflip failed because he was afraid to go all the way around while still on his pogo stick. Fear is the biggest detriment to an extreme pogoer. Once Bennett can overcome the fear of doing a trick, he can perform it. “I did that mattress thing [for the backflip], couldn’t get it and then the winter came around and I went outside into the snow, and I ended up throwing one into the snow where I didn’t land it, but I got around with the pogo stick, and landed on my feet,” Bennett said. “Then, the summer rolled around and I wasn’t afraid to go over anymore [on the backflip], and I just tried it into grass and landed it.” In a lot of ways, the story of the action sport Xpogo and Bennett himself, have been parallel journeys. As the relatively new sport has come of age, Bennett has done the same. Now 19 years old, Bennett knows his career in extreme pogo is dwindling and as the sport continues to attempt to slowly progress towards national relevance, he’s left with the bittersweet feeling of knowing that although he is one of the sport’s original greats, it’s unlikely he will still be jumping by the time the it truly grows in popularity. “It was very small when I started, there were like maybe 40 of us who were doing the sport talking to each other,” Bennett said. “I think it could get to a point where Xpogo is a big, respected extreme sport. At the moment, I don’t think it is and during my career I don’t think it will make it to that point, but I definitely see it in the future it could be.” Extreme pogo is a sport that was built for the Internet era. Crazy tricks and highlight videos are eye-grabbing, quick to watch, and fun to share on social media. The xpogo Instagram account currently has 35.3k followers. The sport was born on the Internet and its biggest chance at becoming nationally relevant and respected as an extreme sport will come online. It’s still far away from becoming nationally relevant, but if it ever does get there, Bennett’s fingerprints will be all over its foundation. Although there are people who make a living in extreme pogo, Bennett says he has never considered taking that career path himself. He
wants to be a software engineer and expects to retire from the sport around the age of 27. Extreme pogo is such a tough sport on the body, that it’s typically dominated by teenagers. According to Bennett, “it’s not out of the blue to see a 13-year old at world championships.” Bennett has suffered many injuries in his career, including broken fingers, broken toes, a dislocated ankle and damage to his joints. As much as he loves the sport, he’s not sure how much longer he will physically be able to do it. “We’re jumping 10 feet in the air, hitting concrete from 10 feet is not fun and it’s definitely bad on the body,” Bennett said. “As you get older, it’s a lot harder to get the height and do the tricks.” Furthermore, these days, school comes first for Bennett. He can no longer practice as much as he used to. When he’s at school, he only has time to jump once every two weeks. When he does jump on campus, it’s typically at Kunz Field, where he has become something of a Snapchat superstar to those who happen to catch a glimpse of him and his pogo stick. “There are times when it’s a little tough and I miss out on doing gigs because I have to stay here for an exam or I have to study,” Bennett said. “It’s definitely harder than if I was just a student, but I think the fun of being able to do all these things and travel is worth taking the extra time.” Bennett’s best trick winner from Pogopalooza this year, called “the floppy ball,” is one of the most difficult tricks ever pulled off on a pogo stick. Since he landed it at Pogopalooza this past summer, the trick has not even been attempted by anyone else, including Bennett himself. “I probably won’t try it again,” Bennett said. “That’s usually how best trick goes is that you try it the one time and then once you land it that’s the trick... because it’s such a difficult trick that it’s like, ‘man, I don’t need to do that again.’” Bennett invented the floppy ball a few years ago at Pogopalooza and came in third place for best trick. The trick he won with
COURTESY OF STEVEN BENNETT
Steven Bennet bounces on a pogo stick in Hudson River park (1), Louvre art museum in Paris (2) and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Paris (3). Since he was 15 years old, Bennett has been signed to Xpogo.
this year was a more advanced variation of the original floppy ball. “I throw the pogo stick under my leg, I pull it up into the air, touch both the pegs with both my hands, spin it 360 with the pegs and land back on it,” Bennett said. The most surreal moment of Bennett’s extreme pogo career came at Pogopalooza 2014 in Paris. His phone and wallet had been stolen on the second day of the two-week trip. Bennett, just 17 at the time, was sitting under a tree with his pogo stick, eating a French baguette sandwich, when he looked straight ahead and saw the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe in the background. For a moment, he forgot that his phone and wallet had been stolen as he pondered the unlikeliness of the whole situation. “I’m sitting there and I’m like ‘wow, I never thought pogo sticking would take me to this point where I’m sitting under a tree, eating a sandwich, looking at two world landmarks,’” Bennett said. When he’s on campus, Bennett blends in with the crowd. Walking by him in the hallway, you might not know it, but through a lot of pain and a lot of practice, he has become one of the first legends in a sport that isn’t going away. Eventually, he will hang up his pogo stick once and for all. Nobody can be extreme forever and Bennett seems to be fully prepared for the moment when he can no longer jump 10 feet off the ground on a pogo stick. He’s at peace with what he’s accomplished and excited to see the sport continue to grow. “Who ever would have thought jumping on a pogo stick would get me to travel the world,” Bennett said. email: michael.akelson@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @mikeakelson