THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017
MONEY ISSUE
PAGE 7 An Amazon headquarters in Buffalo would transform UB, professor says
PAGE 4 District Attorney expresses concern about Dennis Black’s & Andrea Costantino’s conviction
UB officials attempt to tighten financial controls A timeline of UB’s financial measures amid Dennis Black and Andrea Costantino investigations
1998
VOLUME 67 NO. 5
PAGE 8 Dennis Black on tape: A grand larceny playlist
University Heights Collaborative members and student representatives discuss late-night busing Community members angry about disorderly student behavior; students concerned about safety
SARAH CROWLEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
2007
2017
2016
1998
1998
Dennis Black becomes vice president for Student Affairs
Andrea Costantino becomes director of Student Life
2007
Investigation revealed Black had been stealing state funds
2010
Black becomes vice president of University Life and Services
2013
2012
Costantino becomes director of Campus Living
7.7.2016
President Tripathi announces Black resignation
Investigation revealed Costantino had been stealing state funds
APRIL 2016
UB names director of Internal Audit
APRIL 2016
UB Revises Fraud & Irregularities - Awareness & Reporting Policy
OCTOBER 2016
President Tripathi communicates to the campus regarding Black investigation
APRIL 2017
UB Revises External Audit Activity Policy
NOVEMBER 2016
UB launches new ethics hotline & website
JANUARY 2017
UB creates new Safeguarding Cash and Cash Equivalents Policy
Erie County’s District Attorney John Flynn had questions for UB after two former university administrators pleaded guilty in court to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in state funds last Thursday. “What can be done to prevent this further?” Flynn asked. “What mechanisms need to be put in place at UB to ensure that this doesn’t happen again? That’s the key question right now. And that’s not a job for me. That’s out of my lane. That’s the question that the Council at UB, in my opinion, needs to address.” The convictions of former UB Vice President Dennis Black and former Campus Living Director Andrea Costantino came roughly six months after a former UB supervisor pleaded guilty to felony charges of bid-rigging. The Spectrum asked UB administrators what is being done to ensure these thefts do not happen again. The following timeline reflects a series of measures the administration says it has taken as the Black scandal unfolded. 4/7/2016 UB names Director of Internal Audit
On April 7, 2016, UB names a Director of Internal Audit, Kara Kearney-Saylor. Kearney-Saylor is the first to hold this title at UB. Spokesperson John Della Contrada explained that while there has always been an internal audit function, there was never a director overseeing the process. Since coming aboard June 1, 2016, Kearney-Saylor has been tasked with a major role in developing and managing the school’s internal audit policy. These tasks include developing and managing a comprehensive risk assessment and internal audit program, leading the development of UB’s annual audit program and serve as the first point of contact for all external audits. 4/27/2016 UB revises fraud and irregularities, awareness and reporting policy
UB updates its fraud and irregularities AUGUST 2017 MAY 2017 policy by eliminating the SUNY ethics hoUB creates new UB Establishes New tline in favor for a new, third-party-affiliInternal Controls Policy risk management panel ate UB EthicsPoint hotline. Kearney-Saylor receives and reports hotline results 9.8.2017 to UB’s leadership who then investi8.18.2017 Black and gate the matter. Andrea Costantino Costantino Kearney-Saylor said the hotline resigns as plead guilty to has been used since its rollout in Campus Living grand fall of 2016, but the results of the Director larceny investigations are kept confidential.
JACK LI, THE SPECTRUM
Students and community members from the University Heights discuss plans for the future of the neighborhood.
MADDY FOWLER ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
Molly Poremski can finally sleep through the night without fear of having her fence torn down or a rock thrown in her window. Poremski, a digital collections librarian at UB and the secretary of the University Heights Collaborative neighborhood group, was one of 30 neighborhood residents who gathered at the Gloria Parks Community Center on Thursday evening to discuss recent changes to UB’s late-night busing schedule with student representatives. Starting this semester, the UB Stampede no longer offers service from North Campus residence halls to South Campus after 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The last bus from the academic area on North Campus to
South Campus is at 2 a.m. on those days. The object of the meeting was to “start a conversation” about the busing changes, according to Mike Brown, the Student Association assembly speaker and the UB Council student representative. SA President Leslie Veloz, MBA student Mark Wilson, Interim Graduate Student Association President Jennifer Schechter and senior accounting and finance major Nsama Nkolonganya also participated in the meeting. Brown, a junior political science and computer science major, feels improving the quality of life for residents in University Heights at night is important. But he is also concerned about the safety of students who need late-night weekend transportation. He wants to find a compromise that meets both students’ and community members’ needs. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Student Association budget breakdown A look into where your student activity fee goes
MADDY FOWLER ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
UB undergraduates pay a $104.75 student activity fee each semester, but many don’t realize where that money goes. The student activity fee goes directly into the Student Association’s $4.4 million budget – the largest student government budget in the SUNY system – which is managed and allocated by SA Treasurer Janet Austin. Austin feels it’s “sad” many students do
not know what SA actually does. “I feel like lot of people think that SA money just goes to the fests but there’s so much more that goes to it,” Austin said. SA funds the annual Fall and Spring Fests, Homecoming Carnival and the Fall and Spring Galas. SA allocates funds for offcampus activities including Sabres, AMC and Shea’s tickets and, starting this year, Bills tickets. SA also funds half of the budgets for the roughly 150 student-run clubs and organizations on-campus. The groups have to fundraise for the remainder of their budgets. A portion of the $4.4 million goes towards paying SA staff members. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
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2
Thursday, September 14, 2017 THE SPECTRUM
UB police plan to arrest suspect in string of dorm burglaries are working with the suspect’s family members to get him to surrender himself, but have been unsuccessful to date. The suspect has a court date in the City of Buffalo later this week, where UPD plan to detain him. If the suspect does not show up for his court date, Sticht said the police have a few options. They will resort to their warrant recovery program or request the U.S. Marshall service for assistance. Police identified the suspect several weeks ago, but did not have a reliable address and were unable to detain him. The suspect allegedly burglarized a total of seven dorm rooms since July 5, according to university police, during which he has stolen cash, credit cards and
The suspect is non-violent and has a criminal history of burglarizing SARAH CROWLEY
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
UB police are planning to arrest the suspect tied to a string of on-campus housing burglaries. They have obtained a warrant from the Erie County District Attorney’s office to detain the suspect for several misdemeanor and felony charges of burglarizing and theft, according to Deputy Chief of Police Josh Sticht. Police
University Heights Collaborative members and student representatives discuss late-night busing CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Brown said students – particularly firstyear students who likely are not familiar with the area – often roam University Heights late at night in search of parties. He feels these students could be targets of crime, given the multiple armed robberies that occurred in the neighborhood last year. He also pointed out students who work at Campus Dining and Shops facilities that are open as late as 3 a.m. on weekend nights need transportation from North to South Campus. Many South Campus residents also study at the 24-hour Silverman Library late into the night on Friday and Saturday evenings because there is not a 24-hour library on South Campus. While some community members felt it “implausible” that students would need to
study that late on weekend nights, the students explained they often have to contend with loud roommates and other distractions in their residences so they need to go to the library in order to focus. Many students work in addition to taking full-time course loads and sometimes weekend nights are the only time they have to study, Veloz, a senior English and psychology major, pointed out. University Heights resident Ellen Dragos proposed petitioning for a 24-hour library on South Campus as a potential solution to this problem. However, the University Heights residents remained firm in their position that they were happy with the elimination of latenight weekend busing. “You’re asking us to change something
car keys, and twice he stole the student’s vehicle. On Friday evening, the suspect stole a student’s car from a parking lot in the Ellicott Complex. The vehicle has not been recovered. UPD has warrants for six incidents, including several misdemeanors and felony charges. The suspect has a criminal history of burglarizing other parts of Buffalo, including Buffalo State College, said Sticht. “He has it down to a science,” Sticht said. “He exploits the fact that most college students do not want to confront someone and he knows to just walk in behind a student and they won’t feel comfortable saying anything to him.” that’s working,” Poremski said. “You say you want a compromise, but how are you going to stop kids screaming at me? [How] are you going to make it better so I can sleep at night?” University Heights residents are “sick” of having their homes vandalized and their properties “trashed” by partying students. Following the bus schedule change, residents report parties have “diminished significantly” and unruly student behavior has gone down along with it. “Not having 200 students dropped off on our neighborhood in the evening, turning it into Bourbon Street, is also helping,” Poremski said. The residents were visibly angry and defensive about the prospect of bringing back 24-hour busing on Fridays and Saturdays for fear it would lead to more vandalism, violence and disruption. “I definitely recognize their concerns and
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Counseling Services invites students to attend a Suicide Prevention training session on Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Student Union. The Question, Persuade,
Refer (QPR) training session will cap off a week of programming in honor of National Suicide Prevention Week. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students, according to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center. University Police are partnering with Campus Wellness and Counseling Services
email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com
it’s quite reasonable that many residents had strong vocal opposition if they believe that bringing back the buses will bring back chaos,” Brown said. He feels this is an issue that cannot be solved in one meeting. “I had good conversations with some of the residents and University Heights Collaborative members afterwards and they expressed how they do see where I’m coming from, so I think smaller personal conversations are far better for both sides to understand each other,” Brown said. Brown remains hopeful that a compromise between students and University Heights residents can be reached. “I think that there is a solution that can be worked out, but it’s something that we as students have to remain committed to,” Brown said. email: maddy.fowler@ubspectrum.com
Counseling Services to host suicide prevention training on Friday SARAH CROWLEY
The suspect is in his early twenties, a trait he uses to his advantage, Sticht said. He does not look out of place on campus, and will wait outside residence halls until a student lets him enter behind them. The suspect will then wander until he finds an open dorm room. Police remind students to keep their dorm rooms locked and to call UPD at 6452222 if a suspicious person enters behind them into a secure building. “Students don’t have to confront the person, but call us if you’re not sure,” Sticht said. “We’ll come and see, and if it’s a student then it’s no harm, no foul. If it’s not a student, then we can take care of it.”
for Friday’s program. The program will deliver information for students, faculty and staff to identify early warning signs of depression and suicidal thoughts. The QPR session will introduce a framework for students to talk about depression, and develop appropriate tactics to approach and recognize warning signs of suicide. It
is similar to bystander intervention, Deputy Chief of Police Joshua Sticht said. “All it takes is for one person to attend and to save a life for it to be worth it for all of us, so that’s awesome,” Sticht said. National suicide prevention lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com
COUNSELING GROUPS • FALL 2017 buffalo.edu/studentlife/counseling Coping Skills
Mondays 1:00 – 2:30 • 301 Michael Hall Tuesdays 1:00 – 2:30 • 120 Richmond Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:30 • 301 Michael Hall This structured group will teach skills to live in the present, deal with stress, manage difficult emotions, and handle interpersonal conflict.
Letting Go: Stress and Anxiety Management Wednesdays 3:00 – 4:30pm • 120 Richmond
A combination of skills and discussion, this group aims to help members decrease anxiety and stress in their lives. Members will learn about anxiety as well as tools to deal with anxiety and stress. Members will problem solve with other members about effective ways to cope and navigate a relationship with anxiety and stress.
Getting Through Grad Work
iRest Meditation
A semi-structured group for graduate students who are working on dissertations, theses, comprehensive exams, or other large graduate projects and are looking for help with staying motivated, goal setting and completion, and getting support.
iRest meditation increases awareness of thoughts, emotions and physical sensations that contribute to both a sense of un-ease and a sense of wellbeing. Regular practice of meditation can lead to improvements in sleep, concentration and emotional regulation. No previous meditation practice is required.
Mondays 3:00-4:30 • 120 Richmond
International Tea Time
Mondays 5:00 – 6:30pm 240 Student Union (Intercultural and Diversity Center) This is a weekly free meeting which brings together U.S. and international students for conversation and fun. Students play games, talk, and enjoy getting to know each other. International tea and snacks are provided.
International Student Support Group Tuesdays 3:00 – 4:30pm • 120 Richmond
This group will provide a safe, supportive, and comfortable place to discuss adjustment and cross-cultural experiences in the U.S. The group will also provide a safe and confidential environment for group members to support each other and share information.
Connections
Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:30 • 120 Richmond Thursdays 3:00 – 4:30 • 301 Michael Hall This group provides a warm and supportive environment in which you can experiment constructively with new ways of relating to others, share personal experiences, express fears and concerns, and get support and feedback.
Graduate & Non-Traditional Student Group Wednesdays 1:00 – 2:30pm • 301 Michael Hall
This group is designed to allow graduate and non-traditional students explore the unique challenges they face in a safe and supportive environment. It can help students explore their identity, find new ways of relating to others, recognize how stressors impact them, and share personal experiences. The group can assist students in finding alternative ways of looking at life’s challenges to enable the development of healthier coping strategies.
Thursdays 1:00 – 2:15pm • 120 Richmond
Yoga to Manage Moods
Thursdays 1:30 – 2:30pm • Michael Hall Yoga Studio (September 14 – October 19) A co-ed Hatha Yoga group that provides a holistic approach to mood and symptom management. Using a combination of gentle physical poses, breathing and relaxation techniques, this group allows participants to feel more connected and balanced within the body and mind. A trauma sensitive, person-centered approach will be utilized and no previous yoga experience is necessary.
Eat Breathe Thrive™
Thursdays 1:00 – 3:00pm • Michael Hall Yoga Studio (October 26 – December 7) Eat Breathe Thrive is an integrative mind-body group for women struggling with food and body image issues. This six week series combines yoga, meditation, interactive activities, and community support to cultivate a healthier relationship with food, body image, and self. No previous yoga experience is necessary.
Students must complete an Initial Assessment at Counseling Services to participate in all groups except International Tea Time. If you would like to schedule an initial assessment or need further information, please call Counseling Services at 716.645.2720.
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Thursday, September 14,14, 2017 Thursday, September 2017 THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Hannah Stein
MANAGING EDITOR
Maggie Wilhelm Grace Trimper COPY EDITORS
Saqib Hossain Dan McKeon Emma Medina NEWS EDITORS
Sarah Crowley, Senior FEATURES EDITORS
Max Kalnitz, Senior Maddy Fowler, Asst. Lindsay Gilder, Asst. ARTS EDITORS
Benjamin Blanchet, Senior David Tunis-Garcia, Senior Brenton Blanchet, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Danny Petruccelli, Senior Thomas Zafonte, Senior Jeremy Torres, Asst. MULTIMEDIA EDITORS
Troy Wachala, Senior Allison Staebell, Senior
Administration needs to be more clear about how money is spent Students consistently left out of the loop on major money-related decisions How is money spent at UB? And why isn’t there more student input? Why is money directed toward all these expensive construction projects like the $90,000 Putnam's renovation and 1Capen, initiatives that seem to benefit the university’s appearance more than they benefit the quality of the actual education that current students receive? We do not ask these questions because we are angry or trying to point fingers. We would just like a better idea about where our tuition money and tax dollars are going. We aren’t assuming the funds are being used in the wrong way – we just believe, as students of a public university, we
should have a say in where our money goes, and an understanding of the context behind seemingly random and unnecessary projects such as the Putnam’s renovation. Involving students in conversation. We are just asking for some clarity. We see the university is climbing the ranks – this year we achieved No. 41 in the U.S. News & World Report, our highest ranking ever. But so much of what is going on behind the scenes remains a mystery to us. Is all the new construction related to UB 2020? If so, why not tell us that? Why not tout it? We are excited to see changes and updates at our university. We are excited to see it
CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Pierce Strudler Arielle Channin, Asst.
Apple falls far from the tree With the release of the iPhone X, Apple creates a product unlike any they have before
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley
ADVERTISING MANAGERS
Ayesha Kazi GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGERS
Stephen Jean-Pierre Shawn Zhang, Asst.
JEREMY TORRES ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
THE SPECTRUM Thursday, September 14, 2017 Volume 67 Number 5 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
Since Apple released the first iPhone in 2007, they have been changing the landscape of communication and how we as humans interact with one another. Ten years later, Apple is still reinventing the wheel. I have never been more excited. Two days ago, Apple announced its newest baby: the iPhone X (ten). They also announced the iPhone 8 and 8s, but the X is what really stands out from the rest. The X is unlike any other Apple product to date, and with that there will be a cost – a pretty steep one at that. The iPhone X is being marketed as a “premium tier
phone,” and that will involve a premium price, starting at $999. There will be two models, a 64GB and a 256 GB. Preorders for the product will start on Oct. 27 and will be shipped starting Nov. 3. Many are saying that the price point is too high for consumers to go along with. I disagree. Apple has proved time and time again they set the market. There will be many more features included with the iPhone X and with the newly announced release of iOS 11, which is a whole other discussion. The iPhone X is aesthetically much different than previous editions of the iPhone, removing the bezel and home button. It also has an edge-to-edge super retina display (5.8-inch screen, 458 pixels per inch) OLED display. With the removal of the home button, facial recognition will now allow you to unlock your iPhone. We are evolving with technology and the facial recognition feature will definitely scare people. Although it seems invasive, the introduction of this kind of tech-
A LETTER FROM President Tripathi Dear University Community, As university president, I share in your sheer disappointment and deep anger over the crimes committed by two now-former UB employees. It is only natural that we, as a campus community, would feel a collective sense of betrayal upon learning that two of our own longtime employees abused their trusted role as public servants by stealing university funds for their own selfish purposes. Their actions demonstrated a brazen disregard for our university, our students, our faculty, our employees and the many communities we serve. And yet, it is important that we not let the actions of these bad actors cast a pall over our university. Even as we grapple with the shock and anger we feel over this egregious breach of trust, we must remind ourselves of one important fact: This is not what UB is about. At UB, we don’t just value integrity as a concept; we live it. That is why, when someone makes a mockery of this value, it reverberates
throughout our entire community. And when this happens, it is imperative that UB leadership makes sure procedures and policies are in place, and are being strictly followed, to ensure that it never happens again. As I said in my email to the university community last week, when I first learned of potential financial mismanagement in the former University Life and Services organization, I immediately called for an internal audit. As soon as we uncovered financial irregularities, we delved deeper still, uncovering the financial abuse that led to us turn over the investigation to the Office of the Inspector General, who in turn passed it to the District Attorney. Throughout this process, we took swift and appropriate measures to tighten our financial controls. This included assigning authority for all financial decisions and transactions in the Faculty Student Association (FSA) and the former University Life and Services (ULS) organization to the Vice President for Finance and Administration.
grow and improve. We just want to be included in the conversation about what’s happening next. The UB 2020 website is vague; it states UB 2020 “is focused on raising our stature and expanding the impact of our mission even further – regionally, statewide, nationally and worldwide – through our pursuit of academic excellence.” But what does that actually mean? What does that entail? How is it going to be achieved? The answers the website provides are nonspecific at best; “innovation and rigor,” “global leadership” and “research innovation” are certainly noble goals, but “steadily expanding our stature, renown and impact” aren’t exactly concrete steps to achieve them. We would like to see an easily and publically accessible breakdown of the specific budget and where each of its components is going. We want to get behind these projects, but it’s hard to do so when they all seem like random decisions made in the dark. Why not hold a press conference in the new conference room and lay
out what is happening for UB 2020 each year? This would get students excited and serve as good publicity. We are sure there is a specific, concrete plan; we can’t imagine UB is just spending money on beautification projects willy-nilly. But when they don’t share the context and scope of what they are doing, that’s kind of what it looks like. And it’s what results in thousands of annoyed students scoffing at what appears to be a pointless, purely aesthetically motivated renovation to Putnam’s done without our input while we were gone for the summer. Students get angry about decisions like the one made to cut late night busing or renovate Putnam’s, not just because we like to find things to complain about. It’s because it makes us feel patronized. Left out. Like we do not deserve to be a part of the conversation at our own university. We want to be excited about the new projects at UB. But we cannot do that if you do not want to share your plans with us.
nology will be how security access is developed moving forward in the future. You can choose to accept that now or wait a few years when everything switches to facial recognition. Regardless, it is going to happen, with or without you. Facial recognition has its pros and cons. For one, it’s a much safer method than the fingerprint scanner. With facial recognition, the chances of a stranger being able to unlock your phone are much slimmer than with fingerprint access. However, despite the security advantage, the downsides are the reaction time and the questionable practicality of facial recognition. With the finger scanner, you can unlock your phone in seconds; by the time you take it out of your pocket, your phone can be unlocked. Another downside to the new iPhone is the actual display of the phone, the edge-to-edge screen. On all other editions of the iPhone, the bezel allows for full display of media without any obstruction of view. On the iPhone X, the facial recognition scanner and front-facing camera, will obstruct a portion of media content – the only downside to an otherwise beautiful display. The new front and back glass will be both water and dust resistant. While it’s frustrating that the screen
isn’t fully waterproofed, I have a feeling Apple will perfect and mass produce a fully waterproof iPhone in the future. Technology can only move so fast, and if Apple wants to keep exciting customers, they have to hold on to a few ideas for the next generation of iPhones. One of the most underrated features of the new generations of iPhones is portrait mode. Nowadays, everybody wants to feel like a photographer. Apple made that possible with portrait mode in the iPhone 7 Plus, and they just made it better. The new portrait mode allows users to choose from multiple options when snapping a photo, adjusting lighting and color that will enhance and cater to the needs of the photographer. Apple has decided to keep it simple with this release in order to keep up with the demand the phone is going to attract, this iPhone will be back down to two basic colors: space gray and silver. The iPhone X will be the phone that will define the new generation of phones. It’s a foreshadowing of what the world is capable of in the future in terms of technology, and the advancements that are going to be made and I, for one, can’t wait to get my hands on one.
Over the past three years, we have taken a number of steps to enhance our university’s control structure. The measures taken are meant to ensure that across every area of the university we are exercising the utmost diligence in our business and financial practices: • revising and updating our fraud and irregularities reporting policy; • launching an ethics hotline and website; • creating a new policy for the administration of, and internal controls over, university cash-handling operations; • establishing an enterprise risk management panel to identify risks across the university and to provide guidance to manage or mitigate them; and • establishing a new internal controls policy. The controls we put in place specific to the FSA have included: • revising the FSA board bylaws; • reconstituting the FSA board of directors and appointing independent directors; • establishing an FSA audit committee; and • engaging an external audit firm to perform an internal controls review.
Anytime an institution undergoes a breach in the public trust, it is inevitable that we ask: How do we prevent this from happening again? As president, it is my responsibility to ensure that it never does. We have been deliberate and thorough in putting in place, across our institution, controls to protect every unit within UB. Further, we will be vigilant in enforcing these policies and procedures throughout our university. As I have said before, integrity is not an abstract value at UB. It is a lived value. I am proud to say that we have incredibly dedicated and honest employees across UB. It is the dedicated and honest members of our university community—our students, our faculty and our staff— who areadvancing the greater public good through their ideas, their discoveries and their innovations. This is not just our mission; it is how we identify as a campus community. I see this every day in our classrooms, in our engagement with our neighbors here and far, and in our research and creative expression that betters humanity. It is this honest work, done with integrity, that exemplifies UB.
email: eic@ubspectrum.com
email: jeremy.torres@ubspectrum.com
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Thursday, September 14, 2017 THE SPECTRUM
District Attorney expresses concern about Dennis Black’s and Andrea Costantino’s conviction Lack of transparency worries officials MAX KALNITZ SR. FEATURES EDITOR
Erie County District Attorney John Flynn is in disbelief at the lack of trust between UB students and administrators one week after prosecuting former Vice President Dennis Black and former Director of Campus Living Andrea Costantino. In an interview with The Spectrum Tuesday, Flynn voiced concerns and frustrations about the transparency of UB officials in the wake of securing guilty pleas from Black and Costantino for grand larceny. Flynn disapproved of President Satish Tripathi’s reluctance to meet with members of the student body and offered his own solution to fix the internal issues within UB’s administration. Tripathi declined to meet with Spectrum reporters this week, despite multiple interview requests. “If I’m the head of an organization and there are internal concerns with regards to finance, which there obviously are at UB, I personally would do all I could to resolve them,” Flynn said. “Not only would I fix the problems, but I would ensure that I communicated to all concern[ed] that the problems were fixed, to help restore some of the trust and confidence that has been lost by Mr. Black and Ms. Costantino.” John Della Contrada UB spokesperson, said in an email that Tripathi would continue to update students and staff in the coming months and that the president would make time to meet with The Spectrum in the future. Tripathi released a statement to the UB community in response to the convictions of Black and Costantino. “[President Tripathi] understands that students and other members of the university
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
District Attorney John Flynn discusses the aftermath of former Vice President of Student Affairs, Dennis Black and Former Director of Campus Living, Andrea Constantino’s prosecution.
community have concerns about these crimes, how they were committed and the university’s role in uncovering the crimes,” Della Contrada said. “This is why the president sent an email to students, faculty and staff immediately after the convictions were announced…In addition, he plans to sit down with The Spectrum to discuss the issue as well as other university initiatives and activities.” Tripathi also intends to address the issue during his annual university address in October, according to Della Contrada. Flynn, a UB alum, noted the Black case was not the only recent instance of a large amount of money being stolen from UB. Last year, former UB maintenance supervisor Dean Yerry was convicted of taking a $1 million bribe for a painting deal and stealing $100,000 from the university. Flynn expressed frustration with the way his alma mater has been handling its money recently. “If I’m on the council of UB and I’ve
had two instances of this in the past four months, where six-figure amounts have been stolen, I’m going to ask, ‘What’s going on? What are we doing to ensure that our finances are not being stolen?’” Flynn said. “I hope, as an alumnus of UB’s law school and as a member of this community, I hope that those questions are being asked.” Black, who admitted stealing $320,000 from UB, also owes more than $22,000 to the New York State Taxation and Finance Department for falsifying tax records.Costantino, who stole $14,000 from UB, and Black have not yet returned the money to UB. Flynn explained when restitution is required, it can take some time before the owed amount is returned to its rightful owner. “When someone pleads guilty and the case requires restitution, it’s usually required on their sentencing date,” Flynn said. “There are certain times when the judge permits an allocated amount of time for the defendant to come up with the required amount of mon-
ey, so that could also be the case.” Della Contrada said Black and Costantino are expected to pay the school back for the money they stole. “Black and Costantino have been directed to send their restitution to UB’s Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration,” Della Contrada said. “The money will be used for its original purpose: to fund student services.” After Black’s sudden resignation in July 2016, he relocated to his second home in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., where he resided until his plea last week. Last fall, news surfaced that Black was at the center of an investigation into his spending at UB. Black pleaded guilty before he was publicly charged or before the case went to a trial. “Black knew he was going to be indicted,” Flynn said. “We told his lawyer that he could walk Black in here and we’d find him guilty for the highest charge or we’d indict him.” Flynn feels Black betrayed the trust of UB students, parents and staff and community of UB and plans to seek prison time for the former university vice president. A judge, however, will ultimately determine whether Black and Costantino serve time in custody, and for how long. Black faces a maximum of five to 15 years in prison for the larceny charge and up to four years for filing a false tax return. Costantino also abruptly resigned from her position several weeks ago. Her case wasn’t closed until recently, according to Flynn, so she kept her position at UB for a longer duration of time. Flynn and the state Office of the Inspector General determined Black and Costantino communicated with each other during the nine years that money was stolen from the university. Without a recording on file, law enforcement officials aren’t sure how long the two conversed or how they tried to hide their actions from the university. CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Start your week off right and go to Mass!
The Newman Center 495 Skinnersville Road Amherst, NY 14228 Saturdays: 5PM Sundays: 9AM, 10:30AM Student Mass: 6:30PM Daily Mass: Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays at 12PM
Free Dinners: Wednesday Night’s beginning at 6PM (Check the UB Newman Center Facebook for more information)
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5
Thursday, September 14, 2017 THE SPECTRUM
Students and faculty discuss the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Harvey In the wake of two severe hurricanes, UB community thinks about the impact of a globally changing climate MAX KALNITZ SR. FEATURES EDITOR
Hurricanes Harvey and Irma set a firsttime record; two Atlantic, category four hurricanes made U.S. landfall in the same year. The U.S. experienced one of the most severe natural disasters across the country. On Friday, the House of Representatives passed a $15.25 billion hurricane relief package. President Trump has donated $1 million of his own money. The UK has pledged millions of dollars in relief donations and celebrity telethons are raising money for parts of the country hit by Irma’s path. The Spectrum sat down with Dr. Jason Briner, an associate geology professor, to discuss the hurricanes and their relationship to climate change. Briner said it’s difficult to attribute one storm season or weather event to global climate change. “The statistical relationship between global temperature and hurricane frequency is not really there,” Briner said. “There’s not a one to one relationship between hurricane strength and frequency and how the climate is changing. That said, if you look at the longer-term pattern in the last 100 years, there is a trend in increasing frequency in hurricanes and stronger hurricanes.” Briner thinks the change in climate may bring more extreme weather events including extreme drought and hurricanes.
“They’re very important reminders when they do happen that this may occur more in the future and really highlights the vulnerability of costal locations,” Briner said. “In the future, we not only have sea level rise but these types of storms we’re experiencing now, so the impacts are going to be even more severe.” UB alumnus Sara DiNatale who resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, witnessed Hurricane Irma and its damage firsthand. DiNatale experienced Irma’s power on a smaller scale than compared to other parts of the state. DiNatale, a reporter for The Tampa Bay Times reported live updates of Irma’s landfall and spent Saturday night at a friend’s house and Sunday night in the basement of the paper’s printing plant. Sitting on their air mattresses, DiNatale and her co-workers feared for the state of their city. “We didn’t want to wake up and go outside to see our city in shambles,” DiNatale said. “We were all scared. Florida is my new home, I’ve been here for about two years and even though we were safe and prepared in our building, it’s really sad to see the damage done to other communities.” Irma was predicted to reach the Tampa area as at least a category four hurricane, but dropped to a category one before making contact. Still, DiNatale says it was a new experience different from anything she experienced in Buffalo. “A hurricane is nothing like preparing for a snowstorm in Buffalo,” DiNatale said. “You know what to expect and how to prepare for a snowstorm. With a hurricane track, only so much can be predicted. You’re waiting to see what happens and there’s a lot of anxiety waiting for it to hit. A lot of people were actually mad that it didn’t hit us as hard since they prepared for a category four,
COURTESY OF SARA DINATALE
UB alumnus Sara DiNatale walks her dog alongside fallen trees as a result of Hurricane Irma.
but we definitely dodged a bullet.” Some UB students were indirectly affected by Irma’s destruction. Corey Van Auken, a sophomore aerospace engineering major, has family who lives in Florida and Puerto Rico. Van Auken said they didn’t experience much damage but had no electricity. Van Auken agrees that although there is
no direct correlation, climate change is affecting global weather negatively. Briner encourages students to educate themselves on the issue of climate change. He feels it an inescapable force that will affect the world in the next 100 years. email: max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com
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Thursday, September 14, 2017 THE SPECTRUM
Student Association budget breakdown CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
The student activity fee is determined democratically, based on periodic referendums that students can vote on. The referendums let students vote on whether the fee should be mandatory – as it is now – or optional. They can also vote on whether to raise or lower the fee, and it is ultimately decided based on student consensus, according to Student Activities Assistant Director Luke Haumesser, who is responsible for ensuring the elections follow SUNY guidelines. “It’s my responsibility to empower students to vote, to participate and to have a say. It’s not my fee, it’s their fee,” Haumesser said. Transparency is important to Austin, and she wants students to understand they have a right to know how their money is being spent. “Everything is public, so if students want to know where money is being spent in SA, they can look at the general ledger [online] or they can even just come up to the office and ask us,” Austin said. “I know a lot of times students get mad because they don’t see the fest artist they want so they’re like, ‘Well, where is my money going?’ Well, they can actually come up and ask us and we can tell them exactly where it’s going.” As treasurer, Austin is responsible for looking at all the money a club wants to spend as well as allocating where $4.4 million goes. Austin has to approve all SA purchase requests and orders. Once the purchase has her approval, Haummesser reviews the purchase to ensure it follows the
SUNY student activity fee guidelines. “[SUNY] guidelines stipulate what the fees can be used for, how the fee is collected and distributed,” Haummesser said. He then signs a fiscal agreement with Sub-Board I, and SA can then allocate the funds as they see fit. Every purchase is tracked and monitored, making sure to catch any errors, all while keeping open communication with SA, according to Haummesser “The lot of checks and balances and safeguards are in place to protect the integrity of student activity fee,” he said. After Haummesser approves a purchase, SA President Leslie Veloz or SA Vice President Jamersin Redfern give the final stamp of approval. “But I’m really the first person to look at it and if I feel like it’s an unnecessary purchase or a good purchase, I’m the first one that looks at it. And I have to approve it before it can go through, so those other three people can’t approve of it unless I do it first,” Austin said. Casey Berry, junior industrial engineering major “doesn’t love” the fact that she has to pay a student activity fee, but she appreciates that she’s able to participate in campus activities without paying extra, so she feels it is worth it. “It’s nothing crazy – tuition is already thousands; a hundred isn’t too much to add on,” Berry said. Austin thinks the student activity fee is
$4.4
million budget
• Funds 150+ clubs • Fall Fest • Spring Fest • Homecoming Carnival • Galas Other activities off campus include: - Sabres tickets, - Bills tickets, - AMC tickets, - SA staff income
LARGEST budget in SUNY
System
Comes out of:
$104.75
student activity fee ...also require clubs to fundraise 50% of the budget they’re given
SA budget information is public, so if students want to know where money is being spent, they can look at the general ledger, visit the SA office or website. GRAPHIC BY ARIELLE CHANIN & PIERCE STRUDLER
worthwhile because it helps provide students with a well-rounded college experience. “Coming to college is more than just going to learn and study. There’s a whole other atmosphere that students should be engaged in. [There are] other things on-cam-
pus that students should be able to go to as well and explore and not just always have to be in the library studying,” Austin said. email: maddy.fowler@ubspectrum.com
UB officials attempt to tighten financial controls CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
7/7/16 UB announces VP Dennis Black’s resignation
President Satish Tripathi announces Dennis Black’s resignation. Laura Hubbard, vice president for Finance and Administration,
takes over as interim vice president. Tripathi thanks Black for his almost 40 years of service and wishes him good luck in retirement. The university makes no further comment as to the nature of Black’s abrupt and unceremonious departure.
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11/16/16 UB launches EthicsPoint hotline
UB launches its partnership with third party hotline, EthicsPoint. The EthicsPoint hotline will serve as another platform for students and faculty to report any issues or irregularities in conduct on campus. Kearney-Saylor oversees the hotline and reports issues to leadership at UB. Faculty express mixed feelings toward new hotline. 1/4/17 UB creates new safeguarding cash and cash equivalents policy
UB establishes policy for all departments who handle cash and/or cash equivalents. The policy discourages use of cash or checks in favor of electronic forms of payment (ePay), establishes policy on handling cash or checks securely when it is necessary and establishes checks and balances through “segregate duties” when employees are handling cash.
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4/14/17 UB revises external audit activity policy
External audits will now be directed to the Director of Internal Audit, Kearney-Saylor instead of the Associate Vice President and Controller. The audit engagement partner must be rotated every five years and the audit engagement firm rotated every ten years.
5/11/17 UB creates new internal controls policy
UB establishes an official framework for best financial practices. The policy outlines best practices, including segregation of duties, safeguarding assets, review and approval and documentation, as well as outlining responsibilites for the president, internal control officer, internal audit and all other employees. 8/14/17 UB creates risk management panel
UB creates a risk management panel with the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) steering committee is scheduled to have its first meeting October 13. The panel includes more than 16 members, leaders from across the university will bring attention to potential risks across the school and decide how to deal with them. “This could be anything from potential safety hazards to something that would bring the school negative attention,” said Della Contrada. “Businesses have done this for a number of years and it’s something that’s taken hold.” The ERM’s executive sponsors met to discuss their approach back in April. Its first meeting is scheduled for October 13. email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrumc.om
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Thursday, September 14, 2017 THE SPECTRUM
An Amazon headquarters in Buffalo would transform UB, professor says Students and professors discuss excitement over potential HQ2 in Buffalo SARAH CROWLEY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Buffalo legislators hope Amazon builds its next headquarters in the Queen City. Yong Li thinks UB could play a role in making this dream of many a reality. Amazon sent out a call to metropolitan areas of at least one million people to submit proposals for its next headquarters location on Sept. 7, according to their website. Li, an associate professor in the School of Management, studies the tech giant’s business practices, and wrote a best-selling novel last year, Amazon Goes Global. It will be hard for Buffalo to beat out competition like Toronto and Boston, but not impossible, Li explained. “I’m confident that Buffalo will be ready if Amazon gives us the chance. We have a major university here, which can grow,” Li said. “We can attract talents and business chances from around the world. We have a business-friendly environment here.” The potential impacts of such an arrangement on UB are transformative, Li thinks. “We are obviously a very strong national university with a focus on STEM, so UB would be a big plus for Buffalo to have a big chance,” Li said. UB has roughly 30,000 students. The presence of Amazon HQ2 would bring 50,000 jobs and a direct investment of up to $5 billion, Li said. This doesn’t cover the in-
ALLISON STAEBELL, THE SPECTRUM
(left) Justyn Thompson works at his computer in Davis Hall. Thompson, a senior computer sciences major, is excited at the prospect of an Amazon HQ in Buffalo. (right) Heeba Kariapper, a junior English and computer sciences major, stands in Davis Hall. Kariapper wants to see Buffalo gain recognition for its tech scene.
direct benefits of Amazon coming to Buffalo, which means tens of thousands of more jobs, Li said. And not for strictly STEM fields either. “When you’re talking about $50,000 high paying, high-tech jobs, you also need more services to support the operations of Amazon,” Li said. “We’re talking about more medical service, legal services, food industry and other tech businesses that are needed in order for the Amazon headquarters to operate smoothly.” Heeba Kariapper, a junior English and computer sciences major, said she thinks
an Amazon headquarters would be a “really cool way” to bring more people to Buffalo. “Buffalo actually does have a very vibrant startup scene as far as tech goes, and more people are choosing to stay here,” Kariapper said. “I think the Amazon opportunity follows that trajectory and would sort of validate what’s happening here.” Seattle, Amazon’s original headquarter location, hosts other major corporate headquarters like Starbucks, Microsoft, Boeing and more. Buffalo doesn’t have this market, but it has made strides, Li said, including the creation of what is now the world’s largest business competition, 43 North.
“That just shows you Buffalo’s determination to transforming itself,” Li said. “I would say Seattle is well on the way, but Buffalo is catching up.” Li thinks Amazon headquarters would mean more job opportunities with more graduates who would choose to stay in the Buffalo area. Justyn Thompson, a senior computer sciences major, thinks an Amazon headquarters in Buffalo would bring wealth to the region. Thompson plans to apply to jobs in other cities, but said he would apply to Amazon if they came to Buffalo. “A lot of the jobs in my fields are in New York or Seattle. I think Northrop Grumman is one of the only companies in the area that hire, and they’re an aerospace company,” Thompson said. “I would definitely apply if [Amazon] came here.” UB alone would not be able to supply all of HQ2’s needed talent, said Li, but Buffalo has shown an ability to attract international and national talent – UB recently tied for third place among public universities for its high proportion of international students. International students made up 16 percent of all UB students in 2016, according to the UB website. An international student population would help in international expansion and recruiting, according to Li. As enticing as an Amazon HQ2 in Buffalo may sound to many, it is still a long shot for the underdog city, Li said. “Whether we can get it or not, that’s partly out of our control, but hopefully we can show the outside world that Buffalo is transforming itself,” Li said. “Buffalo is changing for the better, and I think that’s just as important.” email: sarah.crowley@ubspectrum.com
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY BRENON BLANCHET, THE SPECTRUM
Yanka Dan, a UB grad student, sells thrifted clothing on Depop. Dan accumulated over 800 followers in just 3 weeks since downloading the popular marketplace app.
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE LOOT UB students flip their used items for profit with marketplace apps BRENTON J. BLANCHET ASST. ARTS EDITOR
Aniaya Butler had no problem selling her functional laptop last spring for $150. Then she realized it left her without one for finals week. Butler, a sophomore sociology major, sells electronics on OfferUp, a marketplace app where users can sell their old items for profit. Last semester, she made the mistake of selling something she wishes she didn’t. “I made a fatal mistake selling my laptop. People get too addicted to [the app]. That’s not the right way to use it,” Butler said. “I had to teach myself that there’s certain things that you actually need. Don’t just sell it because you have it.” Marketplace Apps like Depop, Letgo, Poshmark and OfferUp are fueling students’ money-making addictions, giving them the chance to make a quick buck for their used goods. Butler has been selling electronics and
clothing on OfferUp, Poshmark and other resale apps for years. Butler discovered OfferUp and Poshmark through Instagram ads that piqued her interest. “I’m like ‘yeah, I have a thousand things I don’t use.’ I tried it out and it worked for me one time so I just started putting a bunch of stuff up,” Butler said. “I sold a laptop, a phone, sneakers and clothes. I’ve made about $500-$600 this year, but I’ve been using it for a couple years so [I’ve made] about $1,500.” OfferUp, where Butler parted with her trusty laptop, is a marketplace app similar to Craigslist. Users sell unwanted items like electronics, furniture and clothing to those in their area. Poshmark has a different approach, and is similar to online marketplaces like Ebay and Amazon, where users can sell to a much larger demographic and not just to locals. Poshmark also offers a pre-developed shipping label for when users sell an item.
District Attorney expresses concern about Dennis Black’s and Andrea Costantino’s conviction CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
“From the evidence shown, we believe that each was aware of the other’s actions,” Flynn said. “But, as far as what exact conversations they had, we have no background on.” There’s also no indication that any family members or fellow staff knew that Black and Costantino were stealing money or working together, according to Flynn. The Inspector General’s office is auditing the university’s Faculty-Student Association,
also known as Campus Dining & Shops, the UB affiliate investigators zeroed in on while investigating Black’s spending, according to Della Contrada. Della Contrada declined to comment on the audit. Lucia Sullivan, a freshman political science and legal studies major, said the convictions of Black and Costantino has made her wonder whether the money she pays UB every semester is being used for its designated purpose. “Is the school being truthful? Educa-
This makes it simple to print, package and send sold items without the hassle of creating your own shipping labels. Many other students are digging through their closets, visiting thrift shops and searching underneath their beds to make a quick buck online. Sarah Batugowski lives in North Tonawanda and is starting at UB next semester. Batugowski has over a thousand followers on her Depop account. Illmatic Vintage, Batugowski’s Depop store, sells a variety of locally thrifted pieces and Batugowski’s sales have reached the four-figure zone. “I think selling clothes online is a great way for college students to make some extra cash. Even if you’re just cleaning out your closet and want to get rid of a few things, I definitely recommend trying to sell it online. If you don’t want it, someone else on this earth definitely will,” Batugowski said. Yanka Dan, an electrical engineering graduate student, started using a resale app just three weeks ago and already has a massive following. Dan uses Depop and has gained well over 800 followers in the short time she’s been selling. Her account includes “thrifted” clothing and some of her personal pieces. “When I thrift I look for something that I like myself. If the product doesn’t sell, I can still keep it,” Dan said. She was inspired to join the app by a You-
tion isn’t cheap, and if I’m paying to go to a school where people like this are getting paid and then stealing more money, it makes me worried for the future of the school,” Sullivan said. Sullivan is using this blemish for the university’s administration as a learning experience for her plans to pursue a legal career, she said. “I’m planning on studying to be a lawyer so this whole incident has been very interesting to me,” Sullivan said. “Something makes me think that the university didn’t want this to be public. How was money stolen for almost ten years before someone realized it?” Flynn recognizes trust between students and administrators at UB has been broken. He hopes the result of his office’s investigation is
Tuber who also resells clothing. To promote her thrifted looks, Dan follows many of the YouTuber’s fans and the favor is often returned with a follow-back. “I follow her followers. Some of the followers follow back, but some will not. If they’re interested, they’ll follow you. But if you want to sell something, you want to get attention,” Dan said. The entrepreneur sees her online store as more of a hobby than a career. “For me, personally, I’m just doing it for fun. I feel like I’ve never tried this. I wanted to give it a try and explore myself to see if I could do business,” Dan said. Dan thinks Depop is a great outlet for students to make some extra money, but only if they’re willing to put in the effort. “Thrift shopping takes a lot of time; more time than I thought. First of all, you need to travel to several thrift shops. And then just browsing the T-shirts and clothing takes a lot of time. I know it wouldn’t be easy for students with all their courses. You don’t have that time to spend at thrift stores,” Dan said. This extra time is a concern of other users of these kinds of apps. Batugowski said that even though thrift shopping can be time-consuming, the results can be beneficial for students who struggle to make money while going to school. “Some students may not have the time to work between their studies and extra curriculars, but I believe selling clothes online is a simple fix to making some extra money on the side,” Batugowski said. email: brenton.blanchet@ubspectrum.com
consoling to students looking for answers. “Whatever faith or trust you may have lost, if there’s a hole in the wall, hopefully I put the cement back in that wall,” Flynn said. “In this community, there are investigators and prosecutors who tried to right a wrong, and in this case the damage has been done. Black and Costantino betrayed the trust of everyone at the school and I can’t replace that, but I can convey to the students of UB that I caught him and justice is being done. The system worked, it may not have worked for nine years when they were stealing money, I admit that, but it worked and justice is complete.” email: max.kalnitz@ubspectrum.com.
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Thursday, September 14, 2017 THE SPECTRUM
Dennis Black
ON TAPE A grand larceny inspired playlist
DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
A million dollars isn’t cool. You know what is cool? Roughly $320,000 worth of funds stolen from university bank accounts and funneled through falsified tax forms and charitable donations, as former UB Vice President Dennis Black and former UB Campus Living Director Andrea Costantino admitted to last week. As “Baby Driver” proved this summer, any good crime needs a good playlist. So if you’re thinking of committing some light larceny in the near future, we’ve got you covered. Big Boi ft. B.o.B. & Wavves – “Shoes for Running”
An escape plan is essential for any sort of crime. You must be ready to get the heck out of dodge if you are caught stealing, so a good pair of running shoes is a must-have. That may explain why Costantino bought four $300 Fleet Feet Sports gift cards. Though when you’re pulling down a $123,542 salary as Costantino was before her resignation, you’d think you could afford a decent pair of kicks without resorting to stealing university funds, funds that could have been used to benefit the students who pay tuition and work jobs for minimum wage to scrape by. But Costantino didn’t
EMILY LI, THE SPECTRUM
seem to be thinking about the students. “Hey, one percenters, the 99 say what you gonna do for us?” Big Boi asks in the song. The answer is steal from us, apparently. You should have had a better escape plan, Andrea. If not running, what are those shoes for? The Barenaked Ladies – “If I Had $1,000,000”
“If I had $1 million, I would buy you a house.” I guess $300,000 can only buy tickets to minor-league baseball games. The ’90s hit from the Barenaked Ladies enumerates what you could buy for your sweetheart if only you had the money to do so. The gifts become increasingly eccentric over the course of the song, beginning with cars and furniture and ending with John Merrick’s remains and Dijon ketchup. Black’s list of purchases is almost as off-the-wall, including tickets to Liza Minnelli shows and donations to Barksgiving, a Thanksgiving for dogs. OK Go – “Here It Goes Again”
This song by OK Go is probably best known for its accompanying music video in which the four band members perform a synchronized dance routine on treadmills. Perhaps Costantino wanted to reenact the music video on the treadmill she bought, or
COURTESY OF CAPITOL RECORDS
(right)What fun is crime without a solid playlist? Score your big score with these handpicked tracks . (left)Dennis Black, former vice president for University Life and Services, taped to a wall in the Student Union to raise money for Relay for Life.
perhaps it was to train for the Boston Marathon. Both the treadmill and the entrance fee for the marathon were paid for with the stolen money, in case you were wondering. The Beach Boys – “Kokomo”
Aruba. Jamaica. Bermuda. If you’re going to use stolen money to pay for a vacation, why not take a page out of The Beach Boys’ classic tune? I’d feel better knowing my stolen money was paying for something exotic instead of the basic interstate travel that Black used it for. If he was smart, he would have at least travelled somewhere without an extradition treaty. Oingo Boingo – “Bachelor Party”
A bachelor party is supposed to be the wildest night of a man’s life – a wild ride of debauchery and booze-fueled shenanigans before he settles down for a quiet life with the person he is about to marry. What could make it even naughtier? Why, financing the whole thing with embezzled cash of course! Considering the amount of money Black stole, the party he threw for his son better rival the classic bash thrown for Tom Hanks in the 1984 film “Bachelor Party,” complete with new wave hit by the band Oingo Bo-
ingo, led by composer and Tim Burton collaborator Danny Elfman. Brad Kane – “One Jump Ahead”
Costantino seems to be a huge Disney fan. Her Facebook page is overflowing with pictures of her with costumed characters from one of the company’s theme parks. One of which – Disney World – is located in Florida where Costantino went for a four-day conference. It turned out the conference did not exist. Perhaps Andrea took Disney hero Aladdin’s mantra to heart when he says “gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat” in this song from the 1992 classic. But there is a notable difference between a young man stealing a loaf of bread to feed himself and his monkey, and a middle aged woman stealing $15,000 to visit a theme park. email: david.garcia@ubspectrum.com
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Thursday, September 14, 2017 THE SPECTRUM
The Edge: Buffalo vs Colgate Breaking down the Bulls home opener against Colgate DANIEL PETRUCCELLI SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
The Buffalo Bulls (0-2) spent the last two weeks on the edge of victory. They came within 10 of a Big Ten opponent and the game against Army was up in the air until the final minutes. This week the Bulls have a chance to get things back on track when they open things at home against an FCS opponent, the Colgate Raiders (1-1). Buffalo will have to avoid last year’s pitfall when they lost to an FCS opponent in their season opener against Albany. The Bulls look like a different team from last year and they should come out with a win. Here is The Spectrum’s breakdown of the matchup. Quarterback: Buffalo This game is a mismatch through and through, and it starts with the quarterbacks. Redshirt sophomore Tyree Jackson has stepped into his own this year and in the first half of the Army game he looked fantastic. This game should give him the opportunity to work through the offense more and I see him dominating the FCS secondary. Running backs: Colgate This is one of the only matchups that Colgate has the advantage. UB’s leading rusher is junior Johnathan Hawkins, and he has 62 yards in two games while sophomore Emmanuel Reed has been the second rush-
ing option and has 13 yards. Neither one has scored this season. Colgate has two rushers who have crossed the century mark for the season. They have also combined for three touchdowns. They were playing FCS opponents but both opponents were ranked. Buffalo should and can win this matchup but the running backs have yet to deliver. Wide receivers: Buffalo Anthony Johnson. Period. Offensive line: Buffalo They haven’t played up to their potential quite yet in the run game, but the offensive line has looked good in pass blocking. They have given Jackson time in the pocket so that receivers have been able to get open for big plays. It was clear last season that the Bulls want the long ball and with the offensive line setting the pocket it’s starting to come to fruition. The line needs to open up holes in the run game; but they have been able to get Jackson yards on the ground so far, so it might be on the running backs. Defensive line: Buffalo The front seven for Buffalo has been having a great year and have looked vastly improved from last year. Senior Chris Ford and junior Justin Brandon have been great in the interior of the line and have clogged things up in the middle which has had noticeable impact on the linebackers being
Humble & hungry Volleyball team looks to make program history as MAC conference play approaches THOMAS ZAFONTE SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
This time last year the Bulls (5-3) were suffering from an eight-game losing streak, a roster almost entirely made of freshmen and on their way to another poor season in the history books. One year later, the Bulls have completely flipped the script. With wins over big conference teams like the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (3-6) and the Georgetown Hoyas (7-5), the team has moved passed the problems of last season, having already won more games than they did last year in just the first eight outings. With non-conference games coming to an end this weekend, the team seems primed for a great run in MAC play.
COURTESY OF PAUL HOKANSON /UB ATHLETICS
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Junior middle-blocker Megan Wernette gets ready to set the ball. Wernette is coming off a strong performance in last weekend’s tournament.
“We want to be big dogs in the MAC,” said sophomore libero Hannah Watson. “We want to be dominate and we want to make history here for the UB volleyball program.” The Bulls have a rough history when it comes to the MAC, having never won a MAC championship and never doing better than 6-10 in conference. The Bulls have never won more than 20 games in a season during their time in the MAC. Now the Bulls are looking to succeed and set the team up for future successes. “The MAC championship is always the goal, but we want to change the culture of the program, the tradition and the character for generations to come,” Watson said. The change in mentality has come for the Bulls early this season having already had several close games. Watson sees the changes the team has implemented and is confident in the team’s potential. “I’ve seen this team fight and learn from wins and the loses,” Watson said. “Those big wins show us our potential as a team,
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Junior linebacker Khalil Hodge nails UAlbany player with a tackle. Hodge will be a major factor in the Bulls defense at Saturday’s game.
able to get to the ball. Linebackers: Buffalo The Bulls currently have two players ranked in the top 10 in the nation in tackles per game. Junior Khalil Hodge and senior Jarrett Franklin are averaging 15.5 and 11.5 tackles per game respectively. Hodge leads the nation. They look like a completely different unit than the abysmal run defense that occupied Western New York a year ago. This should continue against an outmatched opponent. Defensive backs: Buffalo The secondary has looked great this season. Junior cornerback Cameron Lewis has established himself as a shutdown corner and come up with some big plays in both games so far. Junior Tatum Slack has two pass breakups of his own. Senior safety Tim Roberts is leading the secondary with 17 tackles and a tackle for loss. They should be able to dominate Col-
gate who had to deal with an injury to their starting quarterback last season. Special teams: Colgate Junior Adam Mitcheson has been an issue for the Bulls in his career. He’s a 63 percent field goal kicker and is one-for-three this season. Colgate’s sophomore Chris Puzzi is 3-of-3 in his career and an opponent doesn’t matter much when it comes to how far and how accurate you’re kicking. Coaching: Buffalo It’s been a slow process but Lance Leipold and his coaching staff are starting to finally get things where they want in Buffalo. Their offense isn’t perfect but the addition of an elite receiver like Johnson has opened things up and the team is starting to click. If the run game gets sorted out this is a team that could put up big numbers against anyone, especially an FCS opponent.
as players, and it shows us that any team is beatable with grit, heart and focus.” Much of that character is built from the team's chemistry and friendships made during the team's first year together. They have built confidence in recent weeks, but remain humble as they know it is key for future success. Even with their MAC aspirations high, the team still has their last non-conference road tournament of the season this weekend. With games against the Mercer Bears (4-4), the Appalachian State Mountaineers (4-7) and the College of Charleston Cougars (7-3) scheduled, the Bulls have a chance to make a statement. “You can never underestimate your opponent but we come out wanting to win, this weekend we are looking to get the clean sweep,” said junior middle blocker Megan Wernette. Goals like these are a far cry from the 1-12 non-conference record the Bulls had last year, and the many sub-10 win seasons of years passed. However, this squad is looking to change the Bulls’ troubled history with success. Rewriting this history starts with accomplishments the Bulls always have on their minds. “This is a very exciting team and I think
they have goals set for this season, I think the best goal to have is to improve every day and that's what we have been focusing on,” said head coach Blair Lipsitz. That focus is shared by every player The Spectrum interviewed this season -- all of them have mentioned the constant need to improve as their main goal. Not a single player even considers the idea that they may have finally finished growing as a team. They have a shared focus that seems to play into the team's on-court chemistry as each player is just as interested in her fellow Bulls’ improvement as her own. The coaching staff stresses the need for improvement on all levels in practice. As a coach, Lipsitz is always looking at games for areas to grow no matter the outcome. One area she has focused on is the team's inability to follow up hard-fought sets that don’t go their way. “If you come out with the same intensity you had in the first [set], you might be able to take that second set and now it's a whole different match,” Lipsitz said. “You are going to lose some close ones, you have to be able to battle back from that.” Intensity is the Bulls’ most noticeable quality as many endgame practice drills look like a hard-fought game. Yet, the team needs to improve on consistency; the Bulls look to increase their level of play as they get closer to the MAC. “We have a really high standard as a team and we are going to continue in that direction,” Wernette said. Wernette credits the high standard to the close relationships on the team and a general love of the game. She sees the competition in the MAC and knows they still have a tough season ahead of them but with the opportunity to do great things. “We want it all, we see how good we can be this season and it acts like a signing light,” Wernette said. “We want to reach it and that keeps us humble but also keeps us hungry.” The Bulls play on Friday against the Bears at 4:30 p.m., and have two games on Saturday against the Mountaineers at 10:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. against the Panthers.
email: daniel.petruccelli@ubspectrum.com
email: thomas.zafonte@ubspectrum.com