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MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017
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VOLUME 66 NO. 49
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SHADOWS OF SILENCE Instructor, administrators discuss university’s role in handling campus sexual assault GABRIELA JULIA EDITOR IN CHIEF
Hilary Vandenbark has a secret dark place where shameful memories lurk. She doesn’t like to go there, but she will if it can help UB students. It was her senior year at Gonzaga University. She was studying abroad in France and met a man on the study abroad trip. Their groups were traveling to Germany together for Oktoberfest 2011. But this man turned out to be dangerous and damaging. He put his hand on her thigh. She kissed him back, hoping that was all he wanted. But he didn’t leave and Vandenbark sat silently as the scene escalated. The shameful part is that she had a frozen response. She told herself the kiss is what allowed his next move. But she never gave consent. She tried to stop him in English and in French. She pushed at his hands, his fingers, but he didn’t stop. He digitally penetrated her. He forcibly performed oral sex on her and then
GABRIELA JULIA, THE SPECTRUM
Hilary Vandenbark, Ph.D candidate, stands outside of Alumni Arena. Vandenbark is a sexual assault survivor and wants administration to be more transparent when discussing sexual assault on campus.
forced her to do it to him. When it was over, she couldn’t speak. Shame overwhelmed her. She couldn’t describe what had happened. She didn’t want anyone to know. She thought if she hid it, it would go away. It didn’t. Vandenbark is now a Ph.D candidate in the Transnational Studies Department at UB and teaches a class on gender-based violence. Her memories and her paralysis in the face of a predator still haunt her. They also inform her teaching. She remembers feeling
helpless and too embarrassed to speak about what had happened or report the crime. She wants to reach out to undergrads – mirrors of her former self – and give them strength to talk. She’s been watching for the past few years as universities – under the weight of the federal government and increased public scrutiny – have struggled to set coherent and fair policies about how to deal with accusations of sexual assault on campuses. One in five female undergraduates will be assaulted in her time at college, according
HANNAH STEIN
Brandon Stanton captures audience at UB Distinguished Speaker Series
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Humans of New York creator discusses storytelling through his career TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Brandon Stanton speaks at Alumni Arena Saturday night as the final speaker of this year’s Distinguished Speaker Series..
Brandon Stanton flunked out of school, lived in his grandparent’s basement and paid his own way through community college. Stanton took the stage at Alumni Arena Saturday night as the final speaker for this year’s Distinguished Speaker Series. Stanton, Humans of New York creator, has interviewed and photographed roughly 10,000 random people across the world over the past six years to hear their stories. He then posts the stories to an audience of roughly 25 million people. Stanton began his speech by jokingly asking what James Franco – the original speaker who cancelled – could be doing that was more important before talking about his own story.
to the federal government. Advocates and those assaulted insist the universities are not doing enough. They say universities have historically downplayed and under reported cases of sexual assault and that academic administrators are unqualified and unsuited to adjudicate a criminal act such as rape. In 2014, the Obama administration took on the issue and put 55 campuses onto a federal list, meaning the federal government had concerns about how these campuses handled alleged campus assault cases. Today, that list has grown more than five times, with 391 investigations, including one case from UB. The university has declined to give any details about the case. There is also one 2014 case at Canisius and two 2015 cases at Buffalo State College. And there are 198 cases at graduate schools across the country. Some universities on the list have worked to rapidly rewrite policies about how sexual assault cases are handled. UB created the Haven program, which is a mandatory online course for incoming students teaching them about UB’s sexual assault policies. Students and faculty can also request health-related workshops through Counseling Services’ website and the offices of 18 staff counselors are available for same-day appointments. Services include mental health counseling, stress, suicide, depression and grief, sexual health and preventing sexual violence, according to the Counseling Services website. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
The Spectrum’s Q&A with Brandon Stanton FULL STORY ON PAGE 7
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Discontent spreads as Robert Spencer’s visit to UB nears ASHLEY INKUMSAH SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Robert Spencer’s impending visit is causing major tension across UB’s campus. Spencer, a controversial self-proclaimed radical Islam expert, will speak about the dangers of radical Islam in Knox 109 on May 1. Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) is hosting Spencer’s visit. Chairwoman Lynn Sementilli defended this decision saying public universities are the place for free speech and discussion, even for the most difficult topics. But UB students and faculty feel Spencer’s visit brings hate speech, bigotry and discrimination to a campus with a large in-
ternational population. Students and faculty started a petition, which received over 1000 signatures, asking Student Association members to “rescind their explicit sponsorship” and remove the SA logo from all flyers and advertisements for the event. The Spectrum also received two letters to the editor where students and faculty expressed concern about the threat Spencer’s visit may bring to the university. Muslim Student Association (MSA) plans to have an “anti-Robert Spencer” sit-in in Knox Hall during his speech to protest against his visit. When MSA members discovered Spencer
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was coming to the university, they planned to take action against the visit, which they felt was threatening to UB’s Muslim community. “There came a moment when the news first broke about Robert Spencer coming to campus that we all realized, collectively that this was a point where we could either remain silent bystanders, or become part of the discourse on a topic regarding Muslims, which had no representation of Muslims,” said MSA president Samiha Islam. Islam started organizing the sit-in and said the idea resonated with people who understood that Spencer’s visit demonized their religion and attacked their civil liberties. She said the sit-in also resonated with
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several other clubs who were willing to stand with Muslims in support. Islam said someone covering their face with a black hood ran up to a member of MSA in the Silverman Library and threw flyers advertising Spencer’s visit in the student’s face and ran away. “Words may seem harmless until they transform to hate crimes,” Islam said. “[This] shows that his rhetoric emboldens people to action. Actions that banned him from the U.K., actions that have designated groups he is part of as hate groups. And actions that our campus loudly, and proudly will sit in and denounce,” Islam said. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
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NEWS
Monday, May 1, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
Discontent spreads as Robert Spencer’s visit to UB nears
Brandon Stanton captures audience at UB Distinguished Speaker Series
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Stanton started as a bond trader in Chicago where he was terrified of losing his job. “Now I had something to be really proud of. I had this exciting new job in Chicago, so when that sense of prestige was threatened, it was very unsettling... All I thought about was how to keep that job,” Stanton said. “I was obsessed.” On the day he lost his job, he said it was a surprisingly good day because he took a walk that changed his life. He shifted his focus away from money and asked himself what he truly wanted to do. At the time, Stanton’s answer was photography. He started taking photos six years ago and his decision that day was the start of Humans of New York. “The whole reason that I got a camera… was because I was trying to create this foothold in this mind,” he said. “I was trying to carve out this space in my mind where I had a sense of identity and a sense of purpose outside of my job…” When Stanton was on a subway in Chicago, he saw two kids who didn’t know each other making the same exact facial expression. Stanton thought this captured “such a good portrait” of childhood. “I have to remind myself how terrified I was the first time I took a photo of a person,” Stanton said. “I looked down at the
picture in the viewfinder and I remember feeling such a sense of pride because even though I had only been photographing for a few weeks at that point, I had just taken a photograph that someone who might have been photographing for 20 years would not have been able to take... It was because I had gotten over the fear of interacting with another person and because of that I had been able to take a very intimate photo.” Stanton began photographing everything he thought was important and his friend bought one of his photos for thousands of dollars. Stanton approaches people and has meaningful conversations with them and asks them questions about their heaviest burdens, obstacles and toughest doubts. Stanton’s interviews are very “raw” and uncensored. People open up to Stanton about child abuse, drug addiction, guilt, fears and weaknesses. Stanton believes it is harder to talk about those things with people who are closest to us. “My theory is the reason we don’t talk about that stuff in our relationships is that relationships are really hard,” Stanton said. “Life itself is really hard... we don’t ask these questions because we don’t want to introduce any more information or painful truths that might upset that equilibrium. Today is never the right day to find out something that might be painful.”
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Brandon Stanton speaks at UB Distinguished Speaker Series.
Stanton took the Humans of New York project abroad and traveled to five different countries in Europe to interview refugees at the “peak” of the refugee crisis. He also interviewed inmates from five different federal prisons across the Northeast, patients, doctors and families in the Pediatric Center ward at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Center. “The kids were amazing but what is equally as amazing to me is there is nothing more wrenching than the suffering of a child,” Stanton said. “It’s the cruelest injustice of nature. There is just nothing that will make you feel like there is no justice, there is no love.” Stanton is in connection with multiple television networks about a Humans of New York television series. He’s already spent 400 days of filming. “That’s something I think if people are willing to trust themselves, to not wait for the perfect idea, to start before you’re ready and to trust that if you focus on the work and doing what you love every single day that the idea will become what it needs to be and you will become what you need to be along the way.”
MSA will have flyers at the sit-in “showing who Robert Spencer is,” and tables showing what Islam stands for, Islam said. They plan to speak with students and ask Muslims about their experiences. “We’ve encouraged people to wear traditional clothes too, whatever that means to them - because we believe in a multicultural America, not a whitewashed society where culturally different food is the only acceptable diversity,” Islam said. “[We want] an America which sees the myriad of individuals and their collective backgrounds, attire, languages and traditions as valuable assets to the community to celebrate, not fear.” Spencer’s visit raises questions about the nature of free speech on college campuses. UC Berkley has recently experienced highly volatile student protests against controversial guest speakers. Ann Coulter canceled her speech at UC Berkeley last week after losing sponsorship from Young America’s Foundation, who said it could not jeopardize the safety of students and faculty. The university initially rescheduled her visit because of threats of violence on campus. UC Berkeley also cancelled conservative speaker Milo Yiannopoulos’ visit after violent protests erupted on campus. University Police officers will be present at Spencer’s address but UB spokesperson John Della Contrada said the university could not disclose how many officers will be in attendance.
email: hannah.stein@ubspectrum.com email: ashley.inkumsah@ubspectrum.com
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OPINION
Monday, May 1, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Gabriela Julia
Going beyond the cookie cutter Sometimes being different is better
MANAGING EDITOR
Tori Roseman COPY EDITORS
Saqib Hossain Emma Medina Margaret Wilhelm Grace Trimper NEWS EDITORS
Hannah Stein, Senior Ashley Inkumsah, Senior Maddy Fowler, Asst. FEATURES EDITORS
Sarah Crowley, Senior Lindsay Gilder, Asst.
LINDSAY GILDER ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
ARTS EDITORS
Max Kaltnitz, Senior David Tunis-Garcia Benjamin Blanchet, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Michael Akelson, Senior Daniel Petruccelli, Asst. Thomas Zafonte, Asst. PHOTO EDITORS
Kainan Guo, Senior Angela Barca Troy Wachala, Asst. CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Pierce Strudler Martina LaVallo, Asst.
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley
When I was 10 years old, my great grandmother would tell me “you’re so tall, you could model, if only you were a little thinner.” I spent years of my life staring at models, wanting to look exactly like them. They seemed perfect, with toned bodies that by some miracle looked good in everything they wore. I was never the shape that modeling agencies sought out. I wasn’t naturally skinny, or athletic and I felt like it definitely showed. I went
to high school in an upper middle class neighborhood and everywhere I turned were girls who looked like they belonged on a sorority’s Instagram page. It was strange to grow into my body knowing I wouldn’t look like that, unless I dieted or went to the gym four hours every day. I applaud people who do this – it takes hard work and dedication, but I didn’t do anything like that, I would just stare at myself in the mirror and wish away the fat. More than half of teenaged girls are, or think they should be, on diets, according to studies done by Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders. About 3 percent of these teens go too far and become anorexic or bulimic. Even now, I sometimes find myself in front of a mirror wishing bikinis were for me. But my mother always tells me they don’t flatter my figure. There’s a huge amount of pressure placed on girls to have the
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Response to ‘Questionable business practices cast shadow over UB donor’s pharmaceutical legacy’ article
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THE SPECTRUM Monday, May 1, 2017 Volume 66 Number 49 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
ideal body, which makes it much harder to accept yourself when you’re not. My younger sister is only 13 and I can see her going through the same struggle as she slowly comes to understand that she wasn’t blessed with natural skinniness. Today, many models, most recently Iskra Lawrence in the #AerieREAL movement, have been going beyond the cookie cutter model image, telling us it’s OK to love what we have and to never let it hold you back. The campaign changed the lingerie industry, changing the focus from the Victoria’s Secret red-hot sex appeal to a more natural, accepting beauty. This gradual change in the modeling industry is refreshing and I hope it continues. I want my kids to grow up being themselves, not comparing their bodies to what they see in the media surrounding them. I still struggle in the pursuit to fit this persona, this ideal body type. I’ve definitely made huge strides for improvement and surrounded myself with people who don’t care that I’m not a size zero;
As a friend of Dr. John Kapoor’s and as someone who has spent the last 20 years in the field of substance abuse prevention (currently chairing one national organization and another statebased organization dedicated to those issues), I wanted to respond to Sarah Crowley’s April 26 article, “Questionable business practices cast shadow over UB donor’s pharmaceutical legacy.” One of the tasks I have been involved in over the years is ensuring the media understands the facts, language, and true issues involved in substance abuse. And while I applaud Ms. Crowley for her attention to the current opioid epidemic, she is in good company with a great many professional journalists in conflating several complex issues involved in what I believe is crucially important to straighten out. This country does, indeed, face a massive opioid overdose crisis right now, but it will not be addressed if we do not understand its causes and, at the same time, if we try to affix fault or blame on issues, people, and institutions that have little to nothing to do with the crisis. Again, given the interchangeable language involved in such issues and the complex nature of the crisis, it is easy to conflate and confuse the problems we face, but it
is more important we get them right so we can address them. Thus, if I may address the errors in Ms. Crowley’s article in order: 1. While it is true, the company Dr. Kapoor helped found, Insys Therapeutics, manufacturers a prescription opioid, Subys, that prescription drug is not the source of the opioid crisis we read about or see on television. To begin with, as Professor Mark Kleiman of New York University and one of the nation’s top experts in drug policy put it recently at a forum at Arizona State University: “[Subsys] is a perfectly ordinary opioid….there are fentanyl deaths in this country….the stuff being made in China is not the Insys product, to blame the manufacturer [Insys] is pretty absurd.” In other words, when we speak of the opioid crisis and overdose deaths in this country, it is important to realize, most of those deaths come from illegal drugs— e.g., heroin and illegally manufactured and smuggled opioids that bear the name “fentanyl.” The fentanyl overdose deaths we read about overwhelmingly do not come from legally prescribed and manufactured products, like Subsys. Indeed, from a pure numbers perspective, the actual contribu-
tion of Subsys to the opioids being used by patients is so low as to practically require a microscope to find its prevalence on a pie chart— Subsys has .01 percent market share of the legal opioid prescription market. And to obtain a prescription for Subsys is not an easy thing: As mandated by an FDA dictated program, physicians who prescribe Subsys must go through several steps of particularized training and follow up certifications to provide this drug to those requiring the product. It’s simply not like prescribing any other drug, including far more well-known opioids like Vicodin or OxyContin. 2. While it is true, as Ms. Crowley writes, that several, former Insys representatives have been “charged” by the Department of Justice with unethical sales practices, four things are important to note (all of which can be gleaned from the public disclosures of Insys): i) those activities in question occurred several years ago and involve former employees of the company, ii) Insys has been working and cooperating with the Department of Justice in an attempt to ultimately resolve these matters, iii) Insys does not sell its product directly to patients so the alleged unethical sales were to physicians, not the public (again, see above, where physicians must go through rigorous protocols to prescribe the Insys product), and iv) while the allegations against these
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Students, The Council of Advocacy and Leadership is an organization consisting of the student government Presidents, the Chief Justice of the Student Wide Judiciary, and the UB Council Student Representative at the University at Buffalo. Our purpose is to provide resolutions on key issues at every level of the University hierarchy affecting any and all student governments and their constituencies. Collectively, we strive to represent all 30,000 students at UB. In light of the appearance of controversial speakers who have made our Muslim community feel unsafe, we issue the following statement: UB is an inclusive and diverse community that believes in the
strength and beauty of its diversity and in the importance of scientific facts.1 It is furthermore a community that does not and will not condone hate speech and harassment based on religion, ethnicity, race, or national status.2 As a leader in New York State’s public higher education system, UB serves as a role model for the city of Buffalo, our region of Western New York, and the state as a whole. As your student government leaders, we do not condone hate speech. Speech is power, and that means that speech gives the power to hurt others. We encourage an atmosphere where everyone feels safe. We call on UB to continue fostering in their community members an understanding of the
responsibility of speech, and the ramifications of all forms of violence. When a specific group of people are singled out to be threatened based on a shared characteristic, such as religious affiliation, the power of speech can quickly turn into targeted violence. In light of recent events involving the Muslim community on our campus, we encourage all of UB’s community members to practice solidarity, to speak up when harassment occurs, and to show their commitment to diversity and inclusion by actively pursuing the safety of everybody who makes up our campus community. Sincerely, The Council of Advocacy and Leadership
they just want me to be happy. I go shopping with my friends who tell me I can wear whatever I want, as long as I feel confident in it. Sometimes it’s hard to look in the mirror with that mindset, but having people to cheer me on always helps me get out and flaunt what I have. I can’t guarantee that every day you’ll feel flawless. Some days are better than others. I still have “fat days” or feel bloated and don’t want to face the world, but I power through for the good days, the days I feel like I’m beautiful and can take on anything. I hope to have more of the latter and for me, it lies in both what I wear and how I wear it. I don’t always feel like putting everything I’ve got into my appearance and I shouldn’t have to. Some days are for comfort and some are for style. I wouldn’t say I’m confident in sweatpants, but I definitely don’t care what people think of me. How I look every day isn’t a top priority, I want my success to be reflected in the work I do rather than solely based on how I appear. email: lindsay.gilder@ubspectrum.com
former employees are serious, they are, for now, allegations and each individual deserves their day in court. I know it is difficult sometimes but it would be far better if the media and public in general wouldn’t jump to conclusions about the other people associated with Insys, including Dr. Kapoor, based on the alleged unfortunate actions of others. 3. Finally, while I have never taken Subsys and hope never to need to, it is an important and legitimate drug on the market for those suffering terrible and often end-oflife pain, due to cancer. For those who suffer such breakthrough pain and could not find any relief from any other practice or product, Subsys is seen as a godsend. Helping the suffering, I would think, would be something the University of Buffalo would very much want to honor, and to the degree Dr. Kapoor and his family have deemed it important to help the University of Buffalo teach and train more students, he should be thanked—not disparaged. Thank you for allowing me to respond to your article—I do so, again, not only as a friend of Dr. Kapoor’s who has seen his charitable work, but, moreover, as someone who hopes more journalists can report on the opioid crisis accurately as the issue requires it. I can help explain any of this further, I am happy to do so. Sincerely, Seth Leibsohn Phoenix, Arizona
Tanja Aho, President, Graduate Student Association Connor Arquette, President, Medical School Polity James Corra, UB Council Student Representative Nicholas D’Angelo, President, Student Bar Association Jacob Henning, Chief Justice, Student Wide Judiciary Jeffrey Morrisey, President, Graduate Management Association Matthew Rivera, President, Undergraduate Student Association Taylor White, President, School of Pharmacy Student Association
1
http://www.buffalo.edu/administrativeservices/policy1/ub-policy-lib/ discrimination-harassment.html
2 https://www.buffalo.edu/president/ vision/mission-vision.html
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FEATURES
Monday, May 1, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
SHADOWS OF SILENCE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
“We have people here at UB who can help students through the process and advocate for you, students just have to use the resources,” said Anna Sotelo-Peryea, the violence prevention coordinator in Wellness Education Services. But Vandenbark says it’s not enough. She wants to help eliminate the secrecy and shame that campus sexual assault engenders. Part of that, she says, is pushing universities to be more transparent when sexual assault cases happen and to explain how cases get adjudicated. “Universities don’t want the reputation of being a rapey school and the more transparency there is, the more room there is for discussion,” Vandenbark said. She understands the delicacy of the cases, the fragility of the victims and their memories, particularly when they don’t report an incident right away. She knows the desperate desire for privacy students who’ve been assaulted feel and the courage it takes to come forward. Yet, by making almost everything about the cases secret, university administrators are adding to the problem, she said. She and other faculty have written a letter asking UB to release a formal statement “apologizing for trivializing sexual violence,” hire more qualified people in Wellness Education Services and Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and maintain and distribute an annual sexual misconduct report that includes complaints of administration’s handling. There are eight people on Wellness Education Services’ team and seven people listed as staff for Equity Diversity and Inclusion. “Parents want to send their children to a school that is safe and a school that is actively discussing sexual assault rather than trying to hide it,” Vandenbark said. “UB has the services that deal with the issue, but administration is not dealing with it.” During the 2014-15 year, 10 students reported sexual assaults, said Sharon NolanWeiss, director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Four of the cases resulted in longterm suspension or expulsion. In 2016 – the
GABRIELA JULIA, THE SPECTRUM
first full year there was a Crisis Services advocate on campus – the number of reported assaults and/or domestic violence incidents jumped to 26. Sotelo-Peryea believes the jump is due to increased awareness. Of those cases, 14 were reported to the university and 18 were reported to police. THE UNIVERSITY’S ROLE One of the biggest questions about campus sexual assault cases is the most basic: why are academic administrators handling cases that are arguably the job of police? The answer is both simple and complex and begins with Title IX, the federal law that protects against discrimination in education. Under it, universities are legally required to address sexual harassment and violence on campus. That includes sexual assaults. If the university wasn’t able to intervene, Nolan-Weiss feels that would be problematic. “We’re here because we know the criminal process may take months and years and in the meantime, we may have someone on campus who is a continuing threat,” she said. How they handle these cases – many of which consist of conflicting accounts, little forensic evidence and the muddled memories of students who often were partially to fully intoxicated – varies by institution. The process – all of which occurs behind closed
doors – has left both alleged victims and alleged perpetrators angry. Students on both sides have sued universities in recent years for the uneven and convoluted handling of specific cases. Other students have sought to publicly embarrass their universities. Former Columbia University student Emma Sulkowicz carried a mattress on her back for almost a year to protest Columbia’s refusal to expel her alleged rapist. Students have written viral blog posts about alleged campus rapes that were unfairly handled. Students have filed lawsuits against the Universities of Chicago, Colorado, Miami, Texas-Pan American as well as Harvard, faulting them for inadequate handling of rape allegations. Last year, former Vanderbilt football player Brandon Vandenburg received 17 years in prison for raping an unconscious student. After former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner received a six-month sentence for allegedly sexual assaulting an unconscious 20-year-old, his victim wrote him an open letter that went viral. Then-Vice President Joe Biden wrote back to her in an open letter, saying, “And I am filled with furious anger – both that this happened to you and that our culture is still so broken that you were ever put in the position of defending your own worth.” And yet, despite the publicity sexual as-
more “...the transparency there is, the more room there is for discussion,
”
-Hilary Vandenbark
*according to RAINN
Hilary Vandenbark teaches her “Violence in a Gendered World” class. Vandenbark wants her students to leave her class more informed on sexual assault.
*according to Crisis’ Services climate rep
sault on campus has received, insensitivity continues. Last Wednesday, Niagara County Community College President James P. Klyczek stepped down amid leaked recordings of him calling a sexual assault victim “stupid” and “dumber than a doorknob.” UB, too, is under scrutiny. On May 12, 2016, the federal government told UB the university had been placed on the Department of Education Office for Civil Right’s (OCR) list of colleges that allegedly mishandled sexual assault cases. The university did not alert students, staff and faculty about the placement until August 11, 2016. The university never sent out a notice about the original sexual assault incident. The Spectrum and faculty members have asked for basic details of the case – when it happened, where it happened, and if the student knew the alleged male perpetrator – for close to a year, but have received no information. The Spectrum has found out that the student complained to OCR that UB retaliated against him/her by suggesting that the university could take disciplinary action against the student over the case. The Spectrum cannot read details of the complaint because large sections are censored. UB administrators defend the school’s actions and say the school’s appearance on OCR’s list does not mean the university mishandled a case. “This list doesn’t mean UB broke any law,” Nolan-Weiss said. “It’s a list of colleges across the nation where a student filed a complaint because something could have been handled differently.” The Spectrum asked President Satish Tripathi why an alert was never sent out to the UB community about the sexual assault. The 1990 Jeanne Clery Act requires all universities that get federal financial aid to disclose information about crime on and near campuses. The idea is to protect students in case a dangerous suspect is on the loose. Failure to comply can lead to penalties of up to $35,000. Tripathi responded through UB Spokesperson John Della Contrada, who said an alert about the sexual assault was never sent to the community because university police “didn’t see it as an immediate threat.” Vandenbark and 92 cosigners in the UB community – including faculty and students – wrote a Feb. 3 letter in The Spectrum about the university’s silence on the case. In the letter, they said the university places students in “more vulnerable positions” by not sending out an alert and that “sexual violence is always an immediate threat.” “I was thinking about my students and I want them to feel like they have a safe space here,” Vandenbark said. “Most rape occurs when two people know each other or mutual acquaintance and that didn’t seem important in the president’s office.” After the letter appeared, Della Contrada reached out to Vandenbark privately, apologizing for “the apparent insensitivity,” she said. “That response was a little disappointing because he only apologized for how the comment appeared and not what the comments were saying and that’s what my letter was trying to address,” Vandenbark said. “My letter to the editor was in a public forum and it seemed like they wanted it to be a private conversation. A response from the president should also be made in a public forum.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
FEATURES CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A STUDENT IS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED? If the federal statistics about campus sexual assault are right, then in every class of 30 women at UB, six will be assaulted before she graduates. In The Spectrum office, that’s four of us. On the volleyball team, it’s three and across the campus of 30,000, it’s about 3,000, assuming about half the campus undergraduates are women. And of course, women are not the only ones being assaulted. It’s happening all around us, yet students don’t report it. Only 8 percent of UB students who’ve been sexually assaulted have reported it, according to the SUNY campus climate report, a survey where students share their experiences with sexual violence and other crimes. The Spectrum spoke to 14 female UB students who claim to have been sexually assaulted. None of them wanted to tell their story. They were afraid of people recognizing who they are and others felt talking about it would be too triggering. None of them have reported the assault. Like Vandenbark, they have dark places of shame. Some of the students interviewed didn’t realize what had happened to them was a sexual assault until weeks, months and even years afterward. If they had come forward, they would have had little evidence other than their memories and shame. Still, these students have options, NolanWeiss said, and will be put in touch with both a Title IX officer and Judicial Affairs, who will lead them through the complaint process. When students do come forward months after an assault, the university has to decide what – if anything – to report to the student body. The Clery Act and Department of Education guidelines mandate that alerts be sent in cases of “an immediate danger,” such as an active shooter on campus, a fire or an act of terrorism. Sexual assault falls into that category when the predator is still around. “In situations where we can identify the perpetrator and make a risk assessment as to whether they pose a continuing threat to students, we’ll do that assessment and if there does not appear to be a continuing threat in that situation, it may not warrant a timely warning,” Nolan -Weiss said. “What we hear from victims is that the timely warning can be triggering for them.” Sotelo-Peryea also feels sending out alerts will “create a chilling effect” on victims. “Without identifying exactly who it is that’s accused, I don’t see how it will make the campus any safer by publishing every time a person comes forward,” she said. Whether an alert is sent out or not, students can pursue a criminal complaint and/ or a code of conduct complaint through the student conduct process. Students also have the option to have support resources, such as counseling services, medical care and academic accommodations. Judicial Affairs also handles cases of false claims, like the February incident in which a UB student reported she had been assaulted by black two men near the Ellicott Complex on North Campus. UB sent out an alert about the assault and the campus buzzed with fear. Two days later, the student told investigators the incident never happened. Now, the case is being reviewed as a violation and may result in criminal prosecution, Nolan-Weiss said. She highlighted the enormous difference between a false case and a case where the facts remain unproven. UB’S SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM In addition to more openness from administrators, Vandenbark also wants to make information about sexual assault clearer for victims sorting through their options. She calls UB’s current webpage “disorganized” and says recourses are not straightforward. Vandenbark feels the website may steer some victims away. And, she says, there is little that helps students understand how sex should happen. The best way to prevent sexual assault, she said, is to “promote good, healthy sex.” “Healthy sex life means consent before, during and after, and communicating what you’re willing and not willing to do. When you’re drinking and at a party, it’s hard to have those conversations and they’re very necessary. It’s about mutual pleasure and safety,” Vandenbark said. Some people have criticized this theory and
the “yes means yes” policy, which requires an explicit “yes” before every kiss, touch or sexual overture. Students say it’s impractical, especially when alcohol is involved. But administrators believe sexual assault prevention is through education. In 2014, UB implemented the online Haven program, which all students have to partially complete before they arrive on campus. They have to finish the program by the end of their first semester. The course takes students through different sexual assault scenarios as an attempt to give them an understanding of UB’s policies. “You’re going to forget a lot of that when you get into party mode. So that information needs to be in your face at all times,” Vandenbark said. Sotelo-Peryea sees the program as a success and said that since Haven began, students have shown an 81 percent increase in understanding of school policies on sexual assault. Students take a survey before and after finishing the course based on their understanding of sexual assault. “I know no one likes requirements, but we’re making a lot of progress with this
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THE SPECTRUM
course,” Sotelo-Peryea said. Haven has also showed administration how many students are coming to UB with past experiences with sexual assault. For the 2016-17 year, 15 percent of women and 3 percent of men said they experienced some form of sexual assault before coming to UB. Four percent of women and 2 percent of men said they experienced some form of sexual assault after they arrived. Along with Haven, UB also has training sessions on helping sexual assault survivors and bystander intervention training. But not all students who have been affected by sexual assault participate. Vandenbark feels this is too little. She’s working hard in her classes and in her out-
“
reach to shift students’ perception about sexual assault and to help them understand that just because they “don’t have a cookie-cutter rape story,” it doesn’t mean they weren’t sexually assaulted. For years, she hid her shame. She tried to shrug off her night in Germany as a “bad, awkward hookup.” Now she knows that talking and awareness about what’s permissible and what’s not is crucial. “People have the right to good sex and people have the right to not be raped,” Vandenbark said. “I wish I knew then what I know now.” email: gabriela.julia@ubspectrum.com
People have the right to good sex and people have the right to not be raped, -Hilary Vandenbark
”
*according to RAINN
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
THE SPECTRUM
Wiz Khalifa lights up Spring Fest Low attendance and tight barricades don’t stop students from enjoying fest
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MAX KALNITZ AND BENJAMIN BLANCHET SENIOR ARTS EDITOR AND ASST. ARTS EDITOR
Friday night’s low attendance may have made this year’s Spring Fest more enjoyable than past concerts. Wiz Khalifa, Zara Larsson and Hippie Sabotage were featured in this year’s concert failing to pack Alumni Arena Friday evening. This year’s fest cost Student Association nearly $440,000 on the total production of the show -- roughly $90,000 more than last semester’s Fall Fest. The total cost included roughly $210,000 for security measures, staffing, zone barricades, food and hospitality for the artists. Approximately $230,000 was spent on talent compared to $190,000 spent on last semester’s Fall Fest. Fall and Spring Fest are funded by the mandatory student activity fee of $104.75 per semester. SA reserved roughly 5,700 tickets for undergraduate students and 500 for guests. According to Marc Rosenblitt, SA’s entertainment coordinator, around 3,300 people were in attendance for the show. Rosenblitt was disappointed with the low attendance rate, but thinks the show was a success. “Everything from the logistics, staff, artist satisfaction and security went according
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to plan,” Rosenblitt said. “Compared to past fests, this one has been absolutely amazing, to my knowledge there were no arrests and no ambulance transports, too.” Rosenblitt plans on emailing all students that registered for tickets but did not come to the show to ask them why they didn’t attend. “We really care about the student body’s satisfaction,” Rosenblitt said. “We want to know why people registered but didn’t come to the fest. If people didn’t like the zoning, lineup, ticketing process, we want to know so we can improve in the future.” But most of the students who attended left with a memorable experience. Dressed head to toe in all white and his baby blue varsity jacket, Wiz Khalifa was the star of the show. He opened with “Bake Sale,” a trap-dominated track with a melodic hook from Travis Scott. He and Taylor Gang members got the crowd fired up by passing out giant inflatable RAW joints to audience members. Khalifa repeatedly asked the crowd “Who here smokes weed?” and the crowd erupted. His relaxed attitude and various weed themed graphics were a good fit for the set. He sporadically took hits from his THC pen throughout the show. Khalifa catered to fans old and new by playing a generous mix of his material. From classics like “Black and Yellow,” “Mezmorized” and “Young Wild and Free” to newer hits like “You and Your Friends”
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and “We Dem Boyz,” the crowd ate up every ounce of the rapper’s performance. Mike Scholl, a junior philosophy major, said Khalifa’s performance was the best part of the concert and felt the people who registered but didn’t attend were missing out. “It’s always nice to have a big star like Wiz come to Buffalo, the first two acts were OK, but well worth it to hear Wiz,” Scholls said. Beatmaker and engineer GRAVES opened the night’s sonic selections with hip-hop lead, booming cuts. The Grammy-winning artist, who has engineered for Kanye West, boasted an array of reimagined EDM rap mixes. GRAVES electrically matched everything from vocal ad-libs and drops to ecstatically charged cuts of Drake’s “Child’s Play” Rae Sremmurd’s “Swang” and Lil Jon’s “Bend Ova.” GRAVES left to give EDM duo Hippie Sabotage time to shine, as they kicked things off with overarching crowd participation. At roughly 7 p.m., the Californian duo Hippie Sabotage enthusiastically started their performance asking “what the f*ck is up” to the UB crowd. The crowd had a mixed response to brothers Kevin and Jeff Saurer, despite Kevin rocking a “University at Buffalo DAD” tee. Kevin, Hippie Sabotage’s hype man, hopped around and commanded the mosh pit as his brother Jeff rocked the boards onstage. Kevin drew delight from the crowd as he surfed above their heads, throwing water at students and smoking weed. The set was full of bangers and adlibs yelled out by Kevin as tees were thrown into the crowd. The group’s zoning and droning music was appreciated by attendees, but
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1: ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
This Spring Fest’s headliner Wiz Khalifa raps one of his hit songs 2: TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Swedish pop singer Zara Larsson sings a song off her recently-released album So Good. 3: ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
Roughly 3,300 students attended Spring Fest Friday evening. The night ended on a high note as confetti cannons sprayed the crowd during Khalifa’s encore of “Young Wild and Free.” 4: TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Kevin Saurer, half of the brother duo Hippie Sabotage, hypes the crowd up during their performance. 5: ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM
Loodyboy, Khalifa’s manager, hands giant inflatable RAW joints out to the crowd.
mainly for those on the floor. Hippie Sabotage’s mix-filled set featured reimagined cuts of Gucci Mane’s “That’s All” as well as their popular remix of Tove Lo’s “Stay High.” The duo’s set left some students walking out of Alumni with prized possessions. Matt Percello, a junior pharmacy and toxicology major, walked away with the “STAY HIGH” hoodie that Jeff rocked on-stage. Percello regularly listens to Hippie Sabotage and he rightfully earned the hoodie after his friend tracked down the performer. But the concert didn’t come without its shortcomings. Hussein Yusuf, a freshman intended engineering major, said he thought Hippie Sabotage was “lit,” but couldn’t enjoy the show because the zone he was sitting in was too far away from the stage. CONTINUE ON PAGE 7
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE SPECTRUM
The Spectrum’s Q&A with Brandon Stanton
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Spectrum editor Hannah Stein sits down with Brandon Stanton before he speaks at UB’s Distinguished Speaker Series.
New York came from? A: Now that’s a 45-minute speech. The main thing I’m always saying is the idea for HONY was not this fully formed idea that I had and executed. That’s the most important thing: I always say that if I had waited for the idea for HONY, I would never have done HONY. It didn’t start with idea; it just started with me loving photography and me wanting to find a way to photograph all day long. My goal wasn’t for it to be this massive success. My goal was I wanted to figure out how to photograph all day long, pay my rent and eat. Through the process of doing that, I was out working every single day and I started to change my work one little bit at a time. I found out it was interesting to photograph people and even more interesting to stop people and ask for their photograph. Then I started adding captions. Then I started adding quotes. Quotes got longer and turned into interviews. It became more about the storytelling than just photography. The idea itself was very much a journey.
HANNAH STEIN
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
Q: Did you initially expect for your project to have had the impact it has had? What was your reaction to its success? A: I moved to New York City to start Humans of New York (HONY) so obviously I thought it had the potential to be something. You know my whole goal was to grow it large enough to where I could support myself and be an artist full-time. That was the ultimate goal and so I say anything beyond that was unexpected. I remember very early on, 10 new people liked the page everyday, I was interviewing 10 new people everyday and I remember doing math if that kept happening everyday I would have 10,000 fans. I remember thinking that was so many fans and that was a huge success and so that was kind of the scale of success I was looking at when I started. Growing into 25 million followers was far beyond what I imagined. Q: Can you elaborate on where your idea to create Humans of
Q: How do you go about finding
Wiz Khalifa lights up Spring Fest dents were pushed from behind and asked to be removed from their front row view. Despite Friday’s good weather, the concert was held indoors due to logistical reasons. Fans began lining up for the show at approximately 4 p.m. with doors to the arena opening at about 5 p.m. Compared to previous fests, the wait to enter the arena was drastically shorter and less stressful. Steven Gothan, a junior communication major, and Charles Whittle, a senior psychology major, were among the first in line. The two arrived at about 4:30 p.m., planning on relaxing during one of the most stressful times of the semester. “I’ve listened to Hippie Sabotage a little bit and I liked Wiz a few years ago, he’s a huge rapper so why not see him if it’s free,” Gothan said. “I have to admit – I would’ve liked to see someone a little more current perform. Zara’s popular and you hear her music everywhere, but I would’ve like someone more current as far as rap artists are concerned.” Whittle said that the line-up’s variety is
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
“If you weren’t in the blue or red zone you totally missed out during their performance,” Yusuf said. “I totally felt left out since they were only moshing in the front zones, it really sucked that I couldn’t be a part of that.” Students in the red and blue floor zones complained they were being pushed against the barrier and couldn’t breathe, even after an announcement to stop pushing. Some students left the show because they were uncomfortable. Nicole Rudnicki, a freshman mathematics major, was at the front of the barricades and said that pushing and shoving had gone on for 10 minutes without security noticing. “I’m literally being squished by hundreds of people against this barricade and it’s really hard to breathe,” Rudnicki said. “Security told everyone to stop but as soon as they stopped yelling the pushing continued.” Security shrugged their shoulders as students screamed in visible discomfort. Stu-
people with interesting stories? A: It’s a lot of work. One, a lot of people say no. I would say that half the people I approach will allow me to take their picture and allow me to interview them, so that takes a long time. You know I’m also asking someone for about 45 minutes of their time and so it’s rare to find someone that’s willing to talk and who has the time to talk with you. And how do I choose people because the process takes so much time and the interviews take so much time – I’m normally looking for people who look like they have time. When I first started HONY, it was very much photography-centered. I was looking for colorful people, eccentric people but now it’s so much about the storytelling and the interviews. I’m looking for somebody who has time – that’s normally someone who is sitting on a bench or smoking a cigarette. That’s what I look for now.
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Q: Which story have you heard that was most moving and stood
email: hannah.stein@ubspectrum.com
fair and thinks the fest provides diversity compared to the country-dominated Tailgate Concert Series. After Hippie Sabotage’s attempt to hype the crowd, pop star Zara Larsson doubled their efforts and took the stage by storm. Larsson, fresh off the release of her album So Good, treated concertgoers to candy-coated cuts from the powerfully belted “What They Say” and “Don’t Let Me Be Yours.” The latter track saw Larsson using her pop sensibilities to re-interpret Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You.” The star deliciously offered more toneddown pieces like “Make That Money Girl” and danced on stage to charm the crowd. As the set began its closing portion, performers got down to rap both new and old. After energetically dancing to Silkk the Shocker’s “It Ain’t My Fault,” Larsson effortlessly transitioned into her upbeat cut “Ain’t My Fault.” She concluded her set with “So Good,” the title single off her debut and the pophouse cut “Never Forget You.” Jeremy Rojo, a sophomore political sci-
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Q: What has been the biggest obstacle of your life and career and how did you overcome it? A: My biggest obstacle would be flunking out of college, I paid my own way through community college and then I went back and I made straight A’s. That was probably the moment that I hit the bottom when I was 21-years-old and I flunked out of school and I didn’t know what I was going to do. But even that is something I hesitate to describe as a major obstacle because having interviewed 10,000 people I know there’s people out there who have had a lot worse things happen to them than flunking out of school. I feel almost selfish for describing it as a major obstacle because I’ve been very blessed. Q: In what way would you say this project has impacted you the most? A: When I first started HONY, I remember how terrified I was to approach people and I didn’t even think that people would let a stranger take their photograph. That did not seem like anything someone would be allowed to do. ‘Can I take your photo? I don’t know you but yes.’ Now fast-forward several years later, I’m walking up to people almost with the expectation that not only will they allow me to take their photograph but in a very short amount of time we will be talking about very personal matters. I found there’s almost no question people won’t answer you know, if you ask them in a genuine tone and in a very interested way. So I think that’s been the biggest lesson for me is how willing people are to share if somebody takes an interest.
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out to you? A: I would say the Pediatric Cancer Series was the one that really shook me the most. A couple of stories within that were just brutal. One, which was a mother who lost her child, told me that story. Those were the ones that were probably the saddest.
Q: When you were a history major at the University of Georgia, what did you imagine yourself doing? A: I didn’t know. I just knew I enjoyed history. I was a business major and I flunked out of school and then I got my grades back up and I was going back into the major and I was like ‘Well I don’t want to flunk out again,’ so I might as well choose something I’m interested in. I loved history at the time and so I chose history because it fascinated me so much. As my senior year started coming to an end, I started to think about what I was going to do with it. I thought about law school and then I got very fortunate. A friend of mine who had a job in finance in Chicago offered me an interview with this firm, which is how I started trading bonds for years. So yeah, I didn’t really know at that point.
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ence major, said Zara Larsson was the highlight of the night. “I love Zara, she and her dancers were so on point and she sounded amazing live,” Rojo said. “My favorite song she performed was ‘Lush Life,’ she hit all the high notes and I’m so happy that I was able to see her live.” Lexi Serwon, a sophomore physics major, only stayed for Zara Larsson’s mix of poppy jams and ballads. “I definitely listened to Zara more when I heard she was coming but it was so hard, this year, to get tickets with my friend, she had to swap tickets to get in my section,” Serwon said. “Overall, I just feel like Wiz is flat rap and I like a bit of a tune when it comes to rap music, some kind of better meaning.” In spite of those who left, music fans that stuck around were treated to closing tracks like “See You Again” and “Young, Wild and Free.” The crowd echoed the song’s bridges as they waved their hands from side to side. Khalifa thanked the Buffalo crowd and smiled before walking off stage. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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NEWS
Monday, May 1, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
MIKE BROWN elected 2017-18 UB Council student representative Current SA Assembly speaker to serve as UB Council student representative MADDY FOWLER ASST. NEWS EDITOR
As UB Council student representative, Mike Brown doesn’t just want to advocate for students, he wants to advocate with them. “[An] overarching goal is bringing more people into the fold of fighting for change because frankly I can’t do it alone, I need to work with others and ultimately what I’ll be trying to accomplish – to work with others and bring more student advocates to the table,” Brown said. Brown, a sophomore political science and computer science major, has been elected UB Council student representative for the 2017-18 school year. UB Council serves as the primary oversight and advisory body to the university, president and senior officers. Elections took place online on UBLinked from April 25 to April 27 from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. Brown received 318 votes. His opponent, Paul Ostrer, a second year law student, received 161 votes. Eighteen voters abstained. Brown said he is “honored” to serve 30,000 students as their representative and thankful for all the support everyone has given him. Brown believes his experience as SA Assembly speaker and an Orientation Leader make him a good fit for UB Council student representative. “As SA Assembly speaker in the past year, I’ve advocated a lot in terms of student issues on campus and we’ve actually been able to turn that advocacy into results,” Brown said. Brown feels working as an Orientation Leader helped him connect with the student
experience. He believes understanding the student experience is an important part of being UB Council student representative. “I’ve gone out of my way to talk with my fellow students about the issues we face on campus and what we can push for to try to address those issues,” Brown said. Brown feels holding the election online made it easier for students to vote. He doesn’t think holding the election online makes much of a difference in terms of voter turnout. He feels the low voter turnout for this election was due to the lack of visibility of the UB Council student representative. Even students in the Student Association do not know the position, Brown said. Brown has several goals he hopes to achieve as UB Council student representative. He said the biggest objective is making the university more transparent with an open data policy. He wants the university to follow the lead of all levels of the government that have been adopting open data policies and making their public information publically accessible rather than having
to go through “lots of red tape.” “Specifically for the students that would mean seeing exactly how and where their money is being spent,” Brown said. He cited the city of Buffalo’s Open Book Buffalo website as an example of an open data policy that UB should model. The website provides the city’s budget breakdown down to the original vendor payments according to Brown, who is currently working with the city on the open data plan. As UB Council student representative, Mike Brown’s looks to focus on transparency and advocacy for students through Campus Dining & Shops and Campus Living. Brown looks to address meal plan time gaps, facility hours and meal plan values. SA Assembly has been negotiating with CDS about meal plan time gaps throughout the semester. They passed a resolution and circulated a petition advocating for the removal of these time gaps. As UB Council student representative, he specifically hopes to remove lunch to dinner meal gap. Brown also plans to continue asking UB
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Sophomore political science and computer science major Mike Brown has been elected UB Council student representative for the 2017-18 school year.
Foundation to divest from fossil fuels and also wants to address UB’s Breathe-Free campaign. Dr. Philip Glick, Faculty Senate chair, said smoking is a “very challenging” problem to address, according to Brown. Brown feels the best way to address smoking on campus is through “affirmative intervention.” Smoking is especially a problem in and around Baldy Hall because the childcare center is located there, he said. Brown also looks to improve safety on South Campus. He wants to implement a blue light system and work to improve Greek life organizations’ relationship with police by “starting a conversation, making connections and fostering respect.” email: maddy.fowler@ubspectrum.com
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10
SPORTS
Monday, May 1, 2017
THE SPECTRUM
‘Anotha one’
UB men’s tennis claims another MAC title
Former UB Bulls Schreck, Johnson and Joseph get shot at NFL
DANIEL PETRUCCELLI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
The Bulls men’s tennis team (14-5, 7-0 Mid-American Conference) had its back against the wall Saturday. They were down 3-1 and an undefeated MAC season was dwindling away along with their chances at a MAC title. But the Bulls weren’t going down without a fight. Freshmen Villhelm Fridell and Filip Grbic got things back on track against the Western Michigan Broncos (16-8, 6-1 MAC). They both were taken to three sets, but won their sets to tie things up for the Bulls. All hopes rested on the back of sophomore Ethan Nittolo. Nittolo dropped his first set of the day 6-3 but came back to win the next set in a tiebreaker 7-6. Nittolo’s opponent jumped to a quick lead 4-1 in the third set. With the team behind him and one set to determine the MAC champion, Nittolo pulled out two breaks to close things up and won out in a tiebreaker, sealing the victory, a tournament MVP and a MAC title. “It all came down on him, we were down 3-1 and Villy and Filip were in the third set,” said Bulls head coach Lee Nickell. “Ethan was down a few breaks at the time and then Villy won and then Filip got a win in the tiebreaker, and Ethan broke the guy 5-4 to get back on serve and at that point Ethan just stepped up… I had no doubt Ethan was going to win that match.” The Bulls had to make a comeback Saturday, but they have established themselves as the dominant force in the MAC. The team won nine straight games this season against MAC opponents. They defeated the Broncos twice and the Northern Illinois Huskies
Former UB Bulls get shot at NFL
SPORTS DESK
TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
Freshman Villhelm Fridell preparing to hit the tennis ball. The men’s tennis team won the MAC championship on Saturday.
three times during the year. This is the program’s second MAC title in three years and the team’s fifth conference title in eight years. “I’ve heard this thing ‘two in three years,’ no, five in eight years. And this is from a program who had never won a MAC title before,” Nickell said. “From a program that was struggling to even win single handed dual matches in the MAC nine years ago, I’m proud our expectations have raised to a point where if we don’t win MAC titles we’re upset.” But Nickell noted he wasn’t sure of his expectations heading into this year. He knew the quality of players was there but with only two returning players heading into the year, he thought the new group might need to “gel” first. They gelled quickly. Buffalo succeeded this year despite their youth. Three freshmen started in conference meets for Buffalo this season. They combined for 34 wins throughout the sea-
son. Fridell went 11-3 at fourth singles for the year. Grbic matched that number at third singles. Freshman Hao Sheng Koay played at four different singles slots during the year including registering seven wins at first singles. “The freshmen group, they don’t act like freshmen – they embrace the pressure that’s been thrown at them,” Nickell said. Now the battle-tested Bulls will move its attention to the NCAA tournament. The caliber of the competition will be taking a step forward but the Bulls are ready. The team’s non-conference schedule was difficult and they faced multiple teams ranked in the top 50. Now they will take their momentum into those games. Their first round opponent will be announced Tuesday during the NCAA’s annual selection show. The tournament begins Friday May 12. “We want to win a round in the NCAA
The Cincinnati Bengals selected former UB tight end Mason Schreck in the seventh round of the NFL Draft on Saturday. Schreck was prepared to sign an undrafted free agent contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, according to Cincinnati.com, but was selected by the Bengals with the third to last pick in the draft. Schreck excelled in his senior season, catching 59 passes for 651 yards and four touchdowns. Former UB running back Jordan Johnson signed an undrafted free agent contract with the hometown Buffalo Bills right after the draft. Johnson had 1,040 yards rushing on 200 carries this past season. On Sunday, UB offensive lineman Roubbens Joseph got a rookie minicamp invite from the Baltimore Ravens. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
for our athletic department and get some positive momentum going for us,” Nickell said. “It’s been a rough month and we all are thinking about our fellow athletic members that have gone through some tough times and we want to represent this athletic department in the best possible way and our goal is to go there and win a round in the NCAA tournament for them.” email: daniel.petruccelli@ubspectrum.com
Schreck was selected with 251 pick, after receiving for 1120 yards in his four years as a Bull. 4. Desmond Green wins UFC debut Former UB wrestler Desmond Green won his UFC debut against Josh Emmett on April 8 at UFC 210 in the Keybank Center. The win was the culmination of Green’s professional MMA career that started in 2012 after he left UB in the fall 2011. The win over Emmett marks Green’s twentieth career win and extended his current winning streak to five. Green is currently still signed to the UFC, scheduling for his next fight.
UB athletics top 10 moments of April TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM
The men’s soccer team practicing. The men’s soccer team was one of four teams cut this month.
SPORTS DESK 10. Softball team wins home opener After two months on the road, the Bulls (843, MAC 3-18) played their first home game of the season on April 9, beating the Western Michigan Broncos (21-25, MAC 9-12) in extra innings. After a tied score of 3-3 at the end of seventh, sophomore infielder Catrell Robertson hit a walk-off solo home run in the ninth inning to get the 4-3 win. 9. Jesse Owens Invitational On April 21 and 22, the Bulls Track and Field team competed in the Jesse Owens invitational. The Bulls finished within the top ten in many
of the events, with freshman discus thrower Sam Wray receiving first place in men’s discus throw with a distance of 49.57 meters. 8. John Kling signs with Washington Redskins Former UB offensive lineman John Kling signed a free agent contract with the Washington Redskins on April 7. Kling signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent last year but was cut from the team before the season began. 7. Jordan Johnson signs with Bills Former UB running back Jordan Johnson signed an undrafted free agent contract with the hometown Buffalo Bills right after the draft. Johnson had 1,040 yards rushing on 200
carries this past season. 6. Vinny Mallaro sets program record with nine RBIs UB senior designated hitter Vinny Mallaro changed the game on April 15. Mallaro had two home runs and nine RBI in a 21-20 loss to Toldeo. Mallaro is hitting .331 this season with 7 home runs and 25 RBI. 5. Mason Shrek gets drafted by Bengals Former UB tight End Mason Schreck was drafted in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals on April 29.
3. Women’s tennis wins MAC Championships The women’s tennis team (14-8, MAC 5-3) won the MAC women’s tennis championship on April 30th, beating the Miami(OH) Redhawks (12-12, MAC 5-3) 4-2. This marks the Bulls first MAC championship since 2008 and the first under current head coach Kristen Maines. 2. Men’s Tennis wins MAC championships On April 29, the Bulls men’s tennis team (14-5, MAC 7-0) won the MAC men’s tennis championships against the Western Michigan Broncos (16-8, MAC 6-1). The win was hard earned as the Bulls trailed 3-1 but were able to win the final three single matches to get the 4-3 win. This marks the fifth MAC championship under head coach Lee Nickell. 1. UB Athletics cuts four teams, effective after this semester UB Athletics announced on April 3 they would be cutting the women’s rowing, baseball, men’s swimming and diving and the men’s soccer team. The cuts saved $2 million from the budget, according to a University press release. 120 student athletes were affected by the cuts. email: sports@ubspectrum.com