The Spectrum Vol. 68 No. 28

THE SPECTRUM VOL. 68 NO. 28 | FEBRUARY 7, 2019

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

FEB. 7, 1994 - A UB student said video game arcade machines like “Total Carnage” should be removed from campus or moved to a new room away from the Student Union’s second floor. The student said the game was a “new style of sexual harassment” and featured violent content. Barbara Ricotta, then-director of Student Life, said Student Life could move the machine or make an existing room into a game room. Ricotta previously offered to the student’s SU > move SEE PAGE locker away from the game, but the student declined.

‘Revolution’ exhibit commemorates UB’s involvement in the civil rights movement

Finishing strong: Wrestling wants to end season on high note

> SEE>PAGE SEE PAGE 2

>>SEE SEEPAGE PAGE8

Prescription and addiction: UB doctor fired amid drug charges “In general, how should a university respond to anybody who is sick?

We have a doctor who has a chronic relapsing disease and it got the better of him. … Do we run away from him? Do we hide? Do we pretend it doesn’t exist?

We would not do that with anybody else.”

Richard Blondell, family medicine professor and JSMBS’ vice chair for addiction medicine

Drug addiction among medical practitioners is a national problem and not uncommon BENJAMIN BLANCHET, BRENTON J. BLANCHET, JACKLYN WALTERS EDITORIAL STAFF

The Buffalo community knew Torin Finver as a “driven” man and an expert in addiction medicine, who for the past four years forged unique bonds with patients by making them feel he understood their struggles.

He helped hundreds of patients as a doctor at the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and at rehabilitation groups at Horizon Health.

That’s why the medical community was shocked on Dec. 17 when federal agents charged Finver with two counts of importing cocaine and heroin.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and postal inspectors located and intercepted four suspicious packages of heroin and cocaine addressed to Finver’s home between Nov. 21 and Dec. 15. One package contained 3 grams of cocaine; others contained undisclosed amounts of heroin and cocaine, police said. Police then did a “controlled delivery” of a fake substance on Dec. 17. Finver claimed the drugs were for personal use, according to U.S. Attorney John P. Kennedy’s office.

The drug charges carry a maximum penalty of $1 million and 20 years in prison.

UB fired Finver on Dec. 23 and he forfeited his medical license.

Finver’s UB colleagues declined to talk about his legal case, but said addiction in the medical field is not uncommon. Often doctors who become

Working for the future UB continues to push new program to improve on-campus student work experience THOMAS ZAFONTE SENIOR FEATURES EDITOR

UB is looking to transform the job search experience with a new

FEB II

DAVILA TARAKINIKINI | THE SPECTRUM The Career Services office space at 259 Capen Hall. UB’s new career program, Here to Career, will work alongside Career Services to give students a better experience at school.

program: Here to Career.

The program, which works directly with Student Life and Career Services, will give students on-campus jobs and pair them with advisers from multiple UB departments. This semester marks the launch of the program. “[On-campus jobs] can be more purposeful for our students if we design them more as experiential learning experiences,” Vice President of Student Life A Scott Weber said.

“Students will be more inclined to talk about their job experi-

UBSPECTRUM

addicted do not seek help for fear of losing their medical licenses.

At least one in 10 health care professionals misuse substances, such as opioids during their lifetime, research by the Butler Center for Research in Minnesota shows. Doctors who have surrendered licenses in New York due to addiction since June 20, 1997 can have them restored three years later, according to New York State Department of Health spokesperson JP O’Hare.

Finver’s former colleague Richard Blondell, a family medicine professor and the JSMBS’ vice chair for addiction medicine, said the university should treat Finver’s relapse as an illness.

“In general, how should a university respond to anybody who is sick? We have a doctor who has a chronic relapsing disease and it got the better of him,” Blondell said.

“Do we run away from him? Do we hide? Do we pretend it doesn’t exist?

We would not do that with anybody else.”

A COMMUNITY IN SHOCK James Simon remembers the day Finver changed his life.

And it was the only time they ever met.

Simon, a Buffalo resident, attended six or seven other rehabilitation centers before arriving at Horizon a few years ago.

Finver was running a group session with patients. He was the only doctor Simon had ever seen run one; usually psychiatrists ran them.

Someone suggested a patient had an “addictive personality” and the counselor in the session agreed. Finver knew they were both wrong, Simon said. “[Finver] came in and just destroyed all of them with medical facts on how > SEE PRESCRIPTION | PAGE 4

ences instead of just saying, ‘It was a good experience.’”

The program started taking shape when Student Life started looking for ways to make on-campus jobs a more “valuable experience” for students.

Weber hopes the program can get all departments on campus to provide jobs to students and said this would give students more options.

Student Life couldn’t provide the specific number of job offerings or mentors in the program because the applications are still open, according to Phyllis Floro, director of Student Engagement.

“We are focusing on developing professional skills that are critical to employers,” said Arlene Kaukus, director of Career Services. “With us working together, students will have a better grasp on their skills and be more prepared for when they look for a job after school.”

The program aims to build skills in eight different areas, with leadership, intercultural relations, communications and critical thinking listed among them. Weber said no matter what job a student has in the program, these skills will always be emphasized. Every advisor in the program is trained to assure they are capable of teaching the pro> SEE WORKING

FUTURE | PAGE 2

Student Association president gives State of SA Address Haberl highlights Student Association’s successes, areas of improvement, SA’s future

HAO WANG | THE SPECTRUM Student Association president Gunnar Haberl gave the State of the Student Association Address Wednesday night. He highlighted SA’s success in the fall semester and outlined hopes for his remaining time as SA president.

JACKLYN WALTERS CO-SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Student Association President Gunnar Haberl presented UB’s State of the Student Association address on Wednesday night.

Haberl addressed a crowd of roughly 140 students, the majority of which were SA members, faculty and staff in the Student Union Theater.

Haberl began by summarizing last semester’s events and addressing the audience with his “newfound energy” for the future. He said the successes of SA included a campaign for promoting sexual > SEE SA

ADDRESS | PAGE 4

BRENTON BLANCHET | THE SPECTRUM

Students walk outside Bell Hall and pass crystalized trees and icy sidewalks on Wednesday. UB alerted students about freezing rain Wednesday morning.

NEWS

2 | Thursday, February 07, 2019

ubspectrum.com

‘Revolution’ exhibit commemorates UB’s involvement in the civil rights movement Presidential Scholars open exhibit in the Silverman Library TANVEEN VOHRA CO-SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Students and professors came together to pull off what history professor Dalia Muller called “an impossible project” – a tribute to civil rights leaders, using limited resources.

Roughly a semester later, the finished product now stands as a 24-by-4 foot structure in the middle of Silverman Library, to commemorate UB’s involvement in the civil rights movement.

The exhibit, titled “Revolution,” covers five prominent figures of the civil rights movement — Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Angela Davis, Shirley Chisholm and Cesar Chavez — who visited UB from 196075.

The opening for the exhibit took place on Monday in the Silverman Library and featured UB President Satish Tripathi, who commented on the legacy of UB’s active political past. Muller gave UB Presidential Scholars, the top-performing percent of freshman students, the project last semester. The students, who are mainly STEM or business majors, said they discovered a lot of difficulties in their research, but learned from the project and ultimately saw it as a good experience.

The exhibit serves as a reminder of the UB community’s active participation in social justice and political issues during the 1960s and ‘70s, when the campus was quickly transforming into what many called the “Berkeley of the East.”

The exhibit is not solely the result of the UB Presidential Scholars’ research, but rather a collaboration of the Office of Inclusive Excellence, UB Libraries and the Honors College.

Despina Stratigakos, the vice provost for Inclusive Excellence, said the exhibit was a “germ of an idea” last spring when Scott Hollander, the associate university librarian for Technology, Communications and Outreach, came to her with a list of civil rights leaders who spoke at UB in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Stratigakos said although she was aware of UB’s political past, reading the names on a

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WORKING FUTURE gram’s core eight values, according to Weber.

Shuron Jackson, a junior political science and history double major, works at Career Services and has a part- time job. Jackson said she thinks the new program is great for students, but wishes there was more advertising for it.

“You don’t see anything about it

BENJAMIN BLANCHET | THE SPECTRUM UB Presidential Scholar Jonathan Garriques speaks at the Civil Rights exhibit in Silverman Library. Garriques and other students conducted research for “Revolution.”

list “hit [her] somehow differently.”

She said she was especially impressed that students invited the speakers to campus.

“You realize, ‘Oh! The conversations that must have been happening.’ Then to find out it was mostly students who were inviting these people,” Stratigakos said.

Stratigakos said the legacy of activism at UB inspired her to teach in UB’s architecture program, which she called “radical” and said was “engaged with social justice and community work.”

Tripathi also said the exhibit marked a “pivotal era” --- both nationally and for the university. Tripathi applauded the work of the Presidential Scholars, who he said did a “fantastic job,” despite not being history majors.

Tripathi lauded the different types of activism UB students have been involved in over the years, including political activism, environmental work and social work in Buffalo.

He specifically mentioned the work UB students have done with public schools in Buffalo and housing programs such as

PUSH Buffalo.

The exhibit was the Presidential Scholars’ first foray into historical research of this magnitude. The scholars looked at microfilms in libraries and went through library and Spectrum archives and searched for lost audio for speeches from almost 50 years ago.

Yet some of their questions remain unanswered.

This lack of answers left many feeling their project was “incomplete.”

Presidential Scholars Samantha Nelson, a biochemistry major, and Clayton Markham, an environmental engineering major, struggled to find material on Malcolm X, who had ties to Buffalo dating back to the 1940s.

Others faced similar difficulties.

Barbara Curran, a business administration major, said she was disappointed when her team searched the archives for “specific” materials, only to find limited historical records offering few answers.

Muller warned the students they would “never be satisfied with the outcome.”

“A lot of us are not used to not being able to complete something,” Curran said. “So

when we were told, ‘You’re set up to fail,’ that was really hard.”

But that was the point.

Muller explained her motive behind the project, aside from sharing some of UB’s history, was to help “overachieving” students cope with failure while also teaching them to work as a team.

“You’re not only going to fail, but you’re going to fail together,” Muller said. “These kids are maybe going to do great things and make great discoveries, but two things — one, they’re going to fail a lot before they get there and two, when they get there it’s going to be the result of a team,” Muller said.

The students still found the project to be a good experience and said they found the failures they faced to be a turning point.

“Even if you had a dead end for this research, you open up other paths and other really cool things you can explore,” Curran said.

anywhere,” Jackson said. “Sure it’s in 1Capen and Student Life, but how many students are seeing that? I can’t see the turnout being that strong if not that many people know. That’s a shame too. I would recommend people look into campus jobs.”

Angelina Wallum, a sophomore electrical engineering major, wishes there was a program like Here to Career when she was looking for an on-campus job as a freshman. She said there is an advantage in working a part-time

job and a full schedule.

“I work close to 20 hours at Wegmans each week,” Wallum said. “Before I started working, [time management] wasn’t something I ever thought about. You don’t think planning and time management are difficult, but you have to learn how to do it right.”

She credits her communication skills to her ability to manage both workloads.

“I meet a lot of people here who have never had a job at all,” Wallum

said. “That is scary, I feel like you need to have worked a job or you’re not going to be ready for a career. There were so many things I was terrible at before I started working, it was hard for me to even talk to people.”

Students can apply to Here to Career on Bullseye and can visit Student Life’s office at 223 Student Union.

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You are not alone.

UB OFFERS GROUP COUNSELING. buffalo.edu/studentlife/counseling

OPINION

ubspectrum.com

THE SPECTRUM Thursday, February 07, 2019 Volume 68 Number 28 Circulation: 4,000

You can’t legitimize racism and neither can Governor Ralph Northam

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hannah Stein MANAGING EDITOR Brenton J. Blanchet CREATIVE DIRECTORS Phuong Vu Anh Phuong Tran, Asst.

COPY EDITORS Savanna Caldwell Cassi Enderle Lauryn King Cherie Jacobs, Asst.

NEWS EDITORS Jacklyn Walters, Co-senior Tanveen Vohra, Co-senior FEATURES EDITORS Thomas Zafonte, Senior Isabella Nurt, Asst ARTS EDITORS Brian Evans, Senior Samantha Vargas, Asst.

Julianna Tracey, Asst.

SPORTS EDITOR Nathaniel Mendelson, Senior EDITORIAL EDITOR Benjamin Blanchet MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Shubh Jain, Senior Pranav Kadam, Asst.

Davila Tarakinikini, Asst.

CARTOONIST Ardi Digap

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

perspectives of others. “That I have contributed to the pain Virginians have felt this week is the greatest shame I have ever felt,” he said.

That’s a start.

It’s a lot more honest than Northam’s half apologies.

Still, we are uncomfortable with people in power trying to legitimize choices and racist acts or statements they made in the past.

We’d like to see politicians and celebrities like Billy Crystal and Robert Downey Jr., who’ve used or joked about blackface, open up about their reasons and the upbringings that led them to think such jokes or actions were funny or inoffensive.

We even think “Looney Tunes” cartoons need reevaluation.

We expect more discussion of Northam and the state of Virginia in coming weeks. We see it as a chance for our country and our campus to talk about this important issue.

Please write or tweet us your thoughts on Twitter @UBSpectrum.

Without warning

(which is not his fault, according to the rapper’s legal team).

Was he supposed to turn himself in as a teenager? What teenager, who immigrated from another country, lives an autonomous life and can make decisions for themselves?

If this is true, then he might qualify as a dreamer under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Kuck, in a statement to Buzzfeed, said the rapper applied for a U-visa in 2017. Uvisas are nonimmigrant visas for victims of crimes in the U.S. Kuck said that 21 Savage was a victim of a 2013 crime, in which he was shot and his friend died from murder. The application is still under review, according to Kuck.

“As a minor, his family overstayed their work visas…,” Kuck said. “He, like almost two million other children, was left without legal status through no fault of his own.”

And the rapper certainly saw the Trump administration’s immigration stances as an issue.

At the end of his hit song “A Lot,” the rapper ends his verse by addressing border security and immigration issues.

“Been through some things but I couldn’t imagine my kids stuck at the border,” raps 21 Savage. “Flint still need water, n––––s was innocent couldn’t get lawyers.”

He performed this verse during the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Jan. 29.

Now, as we wait for his case to be in front of a federal immigration judge, we may see the rapper fill the role of so many families before him.

And that’s something you can’t make a meme about.

Blackface isn’t just a southern thing.

It’s not an archaic form of racism, either.

Blackface still happens today and there’s no excuse for it.

On Feb. 1, the far-right blog Big League Politics published photos from Virginia governor Ralph Northam’s 1984 yearbook page. The page shows a photo of a man dressed in blackface and another man dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member. Northam initially apologized and said he was in the photo.

But then, he held a Feb. 2 press conference and denied he was in the yearbook photo, but said he had worn blackface in the ‘80s when he did a Michael Jackson impersonation.

The nation was collectively baffled.

Blackface is unacceptable under all conditions.

We’re appalled at Northam’s inability to see the racism he exhibited and at his bumbling way of dealing with this crisis. He made the mess worse by his foolish response and lost his chance to lead.

21 Savage’s arrest is a shocker, but family separation is far from funny

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All but one editor thinks he should step down and let his state and the nation heal.

Northam was graduating from medical school when he selected the blackface photo as one of four photos for his yearbook page. He was old enough to know better. He was older than we are now.

The other three photos he selected feature him alone and him with his car. The quote he used to accompany his images reads, “There are more old drunks than old doctors in this world so I think I’ll have another beer.”

Blackface appears in two other images in that 1984 yearbook.

Even if it’s not him in the photo, he put it on his page.

He should have known better. We know better and we are undergraduates. America has an ugly history with racist blackface and minstrel acts. It’s taken way too long for white America to accept that dressing in blackface isn’t funny. In the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon performed in blackface on national TV. Buffalo is no stranger to blackface. One of the founding minstrel shows in America ––

Christy’s Minstrels –– started in Buffalo.

We also think it’s important to recognize the medical field is not foreign to racism, as the Tuskegee syphilis experiment affected 600 black men with only 74 test subjects alive at the experiment’s 1972 conclusion.

It worries us that Gov. Northam could have had dozens of black patients, all of whom were probably unaware of this photo.

As governor, Northam’s policies affect roughly 1.5 million black Virginians. That’s too many people who could feel slighted if Northam fails to step down.

Today, we know blackface is wrong. This is universally accepted. Our generation also knows everything we do is recorded. We know there is no “right to be forgotten.” We can’t be young and foolish, as so many of Northam’s peers claimed to be.

On Wednesday, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring admitted he and his friends used blackface to imitate rapper Kurtis Blow in 1980. He apologized for the behavior and what he called “our ignorance and glib attitudes,” which didn’t consider the

EDITORIAL BOARD

EDITORIAL BOARD

Thursday, April 19, 2018 | 3

BENJAMIN BLANCHET EDITORIAL EDITOR

We’ve heard his songs. We’ve anticipated his albums.

Now, 21 Savage is the subject of burnt-out memes.

On Sunday, rapper 21 Savage was arrested in Atlanta, Georgia by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to ICE’s spokesperson Bryan Cox. ICE announced that the rapper is a British citizen and he came to U.S. in July 2005. The rapper was in the U.S. on a nonimmigrant visa that expired in July 2006, according to ICE. It’s heartbreaking and, truthfully, nobody should be laughing.

But most people didn’t pray.

Instead, they jumped straight to jokes.

Conservative voices and “left-leaning” rap pundits alike seemingly mended like a Venn diagram on Sunday night. They joked that he was down with the

red coats and that the gang violence he rapped about was more like Revolutionary War battles.

I wasn’t amused.

21 Savage is a 26-year-old black man. 21 Savage has no prior criminal record, according to his lawyer Charles H. Kuck.

He’s a budding music star who could win a Grammy Award or two on Sunday.

Most importantly, he’s a father of three.

His situation is not uncommon, too. He just happens to be famous.

ICE reported a 146-percent increase in arrests of people without prior criminal convictions in 2017. There was a 153-percent increase in Buffalo.

ICE agents arrested an average 4,143 undocumented immigrants without prior criminal convictions in the first 14 months of the Trump administration, according to USA Today.

In President Barack Obama’s last two years in office, there was an average 1,703 arrests a month.

ICE arrests affect lives, still, the jokes came piling in from supposedly liberal faces on Sunday.

On Sunday, music blogger Anthony Fantano shared an album cover of 21 Savage dressed as a member of the Queen’s guard.

A day later, Fantano backed into a different corner. Fantano tweeted that 21 Savage’s tax revenue generation (and the joy of his music) “contributes more… to America than any brainless right-wing pundit or ICE bootlicker finding joy in his deportation.”

Fantano, however, was an “ICE bootlicker finding joy in his deportation” less than 24 hours before Monday afternoon.

And even those in public positions –– like ICE’s spokesperson Bryan Cox –– feel the need to play the role of the cultural critic.

“His whole public persona is false,” Cox said.

Why does Cox, a government spokesperson, think it’s appropriate to chime in on popular debate? What does he know about 21 Savage outside of a few trap songs? Is Cox gunning for Jeff Miers’ job at The Buffalo News? Is he submitting his resume to the Grammys pre-show next?

Apparently, 21 Savage’s love for his city of Atlanta is all part of a “false” persona.

21 Savage has hosted three annual back-to-school drives where he offers kids school supplies and haircuts. Is this an indication of a phony man?

Or maybe Cox thinks the rapper’s “Bank Account” campaign is a sham. 21 Savage announced the campaign on Ellen in March 2018. The rapper said he would give $1,000 to 21 teenagers to open their own bank accounts, to promote financial education, according to Okayplayer.

For Cox and most of America, these achievements become citations on the rapper’s Wikipedia page. If we remodel “21 Savage” into a villain, a liar or a cheat then we fall victim to an erosive mindset.

21 Savage came to the U.S. as a child, although ICE’s report conflicts with what the rapper’s legal team claims. ICE said he came here at 12 years old, 21 Savage’s legal team said he legally came here at 7 years old. His visa expired in 2005, the team said, and he returned on a H-4 visa one month later. He’s been in the U.S. since that visa expired

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4 | Thursday, February 07, 2019 FROM PAGE 1

PRESCRIPTION

COURTESY OF UB JACOBS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES Torin Finver, a former UB doctor, assisted patients around the Buffalo area with drug addiction. In December, federal agents charged Finver with two counts of importing drugs.

there’s no such thing as an addictive personality,” Simon said. “He was running through pharmacologically what happens in the brain. He broke down the limbic system and the prefrontal lobe and how the damage is between the two. And then he literally tied it all up in a nice neat little bow … He hinted that basically the solution was spiritual in nature.”

Simon said Finver led him to trust groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

“This was five years ago and I remember it. It changed me,” Simon said.

“There was only a couple of groups I paid attention in and he was one of them.”

Simon said Finver’s perspective on addiction and ability to communicate medical information worked for a lot of community members.

“I never knew he [used drugs], but I kind of knew he was on a level. He had a way of really knowing how to meet people where they really are,” Simon said.

He called him an “enigma,” saying

FEATURES “most people don’t make it through with the level of success that he has.

They don’t have that unique perspective of knowing it intimately. It’s like a perfect storm. How do you create a guy like that? You can’t. He’s invaluable.

He’s f–––––g priceless.”

Paige Prentice, the senior vice president of operations at Horizon, worked closely with Finver as a supervisor and said she saw no signs Finver was struggling with addiction.

“Torin was a driven man, especially when it comes to addiction and addiction medicine. He wanted to make sure people were taken care of...,” Prentice said. “He was really just on a mission to make sure the field could advance and people would get the treatment they need.”

She said this wasn’t the first time a Horizon employee had dealt with addiction.

“I think [addiction in the medical field] is more common than we would like to admit or know about,” Prentice said. “I wouldn’t say it’s rampant, but I do think it’s more common than we would want to think about.”

Finver’s coworkers at UB were also upset and surprised by the news of his arrest.

Megan Veirs, UBMD Marketing Communication Specialist, called Finver an “advocate and a leading force in the community for helping those with the disease of addiction with their recovery.”

Veirs said UBMD was “collectively saddened to hear about the charges.”

Blondell, who worked alongside Finver, said the opioid epidemic has seen drastic changes during his time as a physician.

He said typical patients in the detox unit were older people battling drug and alcohol addictions when he began working as a physician. But this shifted, he said, with greater numbers of young adults “who come from good socioeconomic backgrounds” requiring rehab services.

“So what’s different about it is we’ve gone from older [people from disadvantaged backgrounds injecting] heroin from disadvantaged backgrounds,

ISABELLA NURT | THE SPECTRUM Finver’s former colleague Richard Blondell is a family medicine professor and the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ vice chair for addiction medicine. Blondell, who worked with Finver, said the university should treat Finver’s relapse as an illness.

FROM PAGE 1

SA ADDRESS assault awareness and increasing transparency. SA’s spring agenda includes finalizing UB’s food pantry, a new recreational center on North Campus and more resources for students who experience mental illness.

In Haberl’s opening slideshow, messages of “SA represents you,” and “together we can achieve our biggest ambitions,” flashed across the screen.

“I am able to stand here confident to say that the state of our University at Buffalo Undergraduate Student Association is strong,” Haberl said.

Haberl discussed fall-semester successes, focusing primarily on SA’s sexual assault campaign as well as its efforts to increase transparency.

“Sexual assault is a reality on college campuses — on our campus — and this cannot be ignored,” Haberl said. “I assure to you that any silence on this issue is complicity.”

SA promoted sexual assault prevention last semester with a week-long campaign to create solidarity for survivors. Events such

as Walk a Mile in Her Shoes and UPD selfdefense classes brought SA clubs and UB community members together to open up the conversation of sexual assault, Haberl said.

Haberl also said he believed the Fall Fest Concert Series “was not a failure” during the address. Haberl previously told The Spectrum that Spring Fest will remain in its original, single-show format.

Haberl said he believes SA has greatly improved its transparency in the last semester since SA began posting meeting minutes online for the first time. Haberl said the address itself was “a positive step in the right direction.”

“I think getting the elected officials out and talking can always improve transparency,” Haberl said. “Also, I post my office hours on my door every week for students to come by and visit. I think transparency is there.”

Haberl addressed SA’s ambitions and potential improvements for the spring semester. He said counseling services are “nowhere near” what UB needs to serve its students.

“Every year UB increases incoming stu-

to your peers,” Blondell said.

Finver did not respond to The Spectrum’s numerous attempts to reach him through colleagues and on Facebook.

ubspectrum.com Susan Bagdasarian, a UB EAP consultant, said UB employees have contacted her office to handle their own drug and alcohol addiction and seeking help in living with addicted family members.

Her office helps connect employees with groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous and assures employees of confidentiality, she said.

SAMHSA also offers guides and services for getting treatment, including a treatment locator available on its website.

There are 45 locations within a 15-mile radius of North Campus which offer substance abuse services, according to the map.

SAMHSA also has a guide titled “Finding Quality Treatment for Substance Use Disorders” online to help people evaluate treatment options.

Addiction, Prentice said, can affect anyone, and everyone has to be vigilant and ready to help.

“There’s still a certain level of disbelief or shock or whatever that a medical professional would be struggling with this,” Prentice said. “To that I just say, medical professionals are just people.”

She added, “Torin, at the end of the day, is just another guy. He happened to be a doctor and he happened to specialize in treating addiction but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to have problems himself.”

“I never knew he [used drugs], but I kind of knew he was on a level.

He had a way of really knowing how to meet people where they really are.”

ADDICTION

BY THE NUMBERS Roughly 11.4 million people have misused opioids in the past year, according to 2017 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrations data.

That’s enough people to fill UB Stadium 393 times.

Still, that’s fewer than it was a few years ago when the opioid crisis was at its zenith.

But, even as national numbers of opioidaddicted patients decrease, the amount of opioid misuse among doctors like Finver remains stable, according to a number of national studies.

In Erie County, overdose deaths increased from 101 in 2013 to 301 in 2016. But deaths have decreased in the past two years. There were 148 confirmed opioid overdose deaths in Erie County last year, as of Jan. 24, according to Erie County public information officer Daniel Meyer.

Meyer said that there have been 54 suspected opioid overdose deaths in 2018 –– awaiting final autopsy results –– as of Jan. 24.

Between 10 and 15 percent of medical professionals will “misuse substances during their lifetime,” according to the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation for addiction treatment. The foundation reports that prescription “drug abuse” and addiction rates are five times higher among physicians than use among the general population.

James Simon, Buffalo resident

FINDING HELP UB and Buffalo’s Horizon rehabilitation center offer confidential employee addiction assistance. dents in the freshman class but we don’t increase the resources available to them,” Haberl said. “So UB really needs to take a look at putting more financial resources into our counseling services.”

Haberl said although “the expectations for what SA will accomplish [this semester] are low,” the SA board plans to “continue to keep pushing for the progress on the work that still needs doing.”

Haberl said he looks forward to continuing to serve on the food pantry task force “to assure that the pantry operations open before the end of [his] term,” and announced the pantry will be held in the SA office.

He addressed his previous aspirations for a campground on campus and said he has altered his goal to create a new recreational center for students instead.

Haberl said cooking seminars, Earth week and Distinguish Speakers Series events are among SA’s spring semester plans. He also promised the beginning of a pilot program to provide free menstrual products in select UB bathrooms by May 20.

He hopes to propose revisions to the

If you or someone you know is addicted to substances such as opioids, call the 24/7 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration hotline at 1-800-662-HELP. SAMHSA’s treatment locator is available on its website. email: news@ubspectrum.com twitter: @BenjaminUBSpec, @BrentBlanchSpec and @JacklynUBSpec.

Excelsior Scholarship and SUNY Educational Opportunity Program at the upcoming higher education action day in Albany.

Jacob Virchau, a freshman political science major, is a member of SA and said UB is “full of possibilities” and enjoyed the address.

“I think Gunnar did a great job,” Virchau said. “It made me feel hopeful and optimistic about the future of student life.”

Haberl hopes next year’s SA board continues programs such as the fall food festival, sexual violence prevention week and mental health awareness events. He said future board members should continue to work on the Student Union reconstruction plan and building a new recreational center.

“The stepping stones are there, the foundation is there,” Haberl said. “But next year’s e-board is really going to have to continue it or it’s going to be pushed aside.” email: jacklyn.walters@ubspectrum.com twitter @JacklynUBSpec

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

ubspectrum.com

‘Cats’ revival tour travels to Buffalo

COURTESY OF MATTHEW MURPHY Broadway’s “Cats” returns from hiatus and brings their traveling show to Buffalo.

Classic Broadway musical draws in fans from miles away SAMANTHA VARGAS ASST. ARTS EDITOR

Gina Smith took a bus from Oil City, Pennsylvania to see “Cats” on opening night at Shea’s Theatre. She had been waiting to see the show for 32 years.

“When they announced the show in Buffalo, I told my husband there was no way I was missing it. He jumped up and said he

was going too. This was our Christmas gift.”

Theater fans traveled in droves to the Buffalo area to witness the classic production Tuesday night. The production runs from Feb. 5-10 as a part of the M&T Bank Broadway series. Shea’s Theater is also offering a student discount on tickets.

“Cats” tells the story of the Jellicle Cats, a superior tribe of cats and their annual celebration of “the Jellicle choice.” The leader of the cats must choose who may ascend into the sky and be reborn. The original production premiered on Broadway in 1982 and took a hiatus from 2000-16.

The elaborate musical offers incredible vocals and magnificent feats of athleticism.

Composed by the celebrated Andrew Lloyd Webber, “Cats” is based on T.S. Eliot’s poetry. The poetry explores the psychology and sociology of cats, coinciding with the musical’s loose narrative structure.

While the show was profound, it was rich with humor and elaborate musical numbers.

Many of the songs explore the various personalities of the different cats. These range from humorous escapades to powerful declarations of despair. The show consists of different monologues from characters, rather than a traditional storyline.

The production featured familiar songs like “Memory” and “Mr. Mistoffelees.” The musical numbers were primarily ensemble performances, but each piece demonstrated the incredible vocal capabilities of the entire cast. Each cast member had the opportunity to flaunt their abilities with a complete lack of any obvious weak links.

Keri René Fuller, who played Grizabella, stole the show with her rendition of “Memory.” She gave a riveting, emotional performance and completely commanded the room. The scene contrasted the elaborate, comical numbers and choreography with raw emotion and despair.

The cast was also athletically gifted. Since every character in the show is a cat, every ac-

Thursday, February 07, 2019 | 5 tor must have cat-like agility. The performers made themselves present throughout the theater, while they ran through the aisles and occasionally interacted with the audience.

Each musical number featured astonishing choreography that showcased the different abilities of the cast. “The Old Gumbie Cat” highlighted tap dancing, while “Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer” encompassed complex acrobatic abilities. Ballet and contemporary styles were scattered throughout the entire production. Cast members belted out their songs and performed elaborate dances without showing fatigue.

The show was visually exceptional, but the storyline was hard to follow without context.

The show features unfamiliar language that appears in T.S. Eliot’s poetry, which is never explained throughout the production. The term “Jellicle” has an entire musical number shaped around it, and all of the cats’ complicated names appear in the poetry.

But the storyline did not come across as a traditional narrative, which allowed it to be open to interpretation and made the content easy to enjoy without the entire context.

The underlying plot eventually became more transparent during the second act.

The Shea’s audience laughed and cried throughout the performance and the cast received a standing ovation after the final number. The revival tour is a must-see for the Buffalo theater community. email: samantha.vargas@ubspectrum.com twitter @SamVargasArts

MNEK: the proud pop star you’re looking for Singer/producer talks about, multifaceted music and debut North American solo tour BRENTON J. BLANCHET MANAGING EDITOR

MNEK’s confidence is contagious.

The pop star openly structures his work after his favorite albums of the past. He’s

able to juggle humor and adversity in his music because he isn’t afraid of being honest. And when he puts a photo of his hero in front of him in the studio, he gets the results he wants.

MNEK is finally bringing his catalog to North America this month, and plays Toronto’s Velvet Underground on the 23rd.

Before the pop star’s show, I talked with him about the music that raised him, using

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his craft to tell his full story as a gay black man and helping fans come to terms with themselves.

Before understanding you as an artist, I want to understand the things that inspire you. I’ve seen you post about this album a lot, so how much of an influence was Janet Jackson’s “The Velvet Rope” on your musical upbringing?

MNEK: I grew up listening to loads of Whitney Houston, Bob Marley and just everything that was on MTV. So there was Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Mariah [Carey], all them lot. So then it was really only when I got to my teens that I really payed attention to albums and get my own sense of what albums I liked and what albums resonate with me. I spent so many years trying to figure out what kind of album I wanted to make and what I want people to feel like at the end of it. Listening to “Velvet Rope,” especially, is an album where I just was engulfed in it from start to finish and I loved what it represented.

I loved how it had lightness and darkness and it also had an overall just vibe. It was her telling a story. And with this album, even my first album, I could only do this if I was telling the same stuff that was real to me or real to my community or real to

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MNEK: I can only be myself and myself is a very multifaceted person, as we all are. The best thing for me was to showcase the different parts of who I am and there’s a part of me that does think about the world that I’m living in and I’ve grown up in. I’m 24, I’m black, I’m gay and I’m in a world where I’m very much a minority in many ways. And so I do think about these things. It’ll be like tone deaf to not at least acknowledge it in my music. And then there’s another side of me that just wants to laugh and then have a good time.

There’s songs for that. I’m happy that I’m able to do those and that people have received it and understood what I tried to do there.

And you found yourself working with artists that have also worked with these producers you admire. Obviously, Beyonce with Darkchild. How does it feel to see things like that come full circle?

READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ONLINE AT UBSPECTRUM.COM

Application deadline is February 15, 2019.

Learn more and apply at canisius.edu/TEACH

With this record, “Language,” the themes range from, as you said, the light and the dark. There’s the mispronunciation of your name and a little humor there. Then there’s topics like racism, homophobia and love in general. Was it difficult to find the balance between the humor of mispronunciation and the honesty in your powerful messages there?

MNEK: It’s really cool. I always struggled to take it in because it’s one of those things where it’s something that happened.

It was something that was very brief in time. I’m still figuring out how it went weirdly enough. And it’s cool that [“Hold Up”] ended up on “Lemonade.” It’s really sick to hear anything that came from my brain be sung by Beyonce who I’ve looked up to my entire life. It’s really cool, it’s really amazing and I hope that it’s not the end of that. I hope that they’ve appreciated what I did and they’ll tell other people.

That’s all I can really hope for.

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COURTESY OF LUKE NUGENT Pop star MNEK talked with The Spectrum before his Velvet Underground performance this month.

email: Brenton.Blanchet@ubspectrum.com twitter: @BrentBlanchSpec.

6 | Thursday, February 07, 2019

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

UB’s spring performance radar

ubspectrum.com shows on Mar. 1-2, and a matinee performance on Feb. 28.

The Buffalo Chips’ 24th Annual “Dances On” Mar 7-10 - CFA Valentines Day Invitational Feb. 23 - Slee Hall

SHUBH JAIN | THE SPECTRUM From Zodiaque Dance Company to Slee Hall’s Beethoven Quartet, The Spectrum compiled a list of the best theatre events happening on campus throughout the spring semester.

A guide to upcoming oncampus theater and music performances.

JULIANNA TRACEY ASST. ARTS EDITOR

Harsh winter weather can make traveling off campus a challenge. It can be hard to make it downtown to see a show with freezing temperatures and snow days.

But students don’t have to leave campus for exceptional entertainment.

The Center for the Arts and Slee Hall host exciting performances across most genres each semester. The Spectrum compiled a list of upcoming on-campus shows and concerts that even a polar vortex shouldn’t keep you from attending.

Acapella groups have been gaining recognition since the release of “Pitch Perfect.”

The Buffalo Chips, however, has been going strong long before the movie’s release. `The Buffalo Chips are UB’s award-winning, all-male acapella group. The group’s performances have been a proud tradition at UB for over 20 years. The tradition continues with the Chips’ 24th Annual Valentines Day Invitational. This concert celebrates the day of love, though not actually taking place on the holiday. Expect to hear love-themed songs, crooned by some talented men.

UB’s dance program is often recognized for its outstanding talent. One of the most praised aspects of the program is the Zodiaque Dance Company. The company is known for its use of multiple dance styles and artistic numbers. Zodiaque has been a proud tradition at UB and is celebrating its 45th anniversary in the fall.

Zodiaque returns to the stage with its spring performance, “Dances On.” This performance will explore the connection between international dance styles, American dance forms and interpretive styles of modern dance.

“The Threepenny Opera” Slee Beethoven String Quartet “Julius Caesar” May 2-5 - CFA Cycle Concert I: Attacca Quar- Feb. 28- Mar. 2 - CFA UB’s spring musical takes on a dark tale.

UB’s Theatre and Dance department has “The Threepenny Opera” follows the extet been known for performances of ShakeFeb. 15 - Slee Hall

The “Slee Beethoven String Quartet Cycle” has been a staple at Slee Hall since 1955.

There are six annual concerts that go through the complete cycle of the Beethoven string quartets and distinguished groups pay a visit to UB to participate in the concert series.

The 2019 “Slee Beethoven String Quartet Cycle” features the Attacca Quartet, formed at in 2003, and made its professional debut in 2007. The group has toured across the country, making appearances at Wolf Trap, the Garmany Chamber Music Series and the Carnegie Hall Neighborhood Concerts in New York.

speare’s plays. This spring’s production of Julius Caesar, however, is unique from the department’s past works.

This performance marks the first time a play presented by the Theatre and Dance Department is being performed at the Center for the Arts’ Mainstage Theatre. The department’s past plays and musicals have been performed at the CFA’s Drama Theatre. The production tells of the epic life of Julius Caesar in a slightly larger venue and through a contemporary lens. The actors portray a college class that reads the play aloud, highlighting its historical relevance. This timely play will run for one weekend, with two evening

Cupid’s Undie Run The Leones

Feb. 9, 8 p.m. — Babeville

Any chance to see live music at Babeville is one to take. This Buffalo architectural staple is a church-turned-concert venue. You can see indie rock bands perform under a cathedral ceiling with stained glass windows. The venue also features a cozy underground bar for more intimate music shows.

The Leones — a duo who perform dreamy synth pop — are playing this Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Feb. 9, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. — Thin Man’s Brewery

Yes, that’s right, this event involves running in underwear and drinking beer.

Cupid’s Undie Runs are held all over the country to benefit research for neurofibromatosis. Buffalo is hosting one this Saturday to help get your mid-day drinking going.

ploits of the bandit and womanizer, Macheath, or “Mack the Knife.” The work is often described as “the beggar’s opera,” providing a criticism of capitalism and middle class morality in a cruel and corrupt society. Several different versions of “The Threepenny Opera” have been translated from its original German text. UB’s production will be the first time the Simon Stephens translation will be performed in the U.S. The show is also a part of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra’s Kurt Weill Festival, celebrating the life and work of the musical’s composer. email: julianna.tracey@ubspectrum.com twitter @JTraceySpec

Runners are encouraged to strip down and “bare” the cold for a “brief ” mile run, followed by a party at Thin Man’s Brewery. This is the most expensive event — tickets are $45 online and $50 at the door — but it’s for a great cause and a truly unforgettable day.

Seriously, you can’t unsee people running in their undies. email: isabella.nurt@ubspectrum.com twitter: @Nurt_Spectrum.

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Winter Happy Hour

Feb. 9, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. — Canalside Buffalo

Trek down to Canalside Buffalo for drink specials, music and outdoor activities.

Each week features a different music genre with DJ Skate. The ice is open on weekdays too, but with less activities available. Activities include skating, ice bikes, bumper cars and $3 brews. There is even curling near the ice. The event goes from 5 to 8 p.m. every Friday.

What to do in Buffalo this The Art of the Brick Feb. 9 through May 4 weekend ISABELLA NURT ASST. FEATURES EDITOR

If campus is already cramping your style, make your way into the city for some special events this weekend.

Buffalo has plenty to do indoors during the cold months, but if you feel like braving the cold, there’s opportunities for that too.

From Legos to burlesque and running in underwear for charity — there is a variety for students to enjoy.

Lumagination

— Buffalo Museum of Science

Internationally acclaimed contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya loves Legos. He loves them so much that he devoted himself to building impressive replicas of famous artworks — like “Mona Lisa” and “Starry Night” — entirely out of Legos.

His sculpture series, “The Art of the Brick,” was named one of CNN’s “Global Must-See Exhibitions.” Ticket holders will also be able to build with Legos after the exhibit in a complimentary activity area. They will be on display starting this weekend at the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Feb. 8-10, 6-10 p.m. — Buffalo and Erie County Bo- Fetish Fantasy Night tanical Gardens Feb. 9, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. — This special effects art show transforms Mohawk Place the historic Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens into a psychedelic wonder.

The greenhouses are a great escape from the cold weather on any day, with over an acre of indoor gardens to roam through. The special light and music installations make it an engaging experience on the senses. This year’s theme is “under the sea” and boasts of a magical aquatic experience.

The tour is running the next two weekends, and includes a happy hour from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are only $12 with your UB ID.

Fetish Fantasy is a night of drag and burlesque performances at one of Buffalo’s most characteristic venues, Mohawk Place.

Make sure you “dress to impress” since the theme is mythical creatures and fantasy.

There will also be sex-toy vendors and raffles to win prizes. Underage students will be happy to know that this bar is 18 and up with proper ID. Tickets are $13 online and $15 at the door.

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SPORTS

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Buffalo extends Lance Leipold through 2023

JACK LI | THE SPECTRUM Lance Leipold runs onto the field during the opening game of the 2018 season. The Bulls coach signed a new contract worth $615,000 per year.

Football head coach gets $150,000 raise NATHANIEL MENDELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Head football coach Lance Leipold received a five-year contract extension running through the 2023 season, UB Athletics announced on Tuesday.

Leipold came to UB in 2014 and just completed his fourth season as head coach.

Leipold led Buffalo to a school-record 10 wins and 7-1 record in the Mid-American Conference this season. The Bulls appeared in just their second MAC Championship game and earned the third-ever bowl berth.

Leipold receives a $159,500 salary increase with the extension.

Leipold will earn $465,000 as a base salary and additional compensation of $150,000 for a total of $615,000, as reported by The Buffalo News. Leipold earned $413,168 in 2017, according to the 2017 UB Athletics budget obtained by The Spectrum.

The Spectrum filed a Freedom of Information Act request for Leipold’s new contract but did not receive it in time for publication.

Leipold is now the third-highest paid coach in the MAC, behind Toledo coach Jason Candle and Western Michigan coach Tim Lester.

Buffalo now has Leipold, men’s basketball coach Nate Oats and women’s basketball coach Felisha Leggette-Jack under contract until 2023. Oats makes between $550,000 to $600,000 annually, while Leggette-Jack is the highest-paid UB women’s coach at $240,000.

“Last season’s success was due to building a successful program driven by the commitment, dedication and vision of Coach Leipold and his staff,” athletic director Mark Alnutt said in a press release. “I look forward to our program continuing to follow Coach Leipold’s blueprint to be able to achieve sustained success and be highly competitive in the Mid-American Conference. The future is very bright for our program under his leadership and with this stability.”

PRANAV KADAM | THE SPECTRUM

The Bulls (15-5, 7-2 Mid-American Conference) defeated Toledo (13-7, 5-4 MAC) 73-63 Wednesday night. Junior forward Summer Hemphill led the way with 19 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Buffalo rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit with 27 points in the third quarter to take a one-point lead into the fourth. Senior guard Cierra Dillard added 17 points, 9 assists and 6 steals in the win.

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

SHOOT LESS, DRIVE MORE

The numbers behind Jeremy Harris’ shooting woes NATHANIEL MENDELSON SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Buffalo loves to shoot from three. Every player on the men’s basketball starting lineup can shoot from deep and there is no question as to why they do it so much. They’re number 23 in the nation for three-point attempts this season with 629 attempts.

There’s just one problem: the Bulls are below average from three this season.

Buffalo’s offense has pushed the Bulls to a 19-3 record and 13-straight weeks ranked in the Top-25 poll. Buffalo has dropped nine spots in the poll in two weeks with losses to Bowling Green and Northern Illinois. The Bulls haven’t had a reliable second option on offense the entire season and need senior forward Jeremy Harris to step up if they want to remain a top team in the country.

“He has to stay aggressive and trust the work he’s put in,” said head coach Nate Oats.

“This isn’t the first time he’s gone through a slump. He had a bad start to last year and this year. Then he came out of it. For some reason, he’s gotten into slumps in the past and he has to shoot his way out of it.”

Outside of the two freshmen Ronaldo Segu and Jeenathan Williams, Harris has the worst field goal percentage on the Bulls at .403. His shooting struggles were evident in the past seven games.

Harris exploded for a career-high 34 points against Toledo on Jan. 8. Every shot he put up that night found its way into the hoop. Harris

JACK LI | THE SPECTRUM Senior forward Jeremy Harris attempts a floater against Daemen. Harris has struggled in his past three games making 8-32 shots.

finished making 13-19 shots and 6-10 from three, both season highs for made baskets.

The forward has since failed to shoot over 50 percent in a game. Harris has only made eight of his last 32 shots, including 1-18 from three. He’s failed to score 10 points in each of those games.

“He has a quick release and plays a position in our league, the four, where he almost always has a mismatch,” said Kent State coach Rob Senderoff. “He has good size, he’s a lefty and he doesn’t only shoot threes because he has the ability to beat you off the bounce as well. With all that said, it seems like he never misses a three when he is open.”

Harris was 3-10 for 9 points against Kent State.

This isn’t the first time Harris has been in

a slump this season. He started the year slow before finally hitting his stride against Milwuakee and posting his first 20-point performance of the season.

Harris’ slow start could be attributed to an overuse injury on his wrist, which required him to receive a cortisone shot. Harris denied that the injury affected his recent performance, stating, “I’m just off right now.”

The struggles are surprising for someone who was ranked as a top shooter in the country by Jeff Goodman earlier this season. Oats isn’t as surprised.

“Shooters go through slumps,” Oats said.

“That’s just what it is. Screw it, shoot the ball.”

Part of the reason for Harris’ shooting struggles can be attributed to his shot locations. Harris took more three-point shots

Finishing strong Wrestling wants to end season on high note NIKKO LAZZARA STAFF WRITER

The Bulls, in a season with its share of ups and downs, return to Alumni Arena after three weeks away and want to continue their winning ways.

Buffalo wresting (9-4, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) is back this Friday night to face off with the Central Michigan Chippewas (36, 2-3 MAC) at 7 p.m. The Chippewas lost four of their last five matches. The Bulls look to finish their final month of the season on a hot streak with three-straight home matches.

Head coach John Stutzman believes individual motivations will propel the team to success.

“It is an individual sport,” Stutzman said.

“It is big for these guys because they are starting to earn bids for themselves to get to the national tournament and to build their re-

sumes. Then, if they do well, the team is going to do well so it’s a bit of a catch-22.”

Seniors like Kyle Akins and Bryan Lantry are just a couple of the wrestlers leading the charge and Stutzman is noticing. Akins, at 125 pounds, is 11-6 on the year and has 18 takedowns. Akins is the active leader for career wins. Lantry, at 141 pounds, is a perfect 8-0 this year. Last season, Lantry became the first wrestler in school history to make it to the championship round at Midlands.

“I think they would like to go out feeling good about their careers and where the program is,” Stutzman said. “It will be quite the challenge, but I really think they are excited for this stretch.”

The Bulls did not let the 0-2 start to MAC play get to them. The team, after a loss to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (110, 1-5 MAC), had a meeting that was productive and propelled them to victory against a solid Old Dominion (7-5, 4-2 MAC) team.

The loss in Edwardsville was something to

THE SPECTRUM ARCHIVES The Bulls train for their upcoming match. Buffalo will take on Central Michigan this Friday at 7 p.m. in Alumni Arena .

bounce back from.

“We needed to bounce back from our performance against Southern,” Stutzman said.

“That stunned us and brought us back to reality. I had to reevaluate some things with the guys. We had a good in-house conversation and I think it has helped. Right after that, we went out and beat a team getting votes in the

than twos this season.

Harris takes the majority of his shots from above the break. He is just 13-46 or 28 percent from that area. Senior guard CJ Massinburg, comparitvely, is 22-42 or 52 percent from the same location.* Harris, when taking three-point shots from NBA distance, remains the same at 28 percent while Massinburg is an even 50 percent.

The comparisons between the two are skewed this season as Harris only shoots .291 from three and Massinburg shoots .420, but Harris was able to shoot 41.8 from three last season.

“I’m always going to know what I can do and never will forget who I am,” Harris said.

“I’m either going to go 0 for something or do really well. I’m always going to shoot when I’m open.”

Harris has no reason to not shoot when he is open. Coaches and teammates all give him a “green light” to shoot. Harris, in practice on Monday, pulled up for a midrange jumper and transfer forward Gabe Grant called “game” from the sidelines.

The shot missed but teammates know what kind of player Harris is.

The Bulls have a week off between games and have the opportunity to regroup and fix the “fragmented” parts of the offense and defense, Oats said.

Buffalo needs Harris to find his shooting stroke and put on performances like he did against Arizona in the NCAA tournament last season. *These stats do not include games against Saint Francis and Milwaukee email: nathaniel.mendelson@ubspectrum.com twitter: @NateMendelson

national rankings.”

The Bulls won their last two matches, which were both road MAC matchups. Buffalo recovered in the conference standings after starting off MAC play 0-2. Taking care of business in the MAC is a large part of finding success, according to Stutzman.

“It is no doubt a different league. It is a very strong league,” Stutzman said. “We have power-five schools in the MAC, as far as Missouri goes they are an SEC team in the MAC for wrestling.”

The guys on the team may not be too concerned with the MAC standings, however, as wrestling is an individual sport. The MAC Championship is not the only goal the team has in mind. Wrestlers want to be national champions and All-Americans at their weight class.

As the season comes to an end, Stutzman’s message remains the same. “ I am hoping that [the team] follows each other’s leads and performs to go and win a MAC Title and then get to the national tournament and perform well there,” Stutzman said. email: sports@ubspectrum.com