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ubspectrum.com
Friday, October 9, 2015
Volume 65 No. 17
Lawmakers propose 2 a.m. closing time for Buffalo bars
University Police investigates assault on South Campus UPD said incident might pose a continuing threat to UB community GABRIELA JULIA
SENIOR NEWS EDITOR
MARLEE TUSKES NEWS EDITOR
In 2010, four people were shot and killed outside of the City Grill in downtown Buffalo around 2:30 a.m. Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs cited this incident as one of the reasons why Buffalo bars should close at 2 a.m. instead of 4 a.m. On Wednesday, Erie County Legislator Ted Morton, R-Cheektowaga, announced a proposal to change Erie County bar closing times to 2 a.m. in hopes of decreasing alcohol-related deaths and injuries. If a majority of Erie County legislators approve the proposal, the New York State Liquor Authority would then need to approve it in order to enact the legislation. And if the proposal became law, it would have a far-reaching impact – from bars owners to local residents to local college students like those at UB. Matt Mauriello, a junior communication major, doesn’t agree with the proposal be-
cause he feels that it will lead to more parties and open container violations because students will be searching for a place to go out. There’s been increased attention on UB students and their nightlife options this semester, with the university disciplining 57 students during the first few weeks for underage drinking and house parties in the University Heights neighborhood off South Campus. Some have blamed the large number of house parties on the lack of nightlife options for students. Jacobs told The Spectrum Thursday this is a topic he’s felt “strongly about for a good while.” He first gave his support to an earlier closing time in an open letter during the summer. Buffalo, Saratoga Springs and Albany all currently have a last call time of 4 a.m. New York City has a last call time of 4 a.m. as well, but clubs and bars can stay open after that without serving alcohol. Jacobs said Buffalo is an anomaly be-
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Some bar-goers walk toward The Steer in the University Heights Thursday night. Erie County legislators are proposing the county change bar closing times from 4 a.m. to 2 a.m.
cause of its late closing time and the discussion of “aligning with other counties” is important since the late driving time poses a danger to the driver and others on the road. Because the law says last call is at 4 a.m., Jacobs said patrons don’t need to leave right at that time and will often wait until 5 or 5:30 a.m. to leave, which is when some people are leaving for work. “It gets dangerous the later you’re out,” Jacobs said. Jacobs said it’s the right time for a discussion, since he believes the last time this topic was brought up was in the ’80s.
University Police is investigating an assault and what could be an attempted robbery that occurred on South Campus early Thursday morning. At 1:38 a.m., three UB students were playing frisbee in the Main-Bailey parking lot on South Campus when the suspect approached the students, asked if he could join the game and then punched one of the students in the face. The victim’s glasses were damaged. As the suspect was leaving, he picked up one of the students’ wallets and looked through it before dropping it. UPD didn’t believe the suspect was a UB student based on the direction in which the suspect came and left. According to Deputy Chief of Police Joshua Sticht, UPD was unsure of whether or not it was an attempted robbery because the student’s wallet wasn’t on him at the time. The wallet was sitting far off on the ground as the students played frisbee. The suspect is described as a darkskinned black male in his early 20s, thin build, dressed in black sweatpants and a black hooded sweatshirt with unknown writing on the front, according to the UB alert sent out Thursday morning. UPD is looking back at video recordings and Sticht said it didn’t look like the students’ behavior caused the suspect to react violently. UPD urged students to be aware of their surroundings, avoid walking alone and report any unusual circumstances. email: news@ubspectrum.com
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
‘Netflix and Chill’: Three words can mean a lot The phrase is news, the practice is not
Cracking the top 100 Professor Jennifer Zirnheld recognized as one of 100 most inspiring women in STEM
TOMAS OLIVIER ASST. ARTS EDITOR
THANYA THEOGENE
A three-word text: Netflix and Chill? It seems innocent, but don’t start popping popcorn just yet. These three simple words might lead to something far beyond just watching a movie with a friend. Netflix is an online streaming service that offers a selection of movies and TV shows at the price of just $8 a month. The low cost has greatly altered the definition of a cheap date. The phrase “Netflix and chill” has taken on a new meaning as a date consisting of a few minutes watching a TV or movie – and then sex. The phrase is popular amongst young people as a way to talk about sex without actually talking about sex. There are even “Netflix and chill” condoms that can be purchased online. But using television as an excuse to flirt and possibly have sex isn’t exactly a “new” concept.
When Jennifer Zirnheld was in graduate school at UB, she had to learn to cope with the heavy engineering workload and the death of her mentor. It was one of the most difficult times, she said, but her faith is what kept her going. In September, INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine recognized Zirnheld, an engineering professor, as one of the 100 most inspiring women in the STEM fields. The magazine celebrates diversity in academics and focuses on its inclusion into higher education fields. It focuses particularly on the STEM fields, which include science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Zirnheld’s research focuses on engineering innovations to fight cancer.
STAFF WRITER
Lance Rintamaki, a communication professor specializing in sexual communication, said although he is fairly new to “Netflix and chill,” the phrase is “just simply a term that has existed in various incarnation[s].” He said that people engaging any sort of sexual activity while watching movies isn’t a new concept – it now just has a catchy new name.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
The phrase “Netflix and chill” has gained popularity, especially amongst college students, as a way to invite another person to have sex. The phrase may be relatively new, but the practice is not.
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UB students promote EDM shows and local talent through Rinse 716
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UB’s Piano Club hits a high note among students
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One student’s search for Singapore-style Thai food in Buffalo
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NEWS
Friday, October 9, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
Lawmakers propose 2 a.m. closing time for Buffalo bars CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
He also said many downtown residence groups – such as residents in the Allentown district – have expressed their concern with robberies and sexual abuse cases stemming from the late night bar outings. But Tim Walton, a promoter for several Buffalo clubs and bars, said the change will cause a loss in revenue for businesses and will negatively affect employees who rely on the nightshift to get by. “It’s not a broken system,” Walton said. “Don’t fix something that’s not broken in the first place.” Walton, who owned the bar District for a year and was the former assistant manager for Lux, said because there are two different “crowds” of people who go out, there will be a loss of business. “The CEO won’t want to have a glass of wine with the college student having a shot at the bar,” Walton said. UB students who spoke with The Spectrum were torn in how they feel regarding the proposed change. Emily Andrews, a senior communication major, said she wouldn’t be affected by the change in times because she doesn’t go to bars that often. But she said the reasoning behind the proposal might do just the opposite of what lawmakers are hoping. “I think it might increase the drunk driving rate, but it can go both ways,” Andrews said. “If the bars close at 2 a.m. that gives drivers less time to sober up than if the bars stay open until 4 [a.m.]” Devin Kiblin, a senior accounting major, said he understands that the change is an attempt to “keep young adults safe,” but he doesn’t agree with the proposal. “Closing bars early does not necessarily mean that people will not drink as much
or stay out as late,” Kiblin said. “Regardless of what time a bar closes, people are still bound to get too drunk and act stupid or violent.” Kiblin also said that closing bars earlier could lead to patrons drinking alcohol at a faster rate than they normally would. But Jacobs said a decrease in the hours alcohol is served would actually decrease fatalities. “Over 30 percent of vehicle fatalities are alcohol related,” Jacobs said. He also said a majority of those victims are younger individuals, ranging from 1830 years old. Other students said they agree with legislators and think bar closing times should be earlier. Patrick Heumegni, a junior psychology and sociology major, said he thinks if bars close at 2 a.m. it will allow people to be safer – especially women. “I believe that it’s actually right to close the bars at 2 a.m. if it’s for the safety of everybody else,” Heumegni said. “If a woman’s going home at 4 in the morning drunk a lot of people will try to take advantage of her, especially guys.” Myles Montgomery, a junior communication major, also agrees with this proposal. He said he thinks people get “crazy late at night” which is why there’s so much crime. “There’s nothing good that happens after 2 a.m.,” Montgomery said. “When the lights go out, there’s nothing good out there.” With Buffalo seeing an increase in residents moving downtown, Jacobs said this proposal is something he looks forward to discussing, but “there’s still a long way to go” before change is potentially made.
email: news@ubspectrum.com
Cracking the top 100
YILIN LI, THE SPECTRUM
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
As Zirnheld looks back on her career, she said she knows she is “truly blessed.” “I’m really happy to be inspiring to people, and inspire within my field,” Zirnheld said. “I never really thought about the things I did as such. You don’t really do things for praise or recognition – you do them because you want to. To be recognized for that is truly inspiring and humbling.” In high school, Zirnheld didn’t know which path to choose. Since she excelled in math and science, she was told to try either engineering or medicine. An aversion to sick people led her to major in electrical engineering. When Zirnheld came to UB, she excelled in her classes but the lack of passion for engineering made the classes difficult. She had no choice but to maintain a strong work ethic. Her parents didn’t particularly like their jobs but they kept them in order to provide. She looked at them and knew she had no choice but to keep motivated. “There was an end in sight, so I kept mind of that,” Zirnheld said.
Jennifer Zirnheld is an associate engineering professor whose research focuses on engineering innovations to fight cancer. Zirnheld was recognized by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine as one of 100 most influential women in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
But everything changed when she met her professor Richard Dollinger. At the end of her undergraduate career, she formed a close bond with Dollinger. He saw her struggling and told her to come into his office on Saturdays, which she quickly turned down because she refused to spend her Saturdays in school. But he was persistent and Zirnheld eventually gave in and learned the ropes of engineering. What she experienced was truly life changing. Being able to apply her work into a research gave her the passion she felt was missing in the classroom. She then maintained that passion even after Dollinger passed away. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
THE DONALD L. DAVIS LECTURESHIP FUND & UNIVERSITY LIFE AND SERVICES PRESENTS
LIZ MURRAY Bestselling Author of the 2015 UB Reads Selection “Breaking Night”
8:00PM UB ALUMNI ARENA
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OCT 14 To learn more about all the series speakers and for ticket information, please visit:
facebook.com/ubdss buffalo.edu/dss
RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS NEEDED
FREE LECTURE TICKETS FOR UB STUDENTS 1 ticket per student while supplies last. UB ID required. SA- represented undergrads may pick up tickets in the SA Office (350 Student Union, North Campus). GSA- represented grads may pick up tickets at the SBI Ticket Office (221 Student Union & 350 Harriman Hall, South Campus). SERIES SPONSOR
AFFILIATE SERIES SPONSORS
UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE LECTURE & CONTRIBUTING SERIES SPONSORS Minority Faculty & Staff Association
Centers for Entrepreneurial Leadership & Executive Education
Student Affairs
Researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute are searching for participants to view advertisments and packaging of tobacco products and give opinions on these products for an important research project. Participation involves one visit viewing materials and answering questionnaires. Participants will be compensated for their time. If interested, please contact 716-845-4629 And ask for the LabSense Study
3
OPINION UB’s lack of diversity raises hard questions
Friday, October 9, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF
Tom Dinki
MANAGING EDITOR
Alyssa McClure
OPINION EDITOR
Ricky Nolan
Asking ‘Who cares?’ benefits no one
COPY EDITORS
Kayla Menes Renée Staples NEWS EDITORS
Gabriela Julia, Senior Ashley Inkumsah Marlee Tuskes FEATURES EDITORS
Tori Roseman, Senior Dani Guglielmo ARTS EDITORS
Brian Windschitl, Senior Kenneth Kashif Thomas Alexandra Saleh, Asst. Tomas Olivier, Asst. SPORTS EDITORS
Jordan Grossman, Co-senior Quentin Haynes, Co-senior PHOTO EDITORS
Yusong Shi, Co-senior Kainan Guo, Co-senior Angela Barca . CARTOONISTS
Joshua Bodah Michael Perlman CREATIVE DIRECTORS
Kenneth Cruz Pierce Strudler, Asst.
Professional Staff OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Helene Polley ADVERTISING MANAGER
Nicole Dominguez Lee Stoeckel, Asst. Zach Hilderbrandt, Asst.
UB’s lack of diversity among faculty and University Police is seriously disconcerting. The university is one of the most diverse institutions in the country when it comes to its student population. But no so much when it comes to its faculty and police. Minority students feel discomfort with the fact that UB faculty and police don’t equally represent the student body. UB must address these demographics and attempt to make changes for the sake of current and incoming students. The most concerning demographic is that out of 40 UPD officers, 39 are white. According to Deputy Chief of Police Joshua Sticht, UPD has had more black officers in the past but they’ve moved on to other forces. That doesn’t excuse the fact that there should be more diversity in the police department. During the Black Student Union open forum, one black student re-
called his first experience with UPD. He said he approached the officer asking where the library was. The officer asked if he was a student. The officer was white. You can’t blame the student for feeling uncomfortable. In the past year, police brutality and discrimination has been more prevalent than ever. It’s safe to say that an alarming number of these incidents involved a white officer and a black male. We all know how it foes. The black male usually ends up arrested or dead. Therefore, isn’t it normal for a black student to be hesitant when approaching a white officer? The Spectrum is not trying to put UPD in the same category as those officers. We respect the job UPD does in dealing with the student body. But these demographics are still alarming and only add to the issue. It’s completely rational for blacks and other minorities to feel uncomfortable with these staggering statistics.
THE SPECTRUM Friday, October 9, 2015 Volume 65 Number 17 Circulation 7,000 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. The Spectrum is represented for national advertising by MediaMate. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum, visit www.ubspectrum.com/advertising or call us directly at (716) 645-2452. The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 142602100
anced pool of applicants for these positions, drawn from all walks of life. Teresa Miller, a law professor and vice provost for Equity and Inclusion, said the challenges UB faces is that it’s easier to recruit minorities to universities already rich in racial diversity. UB find ways to make the university appealing to students from all around the world – now it needs to make it appealing to minority faculty and police as well. Our society still struggles with basic issues. We isolate and segregate. It’s a vicious cycle and one that will not be solved quickly and easily. The most important part is understanding the situation and taking part in the conversation. When you understand your neighbors, then you can start working together to solve problems. Ignoring the problem and asking “Who cares?” because it does not directly affect you, serves the benefit of no one. There is no easy fix. The problem can’t be ignored – it must be addressed, and now. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
No more late nights? Lawmakers have yet to backup argument
ADVERTISING DESIGNER
Derek Hosken
But it’s not just UPD. The faculty numbers are almost as bad. Nearly 79 percent of faculty is white, while under half the student body is white. When The Spectrum published these statistics, some people responded to us via social media and asked, “Who cares?” Most of those people were white. But these numbers don’t affect the people whose race is largely represented. It’s easy for students who can walk into any lecture hall and have a professor look like them to ask, “Who cares?” when it comes to racial diversity. When a minority student comes to UB, they are well aware of the diverse student population. But when realize almost 80 percent of their professors are white, it could send a message that minorities can be taught but can’t teach. The answer is not to simply hire minorities in the faculty and police force for the sake of hiring minorities, as that would be supremely counter productive and illegal. The problems go much deeper than that. There needs to be a bal-
The recent crackdown on Buffalo nightlife doesn’t seem to show any sign of abating. Three Erie County legislators introduced legislation on Wednesday that would close Buffalo’s bars at 2 a.m. instead of allowing them to stay open until 4 a.m. like they are now. County Clerk Chris Jacobs has spearheaded the effort, claiming such a move would limit alcoholrelated accidents and lower crime and injuries. On the surface, this sounds like a laudable decision with the best interests of the public in mind. However, the lack of specific evidence to support the legislation is troubling. Jacobs provided no statistics that demonstrated a substantial amount of crime and alcohol-related accidents occur between 2 and 4 a.m. Even if he had,
such statistical evidence is hard to prove as causal. Does a person get a DWI because he or she could drink at the bar for two more hours or was the person going to get one regardless of when he or she started drinking that night? Buffalo’s college-aged population will be significantly affected by this proposal. With the recent closing of area bars like Molly’s, Northside and The U and the increased crackdown of parties in the University Heights, students have limited options in terms of nightlife as it is. It is not uncommon for groups of college-aged kids to leave for the bar at 1 a.m. and stay for three hours before hailing a cab or stumbling home. Closing the bars earlier means those not finished partying for the evening will move
to the sidewalks or back to their Heights’ homes or apartments – potentially causing additional problems for the university. And there isn’t any proof that people won’t simply drink more and faster if the bars close early. There’s an argument to be made that would be even more drunk driving if the bars close early. The patron who’s had too much to drink at 2 a.m. won’t have two hours to sober up – he or she will be kicked out of the bar and put behind the wheel of a car. The basic motive behind the proposed legislation carries weight – no one wants to encourage drunk driving or assault. Yet the manner in which the proposed legislation seeks to fix an unspecified problem raises concern. There is no simple reason for problems such as crime and alcohol-related incidents. To act like
a two-hour change will solve all these issues with no evidence supporting such claims seems foolish. The move would also affect business owners, who’ve grown used to earning revenue from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. Limiting the amount of hours a business is open would hurt any business, let alone one dependent on nightlife. Also, this can’t be the most pressing issue facing Erie County right now – what about crime or economic development? If there are problems that are serious enough to warrant County legislation, then they should be approached seriously with concrete evidence and statistics, not anecdotal or coincidental information. If lawmakers would bring forth statistics that show crimes would lower as a result of closing bars earlier, we would be in support of it. But that has not happened yet. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
Big Grams: Glitz and glitter, but no gold BRIAN WINDSCHITL SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
Album: Big Grams Artist: Big Grams Label: Epic Release Date: Sept. 25 Grade: B Big Grams is a lot of sweet talk, but no real finesse. The self-titled collaborative project between Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and Phantogram (Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter) has all the critical elements that a good album should have, good hooks and slick production – but the parts that standout, Big Boi’s trademark staccato style and Phantogram’s lilting vocals, never coalesce into something substantive. The problem is the artists never seem to find a comfortable middle ground. The artists’ identities are too separate and distinct through the album to feel natural. The musical flow of the album suffers as a result.
The album feels like a tug-ofwar, a continuous back and forth between 30-seconds snippets of Big Boi and Phantogram’s pervasive styles. Nowhere is this more evident than on “Fell in the Sun.” The song is exactly 50-50. The first two minutes of the song is a classic Big Boi southern-rap track; the next two minutes is a dream-pop Phantogram song. This isn’t the first collaboration between the two. On Big Boi’s Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors, the rapper featured Phantogram, as well as Wavves and Little Dragon. However, where on Vicious Lies the album’s ambitious spirit was able to carry the artists past their real-life personas into new, uncharted creative territory, Big Grams feels imbalanced and overwrought. The artists are not able to create an artistic identity beyond their respective personas: Big Boi and Phantogram. Which isn’t to say they don’t try. “Put It On Her,” a standout of the album, is the most-aptly paced and composed song of the
album. The song doesn’t feel like a teeter-totter, rather Big Boi’s stuttering verses and Bethel’s airy lyrics harmonize so well that the song highlights the obvious disjunction within the rest of the songs. Produced primarily by Phantogram, Josh Carter’s consistent, spatial production often helps gloss over the obvious holes in the other song making elements of the album. Carter, out of everyone, is best able to adapt his beats making to the blending genres. On “Goldmine Junkie,” Carter’s looping keys and drum snare hold the song together while Big Boi and Sarah Barthel flounder, trying to harmonize to each other’s style. Big Boi’s attempt to backup Barthel’s vocals feels almost as contrived as Barthel’s attempt to rap. There is no give on Big Grams, only take. Both artists seem unable to stretch their respective
COURTESY OF EPIC RECORDS
The self-titled debut of Big Boi and Phantogram’s collaborative project Big Grams fell flat, despite having all the necessary components of a great album.
personas wide enough to accommodate the other. And, for this reason, Big Grams feels a bit like a novelty, a pretty trinket no amount of slick beats, nimble hooks or d*ck jokes can turn into gold. email: brian.windschitl@ubspectrum. com
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FEATURES
Friday, October 9, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
Rinse 716 Student-created production company spreads EDM music at UB SOPHIA MCKEONE STAFF WRITER
Zoe Sparks has loved electronic dance music (EDM) since she was in high school. The graduate student in the School of Social Work has spent many weekends since her first arrival at UB in 2011 for undergrad searching for EDM shows in the area – with little success. “I started to travel to shows because there wasn’t a lot at home,” Sparks said. “I went to Toronto, New York City – even Rochester and Syracuse – because it was so much more promoted. It was sad that I would hear about things to go to in Rochester but not in Buffalo.” Sparks decided to fix the problem alongside Russell Divincenzo, a junior business administration major at Medaille College, and Nick Milbrand, who works at an autoshop in Buffalo. Last spring, the three created Rinse 716, their own production and event company. Rinse 716 finds DJs and speaks to local bar and nightclub owners to set up their own events. Through the promotion of these events, Rinse 716 aims to reach as many people as possible – which is why at the start of the fall semester, the company began to increase its presence at UB. One of the company’s main goals is an all-inclusive experience – something that, according to its owners, is lacking elsewhere in the EDM scene. “We’ve found there’s a lot of discord in the music scene,” Sparks said. “It can be cliquey and not welcoming so we’re trying to just get everyone involved. With such a big population of students, UB is a great way to do this.” It wasn’t always apparent to Rinse 716 just how important reaching out to UB students
would be. Divincenzo, the booking manager of the company in charge of seeking out venues and finding talent, describes UB as a market that wasn’t initially tapped. “I started hosting events when I lived up in Toronto and it was so much easier to get people out up there,” Divincenzo said. “When I moved back to Buffalo the numbers completely dropped. Now that we are marketing to UB students, I think it’s the biggest part we were missing. There’s so many kids coming to school here from all over and everyone’s looking for something to do on the weekend.” Rinse 716 has hosted two events since they began reaching out to UB students and is already noticing an increased turn out. However, the company doesn’t only want to utilize students as attendants of their events – it also wants to be a resource for students who wish to showcase their talent. “A lot of other production companies book the same artist over and over again and don’t give the younger generation a chance to play out and show what they can do, so we really wanted to give them the opportunity to do that,” Divincenzo said. Wayny Colon, a freshman civil engineering major, is one of these artists. Colon started listening to EDM two years ago and it wasn’t long before he became eager to be on the other side of the music. “When I started listening to EDM, my interest in being a DJ naturally followed,” Colon said. “I liked being able to dictate the level of energy that a crowd gives out.” Colon is looking forward to playing at a Rinse 716 event on Nov. 28 along with at least five other artists. He is extremely grateful he was able to connect with the company. “It has been a great opportunity for me to work with this group because they’re
helping provide exposure in a community I just recently moved to. I would definitely recommend Rinse 716 to other any other DJs or artists,” Colon said. The talent Rinse 716 is looking to showcase isn’t limited to music. According to the co-owners, they know that UB has a variety of talented students and they want to get in touch with them. “We’re always looking to add more people to our roster,” Divincenzo said. “Whether it’s DJs, graphic designers, promoters, videographers – anyone that thinks they have something they can offer we’d love to talk to them and see if we can include them in our productions.”
COURTESY OF RINSE 716
Rinse 716 is a company run by students to promote electronic dance music (EDM) shows in the Buffalo area. Its three founders formed Rinse 716 because Buffalo did not have a vibrant EDM scene. The company promotes EDM culture and local talent through concerts and events with DJs, flashing lights and amateur performers.
email: features@ubspectrum.com
‘Netflix and Chill’: Three words can mean a lot CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
For the average broke college student, “Netflix and chill” can be a cheap alternative to taking a date out to an expensive dinner or movie. But guys who ask women to “Netflix and chill” never actually intend to watch a movie, according to Railna Duncan, a sophomore international relations major. “It’s corny, no one is thinking of watching a movie, they don’t want a date, they want a cheap way to hang out for a second and get laid,” Duncan said. “They don’t want to pay for anything, they say, ‘I’m a college student and broke.’ But even guys I know, they say they never have the intention of watching a movie.” Pablo Valdes, a junior civil engineering major, said in his experience, “Netflix and chill” never came off as something awkward or inappropriate. He said he would only participate in the activity with a girl he had been talking to for some time – not girls he had just met. This way, he said, feelings don’t get hurt. “Most girls responded what calmly and positively to the messages and it never really ended with either of us feeling bad about it,” Valdes said. Some feel “Netflix and chill” is an easy way out of talking to someone on a date. James Mckeehan, a junior civil engineering major, said he is a very social person and he prefers to socialize through mediums that allow for direct interaction – not just sitting in a dark room watching Netflix. “People are forgetting what it’s like to just talk to each other,” Mckeehan said. Hagar Hafez, a freshman business ma-
jor, said the phrase comes from a lack of communication: people not knowing how to ask politely for sex. “Most people are lonely and horny and want someone to watch movies with and f*ck with afterwards,” Hafez said. “It’s more of an excuse really, most people don’t want a serious relationship and they don’t know how to ask for sex politely.” Despite the lack of communication during a “Netflix and chill” session, Netflix and TV can give people a reason to speak to each other. Matthew Grizzard, a communication professor, said that 5060 years ago, people wouldn’t have anything to talk about at work if you didn’t watch one of the few available TV channels the night before. “There have been significant decreases in the percentage of people watching the same stuff, but there has been no change in the desire people have to watch shows for socializing purposes,” Grizzard said. This expansion of genre consumption has triggered a phenomenon called “microaudiences,” which creates very specific fan
groups. Gizzard said micro-audiences use the Internet to communicate with people who share their same interests. But watching the online streaming service doesn’t always just lead to sex. Lyndsey Spangel, a sophomore civil, structural and environmental engineering major, said she usually makes a night out of watching Netflix with a group of her close friends when they all decide to stay in instead of going out for drinks.
ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL PERLMAN
“It’s a good way to just laugh and catch up with friends,” Spangel said. But the “Netflix and chill” phenomenon has given college students a way to ask for sex without asking for sex. Kenneth Kashif Thomas contributed reporting on this story. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE SPECTRUM
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Friday, October 9, 2015
World-renowned artist Attila Richard Lukacs: On pornography, art and homophobia
COURTESY OF ATTILA RICHARD LUKACS Attila Richard Lukacs, a world-renowned artist, presented some of his work on Tuesday at the Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center. His work centers around the synthesis of art, homophobia and pornography.
GIOVANNI GAGLIANESE STAFF WRITER
World-renowned artist Attila Richard Lukacs sparked audience conversation when he presented his work, focused on the world of homoeroticism and the narratives behind it, at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center this past Tuesday evening. The event was sponsored by the Department of Visual Studies at UB and the Leslie-Lohman Queer Art Lecture Series provided free admission to Lukacs’ art. “This series is dedicated to queer art and artists, showcasing the most significant contemporary queer artists with an emphasis on exploring the relationship between their sexuality and their art,” said Natalie
Fleming, resource curator for UB’s Department of Art. Fleming went on in explaining how the multi-disciplinary work brings together gay and lesbian historical, social and political issues that mainstream art venues still shy away from. The Canadian artist’s works have traveled the globe with displays in the United States, Europe, Japan and Mexico. Lukacs displays a wide range of artistic mastery from contemporary to traditional. Many of his works were life-sized paintings. Lukacs used many mediums in creating his art, including oil, sketch, digital, enamel, bitumen and polyurethane. Jonathan D. Katz, Art Department chair, director of UB’s Visual Studies Ph.D. program and curator of the series, questioned
why Lukacs is more famous in Europe than in the United States. He said this may be partly due to the homophobia in American culture, as social constructs may impede his fame. Lukacs’ contemporary art emphasizes the sexualized body, a metaphorical representation of the body as meat. It is often layered with common motifs. His use of monkeys depicts the artist’s playful interpretation of the outside world. This symbolism is derived from miniature painters of India and Middle East. Other pieces dealt with challenging the notion of a militarized body (and gender). Lukacs embellishes masculinity in many of his works, as he did in his series on gay skinheads.
He uses subjects from a military catalogue to demonstrate societal tension between ideas of homosexuality and the exaggerated masculinity of the military. The red handprint commonly found in Lukacs’ work, symbolizes the guilty hands of government in the context of HIV. It could also be considered a depiction of the painter’s soul spilling on the canvas. Lukacs’ most controversial work has an explicit display of homoerotic sexuality. Using nude male models as art subjects elevated his polaroids from pornographic muse to art. Many of his explicit works depicted a homosexual paradise, appropriated by the historic masterpieces and elements of notable renaissance painters like Caravaggio. Lukacs captures the aesthetic of the male body, making the homoerotic dimension naturally seductive. “There are many layers,” said UB history professor Victoria Wolcott. “You can constantly siphon more and more meaning [from Lukacs’ art].” Paintings usually have a lot of loaded dialogue. During the presentation Lukacs said, “If you have a dialogue that goes to purpose, [versus] a dialogue that goes to bigotry, it makes all the difference.” Another of Lukacs’ installation series consisted of a dark canvas with the moon as the center of projection. The surrounding images varied, but stayed consistent with his original influences of sexuality and religious symbolism. Lukacs also created self-portraits that are uniquely surreal. They dove into the dimensions of his narrative. This is suggested by the artistic emphasis on certain attributes of sexuality, state of mind and libido. His art was usually abstract, allowing a loose interpretation of ideas and concepts. One notable piece Lucifer and Jupiter illustrates a collision of good and evil. The two concepts are interchangeable in that both Jesus (Jupiter) and Lucifer represent the morning star. This piece uses negative space, realistic depictions of the human anatomy, traditional art form and rich color. Lukacs’ newest work, entitled Allegory of Love, is riddled with personal symbolism such as the tattoo of a late friend that is present on one the male figures in the painting. Similar to his older works, Lukacs continues to distort the lines between what falls under socially acceptable and taboo. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
Piano Club builds to a crescendo UB’s Piano Club hosts it first official fall concert GABRIELLA ORTIZ STAFF WRITER
Alex Schwartz wants students to know that the UB Piano Club is an open community that can help foster musical talent. “We have our concerts to get the word out there,” Schwartz, UB Piano Club president, said. On Tuesday, the UB Piano Club held its first official concert of the fall semester. The temporary club fulfilled one of its event requirements for SA by hosting the open recital in the Student Union Theater. Schwartz, a junior electrical engineering major, came up with the idea for Piano Club about two years ago with the goal of providing amateur musicians and musical enthusiasts with a space to exchange ideas and share their love of music. The club is open to musicians of all types, not just piano players. The concert perfectly embodied the club’s founding idea by showcasing an array of tal-
YILIN LI, THE SPECTRUM
`Paul Sottnik plays on the piano in Student Union 220 on Tuesday during a UB Piano Club meeting. Sottnik, who attends SUNY Fredonia, traveled to UB to take part in the evening’s performances.
ents and instruments with many UB students, as well as students from neighboring schools, performing. Munessa Bari, a sophomore chemistry major, opened the show with an original acoustic guitar composition called, “A Perfect World.” Bari displayed more than just instrumental talent, as she harmonized her voice with her guitar beautifully through lyrics she
wrote herself. Austin Cadore, a junior biomedical engineering major and Piano Club treasurer, performed his own rendition of the “Game of Thrones” theme song on piano. Paul Sottnik, a senior at SUNY Fredonia majoring in music education, was also invited to the piano club’s concert as a special guest. Sottnik performed a medley of songs, in-
cluding his very own pop composition entitled “Crazy.” “I think what the Piano Club is doing is excellent. I’ve always been involved with a club on my campus called Art Forum and it’s always been about the community,” Sottnik said. “Everyone that comes gets to express themselves and I know a club like this will grow just as much.” Sottnik, along with other Piano Club members, stuck around after the concert ended to give free piano lessons to any student interested. “We offer free piano lessons and piano practice because we want this to be a place for people to spark and pursue their love for music. I feel like the music department is a little too exclusive when it comes to fostering students’ creative talent,” Cadore said. The Piano Club has hosted a few unofficial but successful concerts so far, members said. Schwartz sees his club continuing to expand as concert attendance increases and the growth of the club becomes more and more evident. “In the future, we hope to have a full talent show open to everyone,” Schwartz said. The UB Piano Club tries to meet every Tuesday in 220 Student Union, if it is able to reserve the practice space. email: arts@ubspectrum.com
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FEATURES
Friday, October 9, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
The search for Thai A student’s personal struggle to find good Thai food after an abroad experience
TYLER WALTERS FOOD CRITIC
There’s a saying about two mice stuck in a barrel of cream – one drowns but the other starts kicking and eventually churns the cream into butter. I can’t imagine that he kicked the whole time – even that hard-working mouse needs a break. So after a few weeks of kicking my tiny mouse legs in the creamy barrel of schoolwork, I was looking forward to trying a new restaurant to reinvigorate my motivation. There’s something uniquely refreshing about a new experience after you feel like you’ve been kicking your feet just to stay afloat.
This past summer, I was fortunate enough to travel to Thailand during a study abroad session in Singapore. I can still remember having some of my favorite meals in tiny, shack-like restaurants – soupy green curry, hot basil pork, crispy fried chicken and mango sticky rice. I was hoping to relive some of those experiences here in Buffalo. Shamefully, there aren’t many options. I found one Thai restaurant near North Campus: Jasmine Thai on the corner of Niagara Falls Boulevard and Brighton Road. Jasmine Thai is a small, unassuming restaurant located in a strip mall across from Maple Road on Niagara Falls Boulevard. Inside, wood panels cover the walls from the floor to waist high level. Framed, embossed elephant tapestries selectively adorn areas above the wood panels. The interior shares characteristics with the food that is served – simple, well thought-out and a step above what you might expect. My friend and I started our meals with Thai Iced Tea. This killer drink is made with some variety of red tea with a hint of
Cracking the top 100 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
“Unfortunately, he did pass at a young age and I remember that being one of the most difficult times for me,” she said. Zirnheld wouldn’t give up. She remembers studying and getting the last bit of work done at dinner tables and over breaks. Being a woman of Christian faith was also helpful, she said. Prayer helped get her through some the difficult times. “My faith is important to me, and in the many things I did I always felt I was blessed,” Zirnheld said. “When I was a kid, I wanted to change the world like most people did. I wanted to cure cancer and go to the moon, and I was able to work toward those things.” Zirnheld is among the few women in the engineering field. According to U.S. News & World Report, women account for 28 percent of the field and the numbers were even lower when Zirnheld was in school. “It was just how things were. I got used to it,” she said. “I’d notice no line for the women’s bathroom at conferences and things like that, but few women being around was the norm.” But there have been improvements, she said, and she feels it is a step in the right direction. When Zirnheld was in graduate school, she taught classes for fun and to help her with her own studies. Recently, she earned tenure at UB, which she said was another blessing for her. She has taken her research experience and applied it to a larger picture. Zirnheld is currently working on using gas to treat melanoma. Usually, the melanoma and surrounding areas are removed from the skin and chemotherapy is used. But scientists have been looking into using thermal ionized gas to treat the illness. She also worked on a simulated planetary explorer along with other UB students and place third in a national competition. Being able to participate in these projects gave Zirnheld humility, as well as gratitude for all she’s been able to do. Zirnheld received many teaching honors including the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Outstand-
ing Teaching Award and the UB Student Association Milton Plesur Excellence in Teaching Award twice. But Zirnheld said there are times when her beliefs and work do collide with one another. She recalls praying a lot more once she received her position at UB. “It did get difficult at times and was stressful,” she said. “There was some conflict with what I believe and what I do. Technology can at times be used for the wrong things, but I reconciled that with its capacity for good.” Zirnheld’s work with the Army is an example of her mental battle. She works with non-lethal weapons, which try to reduce the damage that certain weapons do. She has been working on reducing toxic fumes emitted by these weapons and making ammunition more accurate and effective. “Science can do a lot of good and bad,” she said. Zirnheld does sometimes wonder how different things would have been if she were more passionate about engineering earlier on. She thinks back to her Saturday mornings with her mentor and how he changed her outlook on her studies. She said now she does it for other people and it is “such an honor and very humbling.” Looking forward, Zirnheld is very optimistic for the future of engineering. She likes to think of engineering as “constrained problem solving” and feels its concepts can be applied to many fields. As a Buffalo native, Zirnheld admires the evolution of buffalo. She obtained all her degrees from UB and has lived here for her entire life. “Growing up, Buffalo was this blue collar town that really didn’t care much for the environment,” she said. “There were a lot of factories and industry. Now, I’ve heard of bidding wars for houses out here. I like the change and hope it can really bring something great out of Buffalo.” Zirnheld hopes her story inspires students and serves as motivation. She urges everyone to find their passion and work hard at it. email: news@spectrum.com
vanilla, along with sweet and condensed milk, which gives the concoction a creamy, orange color. It provides your caffeine fix with an explosion of flavor that can’t be matched by any other tea or coffee concoction. If you haven’t tried it, stop what you’re doing and buy some – you can thank me later. For an appetizer, my buddy ordered steamed dumplings and I got spring rolls. There was nothing spectacular about either of these and if I went again, I wouldn’t order an appetizer. Your main dish offers so much food that it’s not worth ordering an appetizer on top of it. With good timing, our entrees came out – his Chicken Pad Thai and my Pork Panang Curry with rice. Panang is a mild curry, mixed with coconut milk that leaves the dish with an orange hue and creamy quality. The curry offers a very mild heat with loads of flavor. There was a welcome hint of ginger. I loved the curry but the pork was a bit tough and stringy.
I enjoyed my entrée, but my friend’s Pad Thai was another story. The few bites that I had contained so much fish sauce that I could almost feel it breathing out of my nose. In fact, that’s really all I could taste in the dish. On top of that, his chicken was very tough. I don’t understand how a restaurant that offers almost solely Thai food could make a Pad Thai so poorly. My buddy didn’t seem to mind, but that had more to do with his state of hunger than the taste of the food. Would I go back to Jasmine Thai? Disappointingly, no. Sure, you get about two meals out of the entrée, but if I were paying $12 for a Thai dish I’d rather have tender pork and chicken and a less fishy Pad Thai. My dish was good, but I want a more authentic Thai feeling to the food and the restaurant itself. Smooth jazz should not be played in a Thai restaurant. I want to hear motorbikes and horns beeping and taxi drivers trying to coerce you into seeing ladyboys and “Ping-Pong shows.” But, this experience gave me a mission for this year: find the best Thai restaurant closest to UB – or you’ll just have to meet me in Bangkok.
email: features@ubspectrum.com
Freshman ’15 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
Buffalo has also gotten some offensive production from freshman forward Rebecca Bramble, who scored Buffalo’s lone goal in a 1-1 draw with Niagara on Sept. 8 and is one of only eight Bulls to score this season. There’s been some freshmen contribution on the defensive side as well. Freshman defender Brianna Shingary is the only freshmen to start all 12 games and she’s also right behind Kidd is assists (2) for Buffalo defenders this season. Shingary, a Medina, Ohio native, is coming off of a championship as well, as she helped lead her high school squad to a conference title during her senior year. The jump from defending a high school championship to a Division-I conference championship is no easy obstacle. But she’s making strides and head coach Shawn Burke is impressed by it. “She’s not intimidated by the stage at all,” Burke said. “At the end of the day, whether she’s having a good or bad day, her effort is non-stop. That goes a long way at that level.” But even Burke admits not all of the freshmen’s success can be contributed to the coaching staff. He relies on his other upperclassmen players to educate as well.
Buffalo freshmen have two upperclassmen teammates that had tremendous freshmen seasons last year in sophomores Laura Dougall and Julia Benati. Benati, a midfielder, leads the team with four goals and nine points. Dougall, a goalkeeper and reigning MAC Freshmen of the Year, allows less than a goal per game (0.81). All six of Buffalo’s victories this season have been Dougall shutouts. Their impressive freshmen campaigns translated into this season and Burke may have a reason for their success so far. “They want to be the best. They want to win,” Burke said. It’s a good example for the Buffalo freshmen to follow. The team is still growing, however – it’s something that Burke and Derkacz admit. At just 2-2 in the MAC a year after going undefeated in the conference, the Bulls still have a long way to go before they can call themselves repeat MAC Champions. But having freshmen that can be relied upon may be a key to success this year and for years to come. email: sports@ubspectrum.com
Recipe for a repeat CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8
No Moss? Fine. Redshirt freshman forward Ikenna Smart and senior forward Raheem Johnson can take over that role like Moss did for McCrea last year. We’ve never seen Smart play, but his presence alone is intimidating – his 6-foot-10 frame will automatically be the biggest body on the floor. Johnson is finally discovering his offensive game, an area he desperately needed to develop (check out his first half of Buffalo’s game against West Virginia for proof). Of course, there’s no replacing Moss to the full extent. But different guys can fill in. No Graham or O’Field? Fine. They never suited up for Buffalo, therefore they don’t even count as losses in my book. Newcomers Willie Conner and Nick
Perkins have begun to suit up in practice. And they can ball. Conner, a junior transfer from Odessa Community College, is a scaled-down version of the Chicago Bulls’ Jimmy Butler – a 6-foot-5 swingman who can shoot from anywhere on the floor. Perkins, a true freshman forward, may be the best first-year player to ever play for Buffalo. Of course, it’s not going to be easy. Like I said, it’s a transition year. Things are supposed to go wrong, like last year’s losing stretch in the middle of MAC play. But it can easily turn around. We’ve seen it before. email: jordan.grossman@ubspectrum.com
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CLASSIFIEDS
Friday, October 9, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
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SPORTS
Friday, October 9, 2015
THE SPECTRUM
The road ahead
Recipe for a repeat No need to panic about losing Hurley, Evans and Moss
Men’s soccer enters Mid-American Conference play coming off two victories QUENTIN HAYNES SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
The Buffalo men’s soccer team is peaking at the right time. After a seven-game winless streak, the Bulls (5-4-3) are entering Mid-American Conference play coming off two consecutive victories in which they scored a total of eight goals and allowed zero. Head coach Stu Riddle said the team finally began to “click” on the field, which allowed them to improve as they entered October. “The team is coming together at the right time,” Riddle said. “I think the problem mid-season was that we weren’t have the good luck we needed. At the end of games, we would have coaches coming up saying, ‘We don’t know how we won that one,’ and it was frustrating.” The Bulls will start MAC play hosting the No. 8 team in the country, Akron (8-2-1), on Friday at UB Stadium. Buffalo was in position to make the MAC Tournament last season after 1-0-2 start to conference play, but finished the season with two losses in which it was outscored 7-0. In Year Three of the Riddle era, Buffalo may finally be ready to take a step forward as a program. Last Saturday, the Bulls defeated St. Bonaventure (1-10-1) 6-0 in their best offensive showing of the season. With the victory, the Bulls claimed the Big 4 Shield, a tournament between the four major colleges in Western New York, for the first time. For Riddle, it was important for the Bulls
to capture the Shield to outright prove the program’s upward development. “Again, everything’s coming together finally,” Riddle said. “Whether it was poor closing or bad luck, we didn’t get those resul`ts earlier in the season. Just a week out from conference play, getting the [St. Bonaventure] game and the reward was great. It was good to claim the Shield for the players and the program.” Heading into conference play, the Bulls offense is balanced, but led by junior midfielder Russell Cicerone. The standout has a team-leading 22 points and eight goals. Behind Cicerone, sophomore forward Scott Doney has 13 points and junior midfielder/defender Braden Scales has 10 points. Cicerone is currently on a four-game scoring streak, tallying two points in each game and registering a seven-point game in the victory over St. Bonaventure – the best game of his career. He said despite leading the team in points and goals, it’s been the offensive ability of his teammates that makes the team dangerous. “There’s been times where teams have double-teamed me and added an extra player or two on me to try to stop the offense, but with the guys Stu [Riddle] brought in, we’ve been able to keep the offense flowing and the results are there,” Cicerone said. For the all of the team’s recent offensive success, it’s the defense that has helped the Bulls reach another level. A young unit, the Buffalo defenders were still adjusting early in the season. But with back-to-back shutouts, the defense may finally be figuring things out.
Freshman ’15 Women’s soccer looking to freshmen for second straight conference title JORDAN GROSSMAN SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Not too long ago, the women’s soccer team’s freshmen were playing for their respective high schools and travel teams. Now they’re being asked to help a Division-I program get its second straight conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance. In most cases, a freshman’s role is reserved to playing some garbage time and giving the stars a rest, but the Bulls (6-51, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) have a group of freshmen who are contributing more than most first-year players and want to help get Buffalo its second straight MAC title. “As a senior, it’s been really easy to lead them and they’re so eager to learn,” said senior defender Kassidy Kidd. “They don’t even seem like freshmen. They just seemed like they jumped right in and fit right in.” Of the eight freshmen Bulls, five have played in at least 11 games so far this season and two of the team’s top-3 scor-
ers are first-year players. After losing integral parts of last year’s team like Katie Roberts, Courtney Mann and Sophie Therien to graduation, the Bulls are hoping are slowly fill the void with some help from underclassmen. Assistant coach Casey Derkacz said Buffalo had the expectation its freshmen would perform from Day One. “That’s always the expectation … trying
KAINAN GUO, THE SPECTRUM
Junior midfielder/forward Russell Cicerone leads the men’s soccer team in goals (8), assists (6) and points (22) this season.
JORDAN GROSSMAN SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Buffalo has gotten solid contribution from its defense, as juniors Daniel Cramarossa and Alec Fisher and the sophomore trio of David Enstrom, Nick Forrester and Fox Slotemaker have all registered at least a point and have solidified the depth of Buffalo’s defensive unit. Especially Forrester. “The biggest thing I had to improve on was working with guys I’ve never played with before,” Forrester said. “It was a lot of learning in the beginning – learning the routes and combinations that we play, it was some adjustments at the beginning, but slowly, we’ve gotten them and things have begin to come along.” Sophomore goalkeeper Joseph Kuta has started in net the past two games and shutout the opponent both times. He has just a 0.71 goals against average in four games this season. With conference play coming up this week, Riddle wants to keep things in order and work on the team’s development. He wants to keep on nit-picking the small details. He wants to work on the “small things.” “We’ve worked on everything, so it’s tough to pick one goal in particular,” Riddle said, “but our goal is just to do the small things and continue to prepare well. By continuing to do that, we’ll continue to play well as we head into conference play.”
email: sports@ubspectrum.com
to establish themselves as integral parts of this program,” Derkacz said. “We always expect quality to enter this program. I think the players expect quality out of this program.” The most impressive freshman has been forward Carissima Cutrona. The Colgate University transfer and Buffalo native who attended local high school Williamsville South is second on the team in goals (2) and points (7) and first in shots attempted (35). And she seems to be improving at the most vital part of the season. Cutrona has recorded at least one point in her last three games and totaled 11 shots on goal in that span. She scored the lone goal for Buffalo in its 2-1 loss to Bowling Green last Sunday. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
YUSONG SHI, THE SPECTRUM
Sophomore forward Julia Benati dribbles the ball around two defenders during a game earlier in the 2015 season. Benati was lauded by coach Shawn Burke for her ability to lead despite her underclassman status.
Remember, last year wasn’t supposed to be “the year” either. The 2014-15 men’s basketball team entered the season without its top three players from the year before. The team wasn’t big. They didn’t have elusive scorers. They were bounced in the first round of the 2014 Mid-American Conference Tournament after some projected them to win it all. But alas, all the naysayers were silenced when the Bulls went on the shock the conference and win the MAC. Why can’t that happen again? Albeit an almost nonexistent sample size – I watched their first practice last Friday in Alumni Arena – the 2015-16 Bulls have a legitimate shot at contending for another championship. It won’t be the standard route, being dominant from beginning to end. And it could very well be a rebuilding season as Buffalo adjusts to new head coach Nate Oats and a new personnel set. But after watching one portion of a practice, I realized this team, that has been criticized so much, is not too far off from last year’s squad. If anything, they could be better. There hasn’t been much positive publicity since the Bulls made the NCAA Tournament last March. Star point guard Shannon Evans and recruits Maurice O’Field and Torian Graham headed off to Tempe, Arizona to join former head coach Bobby Hurley at Arizona State, while MAC Player of the Year Justin Moss was expelled from UB for theft. But there’s something everyone forgets about the aforementioned people: they’re replaceable. I know this because those stars were once replacements themselves. Moss was simply a role player with limited minutes two seasons ago. The reigning Player of the Year flashed potential but wasn’t much of a factor behind UB all-time leading scorer Javon McCrea. Graham and O’Field never even logged a minute for Buffalo. How do we know they would have lived up the hype? And while Buffalo lost Hurley, a coach can only do so much. He was a source of energy on the sidelines with a household name for recruits, but he wasn’t the one dishing up assists and buckets on the court. Their departures hurt, don’t get me wrong. But it won’t matter in the long run. I’ve said it before, but Oats was the best choice for this job. His players respect him and he plans on running the same system as Hurley. There’s no real difference between the two coaches other than Hurley is a household name where Oats has admitted he’s a “no name” guy. I drew up one important conclusion while watching the practice – Buffalo’s production may not drop off. No Evans? Fine. Sophomore guard Lamonte Bearden put on eight pounds of muscle and is ready to run the point. CONTINUED ON PAGE 6