The Spectrum Vol. 65 No. 23

T H E I N D E P E N D E N T TSHTEU D NETP E PN UD BE LN I CTA S TT IO NA I VTEI R Y FA T T HBEU U FF E T1 B 9U 50 I NED UN D EO NFT TPH UEB LUI C OSNI T O NA I VLEOR,S S I TI N Y CA FFALO, SINCE 1950

ubspectrum.com

Friday, October 23, 2015

Volume 65 No. 23

Graduate schools may move to South Campus UB may move Graduate Schools of Education and Social Work to South Campus MARLEE TUSKES NEWS EDITOR

Approximately five miles separate UB’s North and South Campuses. To Christine Bork, those additional miles are the most frustrating part of her schedule.

Bork, a first-year graduate student in the School of Social Work, said because half of her classes are on North and half are on South, she has to devote a large amount of her time to commuting back and forth.

This may change if President Satish Tripathi’s proposal to move the Graduate School of Social Work and the Graduate School of Education to South Campus comes to fruition.

Tripathi spoke of the potential plan during his annual State of the University Address a few weeks ago. There are approximately 1,400 students in the School of Education and 450 students in the School of Social Work that would be uprooted to the South Campus if this change occurs.

As part of UB 2020, the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences is currently under construction downtown near Buffalo’s Fruit Belt neighborhood. The school will open in 2017, leaving a gap on the South Campus where the medical school currently is.

Nancy Smyth, Dean of the School of Social Work, said this proposal has been in discussion for quite some time, so she wasn’t surprised when the president announced it. The School of Social Work currently has classes divided on both campuses and Parker Hall is the building currently in use on South Campus.

“We actually already have classrooms [on South Campus] since the university has a shortage of classrooms,” Smyth said. “This would unite the campus.”

If the proposal goes through, Townsend Hall along with Parker Hall will be transformed into classrooms devoted to the School of Social Work.

This proposal comes after UB recently rejected a lawmakers’ proposal for UB’s Law School to move into the Michael J. Dillon Memorial U.S. Courthouse in downtown Buffalo, which is currently vacant.

UB said in a statement that the university “has no plans to move the UB Law School from North Campus. Isolating the UB Law School off-campus, away from UB’s other professional schools, is neither academically nor economically sound.”

Smyth said responses from faculty and students regarding the possible change of campus have been mixed. While some believe the change will be a good way in order to increase space for the school, some are concerned with how safe the campus will be, as the University Heights neighborhood around South Campus has high crime rates.

SA senate trying to get on track, still behind in light of controversy GABRIELA JULIA SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Nearly two months into the semester, clubs have still not had an opportunity to ask the Student Association senate for more money, as the body and SA as a whole try to recover from last week’s controversial chair election.

The senate held a special forum – attended by just seven of the body’s 18 voting members – in place of its normal meeting Wednesday night to discuss the election and to educate senators on their positions. SA Attorney Josh Korman answered questions about SA’s constitution and bylaws and executive board members and professional staff further explained senators’ roles to them.

The body has been in flux ever since SA President Minahil Khan mishandled the senate chair election, as she casted a ballot to break a 7-7 tie between two candidates despite the fact the SA bylaws say to have a revote in that situation. SA will hold a new election for senate chair on Monday at 5:30 p.m. and clubs will be able to ask the senate for more funds for the first time this semester.

Dillon Smith, the candidate who won the invalid election, resigned as chair before Wednesday’s meeting and addressed the senate.

“I’m ashamed of the body as a whole,” Dillon, getting emotional at times, said.

“We failed as the senate for letting political interests affect our abilities … there [were] clubs that wanted to come for

GABRIELA JULIA, THE SPECTRUM

(From left to right) Student Association Vice President Sean Kaczmarek, President Minahil Khan and Treasurer Joe Pace during Wednesday’s special forum with the senate. The meeting was held in light of last week’s senate chair election controversy.

money Sunday and today for activities, which is our main obligation as senate and we are failing at that right now … I just ask everyone right now, try and move forward in a quick and speedy manner.”

Korman said Smith was technically never elected in the first place. He said Khan’s tie-breaking vote never counted because Khan, as president, is a non-voting member of the senate.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Zodiaque stuns with consecutive shows GABRIELA ORTIZ STAFF WRITER

UB’s performing company, Zodiaque, opened its 42nd season with a performance at the Center for the Arts (CFA) Wednesday.

Every year, the company assembles a fall and spring show. Showcasing varying abilities, styles and athleticism, the company never fails to captivate its audience.

The fact it packed the CFA with guests on a Wednesday night speaks to the company’s popularity.

This year, the dance department choreographed a variety of pieces embracing the season theme of social justice.

With contributions from renowned choreographers like guest artist Hilary Easton, John Leher and seasoned faculty members like Kerry Ring and Michael Lambert, Zodiaque is successfully adapting its performances to current social issues through dance.

“Zodiaque is so large, yet everyone is so individual,” said Olivia Burgmann, a sophomore dance major. “Everyone brings in their own style and while still dancing as a whole.”

Choreographed by Shelley Hain, “Watch

Annual performance by dance company sells out CFA

Her Disappear” opened the show.

Seven dancers emerged onto the stage, swaying gracefully against a raspy spoken word narrative that tells the story of a loss of innocence.

The dance continues to take the audience on a journey through the lives of sexually trafficked women. The piece paints a clear narrative through its transitions from light violins and ground movement, to fast tempos and intense choreography.

“Here in this Eden” by John Lehrer began with a peaceful island backdrop and lighting that enhanced the visual experience by creating an illusion of sand with a dim white light.

The duet was intimate and blissful, with both dancers illustrating the incredible athleticism Lehrer Dance is known for.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

YILIN LI, THE SPECTRUM

On Wednesday, Zodiaque entertained a packed CFA theatre on its opening night. The performances will be held from Oct. 21-24 at 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 25 at 2 p.m.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

3

Opinion: Let’s chill with the ‘Netflix and chill’

5

Sole High looks to increase Buffalo’s ‘sneakerhead’ community

7

Did you make this week’s police blotter?

2

NEWS

Friday, October 23, 2015

THE SPECTRUM

SA senate trying to get on track, still behind in light of controversy CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

In the instance of a tie, another vote should have been held until there was majority winner, as SA bylaws state.

“It was my opinion no one was actually elected and the meeting ended in the middle of the process,” Korman said.

SA has yet to receive an official resignation from Yaser Soliman, the losing candidate in the senate chair election. Soliman denounced SA’s integrity and announced his resignation in a letter to The Spectrum Sunday, but he must submit a written resignation to SA. Soliman had threatened legal action against the organization, but Korman said SA has not had any lawsuit filed against them or had any communication from another attorney relating to the election.

Korman said SA has never lost or had to settle a lawsuit. He said despite the fact he saw a lot of “sad faces” at the senate meeting Wednesday, SA is in a good place as an organization.

Korman went over the constitution and bylaws and the errors in last week’s election. He said he works with a number of businesses and organizations and the formalities of meetings are something many of them struggle with.

“I don’t think SA is alone today in that,” Korman said.

Korman advised the e-board to conduct the next election on a clean slate and, despite the fact the constitution doesn’t mandate it, openly count the ballots in front of everyone, which was not done in

last week’s election.

The e-board and Mark RP Sorel, SA admin director, focused the remainder of the meeting on training the seven senators in attendance to properly supervise SA clubs and budgets. Several senators had told The Spectrum they didn’t feel properly prepared and that their only training was a 30-minute meeting in which they were told to read the constitution themselves.

“In the past we had to go into it [as senators] and use rational reasoning skills,” said SA Treasurer Joe Pace. “So for the people who have been elected will make good decisions and although there is a learning curve, with a legislative body and everyone is in check with each other.”

In normal senate meetings, clubs present their cases to receive additional money from the budget. The senators then vote on how much money – if anything – to give the club. The senate has about $13,000 out of a discretionary line to give to clubs throughout the year.

Sorel and the e-board described the process of making those decisions, which includes asking what the club is using the money toward, if they actually need it and if the club does well on its requirements. “‘What are they buying? How much of it? Why?’” Pace said. “This is not a knee jerk, ‘This sounds like a fun party, let’s give them money.’”

“Do they actually need senate money?”

SA officials recounted a story of a few years ago when the men’s rugby team

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

ENDING PREVENTABLE CHILD AND MATERNAL DEATHS: WORKING ACROSS SECTORS TO MAKE THE VISION A REALITY

DR. JOHN BORRAZZO

C R I T I CA L CO N V E R S AT I O N S is an annual program presented by UB President Satish K. Tripathi, featuring distinguished scholars at the forefront of their fields and at the vanguard of shaping how we understand the vital issues facing our 21st-century world.

Dr. John Borrazzo is Chief of the Maternal and Child Health Division at the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Global Health in Washington, D.C.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

PA N E L D I S C U S S I O N

K E Y N OT E A D D R E S S

Beyond the Ivory Tower: Diverse Perspectives to Address Global Health Challenges Seats Remaining

Ending Preventable Child and Maternal Deaths: Working Across Sectors to Make the Vision a Reality

ly A Few

On stration THURSDAY Pre-regi

required

FRIDAY

OCTOBER 22, 2015

OCTOBER 23, 2015

12:30 p.m. 105 Harriman Hall, South Campus

2:30 p.m. Student Union Theater, North Campus

Complimentary lunch will be served at noon

Reception to follow in Student Union Social Hall

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N A N D T O R S V P, P L E A S E V I S I T W W W. B U F FA L O . E D U / P R E S I D E N T / C R I T I C A L - C O N V E R S AT I O N S Produced by the Division of University Communications, University at Buffalo. October 2015. 15-PRE-012

asked for increased funds to go to Las Vegas. While the senators initially thought, “yeah right,” there was an actual rugby USA Sevens tournament in Las Vegas and it was a legitimate expense, according to Sorel.

“When something sounds outrageous – and it may be – but it also may be real,” Sorel said.

Officials told senators they must understand the concept of viewpoint neutrality – as student governments must make decisions for student organizations in a neutral manner.

Pace urges the senators to take this process seriously since there is no exact formula and it is all based on judgment calls.

The e-board admitted it would have liked a larger turnout. At the first meeting, the senators all agreed Sunday evenings would work best for everyone’s schedule to meet. According to emails from Smith to the senate, the meeting was held during the week to work with Korman’s schedule.

“So as long as they initiate discussion and ask questions, those who weren’t there will quickly catch on to what they’re suppose to do,” Pace said.

Khan admitted this election scandal has pushed the senate behind a couple of weeks.

“All we can hope for the senate is that they give clubs a fair shot and follow the guidelines that are set,” Khan said. email: news@ubspectrum.com

GABRIELA JULIA, THE SPECTRUM

Dillon Smith, the candidate who won the invalid election last week, resigned as senate chair before Wednesday’s meeting and addressed the senate.

OPINION THE SPECTRUM

Editorial Board EDITOR IN CHIEF

Tom Dinki

MANAGING EDITOR

Alyssa McClure COPY EDITORS

Kayla Menes Renée Staples

3

Friday, October 23, 2015

There’s snow place like UB for winter parking Parking issues on campus will only get worse as winter approaches

Let’s chill with the ‘Netflix and Chill’

NEWS EDITORS

Gabriela Julia, Senior Ashley Inkumsah Marlee Tuskes FEATURES EDITORS

Tori Roseman, Senior Dani Guglielmo ARTS EDITORS

Brian Windschitl, Senior Kenneth Kashif Thomas 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.

ADVERTISING DESIGNER

Derek Hosken

THE SPECTRUM Friday, October 23, 2015 Volume 65 Number 23 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

The first inklings of snow have fallen, warning students of the impending winter that’s rapidly approaching. Buffalo is known for its insane snowfall – last year, we were hit with seven feet of snow right around Thanksgiving.

Parking is an issue at UB no matter what time of year it is.

Most of the school’s land, other than buildings, is parking lots. No matter how many spots there are, there never seem to be enough for the amount of students who drive to campus. Worse, the parking lots go so far back, students have to account for the amount of time it takes to walk to the nearest building.

There is closer parking that is often misused. UB offers carpool parking and although the number varies by lots, yet less than half seem to be full at any given time.

The meter parking that can be found near Clemens Hall and Alumni Arena is another waste of valuable space – there is no reason to charge students to park a safe proximity to the school and these spaces are often skipped over by those who don’t have loose change. The Fronczak lot is also paid parking – students can pay $4 to park for the day or $90 for the semester. Similar to the meter parking, it seems unreasonable to ask students to pay a fee for a decent parking spot.

In theory, UB could develop a parking garage, but that project would be such a large invest-

ment in time and money while simultaneously creating a new battleground for parking wars that’s more dangerous since it’s a more enclosed space.

Once the snow begins to fall, an entire new set of problems emerges. The parking wars that occur daily in lots all over campus become more dangerous as ice and layers of snow coat the roads. Students can try to opt out of driving but this means that they’re reliant upon the Stampede, which runs slower in the snow both around North Campus and from North to South Campus.

UB tends to remain open no matter how much it snows. The university is notorious for not closing – during Snowvember last year, UB closed for two days after receiving negative media attention for holding classes while students were stranded in their homes or on the Thruway.

This wouldn’t be an issue if transportation wasn’t so difficult.

The Stampede will close or be delayed or run less often, but UB still expects students to come to class.

If a giant bus cannot make it through the snow, how does UB expect small cars to get to campus?

If half of the parking spots are covered by snow, how can UB expect students to safely park and drive to class?

If most professors are canceling their classes anyway, why bother to keep the school open?

It’s unsafe for students to attempt to drive or walk in those conditions. UB needs to put its reputation aside and prioritize the safety of students over the amount of days it’s open – it’s better to cancel class than to be held responsible for a student getting hurt.

Driving around campus isn’t just limited to the parking lots near the academic buildings. There are often more free parking spaces in on-campus housing parking lots, but snow isn’t always plowed in a timely fashion. This leaves students to do the shoveling themselves, which will either take time in the morning before class or lead them to abandon their cars and use alternate methods of transportation.

If the Stampede cannot operate, UB shouldn’t be open. Students can’t walk through the storms and cars get stuck or stranded en route – and those who do make it can’t find a place to park.

The university can fix this problem if it wants to stay open, so long as it hires people to be constantly plowing the snow in the parking lots and on the sidewalks.

No student should be penalized for missing a class they physically could not get to.

If not, there’s always the option to close UB more often and to alleviate the worry students have about driving in poor conditions. email: editorial@ubspectrum.com

Cleaning up the mess “Before the Law” keeps the plot moving for a strong start to season two of ‘Fargo’ DAN MCKEON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TV show: Fargo Network: FX Grade: B+ The second episode in a season of any good drama series always struggles a little bit for a myriad of reasons. In the case of “Fargo,” it comes down to it being pretty tough to follow up a triple homicide at a Waffle Hut. While the first episode, “Waiting for Dutch,” featured a shakedown gone horribly wrong, Monday night’s episode focused on the cleanup, the investigation

and the Gerhardts hanging on to their criminal empire.

The beginning focuses on the power struggle of the Gerhardts as Dodd (Jeffery Donovan) and Floyd (Jean Smart) argue for control. Floyd promises to give control to Dodd after the crisis.

Dodd agrees but is later seen undermining Floyd almost immediately. It’s definitely a plot line that could lead to betrayal.

Donovan’s portrayal of Dodd deserves recognition. Dodd is a brutal yet seemingly simple man and Donovan walks the line perfectly. He first appears in the episode telling a story to a man whose ears he cut off. He tells

COURTESY OF FX “Fargo” season two has not dissapointed - and niether did the season’s second episode.

him repeatedly to wake up before he’s informed that the man is dead. Dodd walks out of the barn like it’s just another typical day in Fargo.

The story slows down when it reaches the sad Ed Blumquist (Jesse Plemons). He sits outside his blood soaked garage, staring off grimly at nothing. He has to deal with cleaning up the mess from “Waiting for Dutch.”

He scrubs the blood off the car and garage floor with bleach before standing naked in front of a fire as he coldly burns his bloody clothes.

County police officer Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) is troubled by the case so much that he stops by the Waffle Hut to have a look around. His wife (Cristin Milioti) finds the gun used in the murder in a bush and it troubles Lou greatly that he could miss such a vital clue.

Later on, Lou shows up to the butcher shop where Ed is grinding up the body, a possible homage to the original 1996 film. The scene is one of the most engaging and tension filled in the entire episode, especially when Lou almost sees a stray finger from the body.

Perhaps this is a necessary evil after such a bloody season premiere, but the cleanup and Peggy Blumquist’s (Kirsten Dunst) attempts to return to normalcy are a bit boring.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Debating the ‘social phenomenon’ of watching TV with someone else

JAMES BATTLE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Internet, and by extension social media, links humanity together like never before. It has gone beyond sharing information and ideas into a shared, online consciousness thanks to memes and other ideas that were born on social networks.

One of the most recent social phenomena is “Netflix and Chill,” a way for men to ask girls out without actually asking girls out.

Instead of saying, “Hey, let’s get dinner and maybe go see a movie,” men can cover their bases by saying, “Hey, I kind of want to stay in tonight. I have Netflix, we should just chill and watch a movie.”

This practice is used mainly for two reasons.

First – to dampen the blow of rejection. If I never really asked you out, I never really got rejected.

Secondly, and most popularly, it’s an easier way to get someone to have sex with you. Watching a movie leads to cuddling, cuddling leads to kissing and then, well, you get the idea.

You just got for free in one night what men of decades past had to spend a bunch of time and money to get – congratulations.

At this point, you’re probably thinking, “Wow, this guy is a dog.”

And I don’t blame you. But I will say that I personally feel that “Netflix and Chill” should be done in moderation and only under certain circumstances.

Most men at this age do think that this practice is just an easy way to get what they really want.

That’s why I think things need to change quickly before modern courting practices devolve into nothing more than making sure you have clean sheets and an Internet connection.

Have no fear – this can work.

Relationships are all about compromise.

First, the fellas – you guys are way too trigger happy with the whole “Netflix and Chill” thing and it’s making us all look bad. It needs to be done in moderation before we lose it forever.

Do you know how frustrating it is when it’s a cold Buffalo night and all you want to do is cuddle up and watch a movie with someone and you get hit with a “Who do you think I am” text, a “You’re not going to ‘Netflix and Chill’ me!” text?

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

4

FEATURES

Friday, October 23, 2015

THE SPECTRUM

Reliable transportation graces Buffalo with Uber Students excited for the Buffalo launch of transportation company

DANI GUGLIELMO FEATURES EDITOR

If you’ve watched TV lately, you might have noticed the Uber advertisements for drivers in the Buffalo area.

According to WGRZ, Senator Mark Panepinto said he expects Uber to be in Buffalo within the next six months.

Uber is a transportation company that connects drivers to riders through the Uber app on smartphones. This app is a new form of taxi service that launched in 2009 and is already available in many cities. Many students have used this app before in other cities and are looking forward to its Buffalo launch because of the app’s accessibility.

Halley Mangano, a senior communication major, uses Uber three to five times a week

COURTESY OF UBER

Uber, a taxi service that allows students to make arrangements straight from their phone, track their ride and pay via the app, is coming to Buffalo. The service is popular in other college towns and major cities.

back home in New York City and believes that Buffalo transportation is not as reliable as Uber.

“There are many times where I have called cab companies in Buffalo and they failed to showed up or don’t arrive on time,” Mangano said. “I think Uber will be beneficial for college students and people who travel to Buffalo for business because Uber is more trustworthy.”

Mangano said her favorite part of Uber is how she can see exactly where her cab is on the app and what time they will arrive.

“When you use Buffalo transportation taxis you have to take your driver’s word on what time they will arrive and sometimes 10 minutes turns into 30 minutes with them,” Mangano said.

Uber drivers use their own cars to give their riders lifts to where they request to go. In order to become an Uber driver, you have to have a car model from 2000 or newer, pass a background check, attain a personal license and registration and be at least 21 years old.

To use Uber for a ride, you plug in your current location and where you want to go on the app. Once a driver becomes available, you receive a notification that a driver is coming to pick you up and what time he or she will arrive.

“Uber would be very beneficial to students who are less willing to walk places when it comes to the weather becoming an issue,” said Corey Yoskowitz, a junior accounting major. “Due to Buffalo’s large area, we travel daily from North and South Campus and either downtown or the mall. The current transportation we have can sometimes be too much of an inconvenience or a hassle sometimes.”

On the app, car icons dot a map so you can see where the Uber drivers in your area are located and you can request what size vehicle you need to come pick you up.

“I really like Uber because the cars are always very clean,” Mangano said. “You plug in where you want to go and can follow where you are going on your personal phone so you always feel safe.”

Caroline Black, a senior economics major, likes how you can pay for your ride through the Uber app as opposed to spending cash when she uses other forms of transportation.

Your credit card information saves on the app and it charges you for the distance of your ride. If you share an Uber with friends, you can split the payments between whoever is with you.

“I once took a cab here in Buffalo and the driver told me I wasn’t able to use my credit card so I had to borrow cash from a friend,” Black said. “Uber makes it easy for you to split money between who is with you without having to worry about paying each other back.”

Yoskowitz also enjoys the payment feature of the app and said he likes how quick everything is about Uber and how he doesn’t need to call ahead of time.

“The driver knows where you are and comes to you in a short amount of time and you don’t have to worry about gathering money because your credit card is already connected,” Yoskowitz said.

Black said she usually only drives her car in Buffalo and takes cabs when she goes out and agrees that Buffalo transportation can be very unreliable at times. She also thinks that the Metro stops running too early for students to use it.

“I live in New York City so I use Uber a lot at home and I like how you know exactly when your ride is going to arrive,” Black said. “Uber also gives you discount rates and free rides sometimes, which Buffalo transportation doesn’t have.” email: features@ubspectrum.com

UB HFES hosts bad design contest SOPHIA MCKEONE STAFF WRITER

How many times have you pulled on a door on campus, yanking on it a few times, only to finally realize it pushes open?

Most people have, according to Adam Houser, a human factors engineering Ph.D. student at UB, and president of its student chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES).

“People always say, ‘Ah, I’m so stupid I can’t figure out this door’… but you’re not stupid,” Houser said. “The point is to design in ways that are intuitive for people to understand and easy to use.”

This phenomenon is the basis of HFES’s campus-wide “bad design contest,” which invites students to take selfies with bad designs around campus and tweet them to @ ubHFES. Every October the national chapter of HFES celebrates ergonomics and each school’s charter incorporates an event to celebrate ergonomics and raise awareness about what it is to be a human factors specialist.

Students who participate in the bad design contest will not only gain knowledge and awareness – prizes are offered for the top-three worst designs submitted. First

Students encouraged to submit photos of UB’s design flaws place receives a $50 Amazon gift card, second place receives a $25 restaurant voucher and third place receives two movie tickets.

Amir Baghdadi, a senior industrial engineer, tweeted his pain about the doors in Bell Hall.

“This plate on Bell 438 door is ridiculous!” Baghdadi tweeted. “Hurt my right hand every time #RightHandPeople.”

Other submitted tweets include dangerous stairwells and steps, unlabeled light switches and poorly designed bathroom amenities like toilet paper holders.

There are two parts of human factors engineering – a cognitive aspect and an ergonomics aspect. The ergonomics aspect is focused on physical functions, “concerned with work, how you do work, how you sit, your posture – everything you physically manipulate,” according to Houser.

Mahboobeh Ghesmaty, a human factors engineering Ph.D. student, thought the bad design contest would be the perfect way to get students focused on ergonomics that effect their day to day lives, whether they

Students participate in the bad design contest by tweeting selfies of themselves with bad designs. The contest is looking to raise awareness about egronomics.

realize it or not.

“In the short term you might not notice it as much – for example, if you study in a really bad chair right before a test, it might not directly make you do worse but long term, if you aren’t paying attention to these things, you are really at increased risk of injury” Ghesmaty said.

Along with shaping what we as consumers look for in the products we purchase, the alternate goal of the bad design contest is to shift the blame from the consumer to the designer.

Whether it is technology, websites or chairs, it is important to HFES consumers realize that it isn’t so much their responsibility to know how to use things as much as it is designers’ responsibility to make sure that they function properly.

“Initially, we wanted to raise awareness about ergonomics and get people to pay attention to their surroundings,” Ghesmaty said. “But it is also important that people know their rights and needs as a consumer … we don’t want consumers to adapt to

what we design, we want to learn what their needs are and how they are more comfortable and design for that.”

It is important to HFES to get students thinking about ergonomics in everyday life and their feedback through the bad design contest helps the human factors engineers in their studies.

“The goal of the human factors engineer is to design for everybody,” Houser said. “A good design is one that many people can use, not only a small portion of people can figure out … So it’s critically important for us to know how people use or try to use certain designs because it helps us when we are trying to design something.”

According to Ghesmaty, thinking about human factors can help undergraduate engineers who may not be aware of this particular field of engineering. Ghesmaty thinks even becoming slightly acquainted through something like this contest will make these people better designers in the future.

To participate in the contest, tweet a selfie of yourself and a bad design on campus to @ubHFES using the hashtag #ubNEM. The contest deadline has been extended to Friday Oct. 23. email: features@ubspectrum.com

5 Straight from the sole

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE SPECTRUM

KENNETH KASHIF THOMAS ARTS EDITOR

When it comes to sneaker culture, Buffalo isn’t exactly a city that’s on a sneakerhead’s mind. The type of ‘steez’ – style with ease – that an exclusive or OG pair of kicks can add to an ‘alphet’ is heavily slept on in Western New York.

Now, this isn’t to say that the entire region is sneaker ignorant. There are definitely sneakerheads, but access to specialty sneakers is extremely limited.

Buffalo-based sneaker boutique Sole High is looking to change that.

Since opening last November, the store has been rapidly creating a fanbase. Stocked with kicks that you’ll only see on sneaker blogs, it looks to create an atmosphere that not only can be a place to cop your grails – that one pair of sneakers you can’t leave without – or to gain some knowledge on the culture. Sole High has also been quick to take its passion and provide an incentive for kids to do better in school.

“There’s a decent sneaker culture here [in Buffalo] and it was something people wanted,” said Polo Kerber, store manager of Sole High on Elmwood Avenue. “We get a lot of people that wear runners, some are into the exclusive Jordans and the fashion of it.”

Anthony Solomon, a senior business major at SUNY Buffalo State College, considers the sneaker culture in Buffalo to be unifying.

“The [sneaker] culture is a popular thing here in Buffalo,” Solomon said. “People of all ages and classes sleep out for exclusive sneaker drops in the hopes of getting a pair.”

As a one-stop sneaker shop, Sole High also provides customization and restoration services to its customers.

As prominent members of the ‘sneakerhead’ community, the boutique made a splash in its grand opening, which was held this past spring due to last winter’s inclement weather.

“Freehand Profit did our grand opening once spring hit, he did a live chop of a pair of [Jordan] Wolf Grey Vs that he was working on,” Kerber said. “His wife also did a live painting of the [Jordan] Champagne & Cigar IV mask he made for us.”

Freehand Profit is an artist that breaks down sneakers to their piece components and reconstructs them into masks. An innovative style of art, it has brought him to

Sneaker boutique Sole High looks to increase Buffalo’s ‘sneakerhead’ community

an international level. While few people may know his name, they know the art.

Knowing the market, Sole High notices that many of its customers are students that come from New York City, but at times the boutique still finds itself surprised by the far reach that sneaker culture has.

“We get a lot of traffic from Buff[alo] State [College] since it’s down the street, but we do get some from UB,” said Kerber. “We had an Asian customer from UB who could barely speak English, but he learned how to take the bus out here and he’s here pretty often.”

When people think of sneaker culture and sneakerheads, block-long lines of young kids waiting for the latest drop typically comes to mind.

“It’s a business now, supply and demand – I respect it,” said Yusef Burgos, assistant manager of Sole High. “Every store is doing a raffle for kicks now. In my opinion, using bots is unfair, but that’s just the market and what the culture has become today. Demand is way higher than supply.”

Bots allow resellers to cop as many kicks that are newly released before they sell out.

This allows them to get anywhere from five to upwards of 30 pairs of a pair of sneakers to resell at higher face value.

But reselling isn’t what sneaker culture is, or was.

“Sneaker culture today is not the same as it was in the past – it was connected and per-

Zodiaque stuns with consecutive shows CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“La Danse” by Michael Lambert served as one the more light-hearted performances of the evening.

Beginning with a very seductive and provocative Spanish tango rhythm, the dance highlighted the issue of degradation of women by men. Eight dancers – seven women and one man – performed the piece.

Each of the women interacted with the sole male dancer throughout the dance, making its story line easy to follow. The EDMlike rhythm the dancers transitioned into, made it especially enjoyable for the audience (which consisted of primarily UB under grad students).

“This piece was my favorite to be apart of, it was so much fun,” said Madison Rutherford, a sophomore dance major and Zodiaque dancer.

After an intermission, “Just Us” by Kerry Ring began.

The 12 dancers worked in beautiful unison, flowing in and out of one another flawlessly, capturing the unity of women.

The symmetry of the choreography and positioning of each dancer was appealing visually. Paired with a focus on the use of the body as an instrument to create sounds, the performance was incredibly creative.

“The Playground” by Miranda Zimmerman was a crowd favorite.

Each dancer was spotlighted individually, taking on personal and playful roles, symbolic of the light and joy of being a child.

Many in the crowd were captivated by the dances, with numerous crowd members coming in from around the city to watch.

“The playground piece was my favorite, it was so much fun to watch,” said Laurie Latke, a 40-year-old Buffalo native and show attendee.

The piece left room for dancers to display their own personalities, enhancing the audience experience by becoming relatable.

The entire company came out and closed out the show with a piece entitled “Z’Bows,” which perfectly highlighted the talent Zodiaque possesses as a collective. The ensemble bowed to an ecstatic and pleased crowd.

With nightly performances through Sunday, Zodiaque’s fervor and talent is certain to captivate many more as it closes out its fall showcase.

The performances will contine throughout the weekend, ending with a show on Sunday at 2 p.m. email: arts@ubspectrum.com YUSONG SHI, THE SPECTRUM

Dance perform during Zodiaque’s first show Wednesday night.

The performances will continue throughout the weekend.

YUSONG SHI, THE SPECTRUM

Buffalo-based sneaker boutique Sole High is trying to change how sneakerheads think of Buffalo. With some incredibly rare sneakers in their collection, the store has been rapidly creating a fanbase within Buffalo.

sonal. During campouts people would chill, tell stories and bring alcohol,” Burgos said.

“Now, it’s a very different vibe and it’s money-driven. They’re buying sneakers to impress the next man, not for the love of it.”

The lines of campers come from an evergrowing demand coupled with a supply that is nowhere near efficient in satisfying this demand. Improved technology allows certain consumers to bypass buying limits and corner the market of certain models and styles of sneakers, then reselling them for inflated prices.

“Reselling is a great way to make a quick buck,” Solomon said. “I did it for the KD Aunt Pearls and made a net profit of $100.

Took a total of 30 minutes of being listed on eBay to sell.”

Buffalo isn’t a place that sees lines of campers waiting hours or days for a pair of kicks, but when you only have access to generic chain sneaker stores, you will not find yourself getting too deep into the culture.

“We have exclusive stuff, but we also have stuff for people that aren’t into the culture

Friday, October 23, 2015

like that,” Kerber said. “Some people will walk in and won’t understand why a Yeezy is $5,000 or why Nike Mags are $26,000.”

While Sole High prides itself on the exclusivity of the sneakers that it stocks, the store does well to keep the product diverse to cater to the diverse demographic of Buffalo.

Kerber notes that while sneaker culture might not be that heavy in the city, the Jordan brand is Sole’s best seller.

“We have a contract with Saucony, so we get our retail and release date stuff from them,” Kerber said. “Jordans sell well, we can’t hold onto XIs or XIIs, those are our best sellers, IIIs and VIs also sell well.”

The Jordan brand is one that represents ubiquity in sneakers. It’s a brand that offers itself as both a serious fashion contender and objects of nostalgia. From the Jordan XII “Flu Game,” inspired by Michael Jordan’s iconic championship game win while he was sick with the flu, to the Jordan IIIs, which would be the first Jordan sneaker to feature the now iconic Jumpman logo.

Though most active sneakerheads are younger, Sole High devised a way to incentivize the learning process in the classroom.

As anyone who’s ever owned a pair of sneakers knows, they get creased quick and dirty even quicker. As aficionados in the art of customization and restoration, the Sole High team saw a way to help the community and, once again, took the shot.

Oracle Charter School is a high school down the street from the boutique. It knows the allure sneakers have to the youth, so in exchange for good grades and perfect attendance, kids are offered various opportunities.

“We set up a program where they have to get good grades and perfect attendance, we have our restorer and customizer go over and teach the kids to restore and customize kicks,” said Kerber. “We’re also doing giveaways with Sole High shirts, Rock’em socks and keychains.”

Plans for the program, currently unnamed, started in the beginning of this year, but it wasn’t put into effect until the beginning of the 2015 marking period.

Purveyors of the culture, just a year in and Sole High’s influence has gone far beyond a sneaker product.

Being the first of it’s kind in Buffalo, Sole High plans on leaving a permanent mark on not only sneaker culture, but the city as well. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

6

NEWS | OPINION

Friday, October 23, 2015

THE SPECTRUM

Graduate schools may move to South Campus

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Although Smyth said she does not believe this is an issue that will pose problems, it is something that will be looked into and taken seriously.

Bork said her biggest concern is dealing with the drive to South Campus. For her, she said, driving to North Campus is more convenient.

“Driving to South Campus is just super annoying. There’s so many lights and so much traffic,” Bork said.

Jaekyung Lee, Dean of the School of Education, said he does not know details yet, including when the move will happen and the costs. But he did say he believes the potential move will benefit students.

“I expect that relocation will help address [the] crowding issue in the Baldy Hall and provide faculty and students with more adequate classroom and lab spaces,” Lee said in an email.

Both Smyth and Lee said they think the move will help bring

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

It all goes as expected, with the notable exception of the very last scene between Lou and Ed at the butcher shop. Maybe that’s just what director/writer Noah Hawley wants, for the viewer to feel the sort of uneasy monotony of cleaning up a murder. Either way, it comes off cumbersome and slows the story down just a little too much.

The strength in “Before the Law” comes from the development of the three main plot lines: the Gerhardts trying to maintain their empire, the Blumquists desperately trying to cover up their own murder and the investigation into the triple homicide at the Waffle House.

The Blumquists get maybe too much focus in an episode filled with plot development.

It isn’t that two folksy Minnesota natives trying to dispose of evidence of a murder isn’t entertaining, but nothing is being developed so much as things are

just being covered up. We know that they have to clean up the blood, get rid of the body make up excuses for the damaged car and so on.

What we don’t know is how Solverson is going to go about the investigation or how the Gerhardts’ power struggle is going to play out. Sure, that keeps the show entertaining, but a little more exposition on possible theories Solverson has or how the Gerhardts function as a group could have rounded off the episode a bit better.

One strange plot line that hopefully continues as mysteriously as it began is the UFO sighting in “Waiting for Dutch.”

“Before the Law” ended with a few lines from the famous “War of the Worlds” broadcast but it isn’t yet clear what, if anything, aliens have to do with Fargo.

Hopefully, we’ll find out soon. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

YUSONG SHI, THE SPECTRUM

Parker Hall (pictured) is one of the buildings on South Campus that would be used for the Graduate School of Social Work if the school is moved to the campus like President Satish Tripathi proposed.

more opportunities to the schools by being more immersed in Buffalo. Lee said the potential move would allow “educational innovations and engagement with the community and schools in [the] Buffalo area.”

Smyth said while the reactions from student and faculty have been mixed, many say they are excited that the schools would be “embedded into the community.”

“Out in Amherst we are in the community but not in the way we would be if we were on the South Campus,” Smyth said. “We like being closely tied to the community.” email: news@ubspectrum.com

a

WORLD

of

OPPORTUNITY

Your Transfer Choice • Transfer up to 90 credits • Transfer scholarships available • 15 :1 student/faculty ratio

French Graphic Design Health Care Studies History History & Political Science Mathematics Natural Sciences Nursing Paralegal Physical Therapy

Physician Assistant Political Science Pre-Med Psychology Religious Studies Social Work Spanish Sport Management Sustainability and more!

Open House

Saturday, October 18 8:30am-1:30pm daemen.edu/fallopenhouse

All information according to University Police 10/13 2:50 a.m. – A caller reported someone had urinated in his or her garbage can. Patrol verified there was urine in the garbage can as well as unknown ashes in other garbage cans located near the one with urine in it.

1:58 p.m. – SUNY Buffalo State Police reported they had Michael Castro in custody. Castro has a warrant for his arrest from University Police. Buffalo State Police transferred Castro to city lockup.

11:04 p.m. – Two individuals reported a domestic dispute they were involved in in the Red Jacket parking lot. Neither party wanted to pursue criminal charges. Student Wide Judiciary (SWJ) paperwork was issued to both individuals.

10/14 3:44 p.m. – A UB employee from the Counseling Center in Richmond reported a highly intoxicated female was passed out in the waiting room. An ambulance transported the female to ECMC for treatment.

6:21 p.m. – A student reported while he was in Lockwood Library an unknown male with a beard, a “Rasta Bob Marley” hat, black sweatshirt and jeans asked to sit down with him. The student stated he stepped away briefly and when he came back his backpack was gone. Patrol was dispatched to look for the described individual.

10/15 1:08 p.m. – A student reported an indi-

839.8225

vidual was roaming around Crosby Hall.

The student didn’t believe the individual was a UB student and stated the individual was approaching girls and asking if they had boyfriends.

10:03 p.m. – A fire alarm was activated in Wilkeson Quad. Patrols were dispatched and Amherst Fire Department was notified. Patrol reported a dryer in the laundry area was smoking.

10/16 12:09 a.m. – An RA requested medical assistance for a male. The RA stated it was a possible alcohol overdose. The male was transported to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital.

8:15 a.m. – A student reported he received an email from his own email account threatening his life. The student believes he may have accidentally left his computer logged on when he left the library.

10/17 1:44 p.m. – An RA from Roosevelt Hall in Governors Complex reported finding knives in a room during inspection. Patrol reported the items were not knives.

10/18 12:42 a.m. – Pro-staff requested a welfare check on a UB student who was having suicidal thoughts. The student was transported to ECMC. email: news@ubspectrum.com

Let’s chill with the Netflix and Chill

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

Daemen offers more than 50 majors, including: Accounting Animation Art Arts Administration Athletic Training Biochemistry Biology Business Administration Education English

Cleaning up the mess

Fellas, taking a girl out isn’t hard. Even if you aren’t head over heels about her, you should still learn how to date correctly before you graduate, enter the real world and realize that borrowing your older brother’s Netflix account and weeding through the children’s movies that your niece likes to find a scary movie won’t work forever.

I know we’re all broke college students but you can go on a great date for less than $30 if you know what you’re doing. Don’t think you need to break the bank to impress someone. If you’re on a date, the person should be there to enjoy your company, not to be wowed by how much money you can spend at Olive Garden.

It was never that serious. And on the off chance that she is there for how much money is being spent, drop her faster than that class where you got a 30 percent on the midterm.

Now for the ladies.

First, demand more. If this were a year ago, I wouldn’t blame you for falling for the

“Netflix and Chill” routine – but now the blame is just as much on you as it is on men.

I’m telling you without an ounce of doubt that men wouldn’t pull the “Netflix and Chill” card if it didn’t work so often.

Think about it – if a strategy doesn’t work, it gets changed.

Suggest going out somewhere.

If that guy really does want your company he’ll have no problem taking you somewhere, even if he doesn’t have his own transportation.

The Stampede, NFTA bus and the metro rail run just fine – he’ll be all right.

Some women may want to “Netflix and Chill” for the same reason guys do – and that’s fine. Just don’t let irrational gender roles and dating standards get in the way of what you want. Know what you’re getting into.

There’s nothing wrong with “Netflix and Chill” if that’s what both of you want and it’s been communicated. email: arts@ubspectrum.com

7

CLASSIFIEDS

Friday, October 23, 2015

THE SPECTRUM

HELPHELP WANTED WANTED $12-$16/HR. PART-TIME SALES POSITIONS. UB Students welcome!

Flexible hours w/ school schedule.

Hourly + commission and close to campus. 585-721-7530 PART-TIME POSITIONS AVAILABLE. Lasertron Family Entertainment Center is currently hiring for general customer service.

Working at a fast, detail-oriented pace and having excellent customer service skills is a must. Starting at $11/hr, must be available nights and weekends.

Stop in and complete an application at Lasertron, 5101 North Bailey Avenue, Amherst. NY APARTMENT FOR RENT APARTMENT FOR RENT OUR NICEST APARTMENTS RENT NOW! Newly Remodeled 1-4 Person Apartments on W. Winspear, Englewood, Tyler, Heath & Merrimac.

Amenities include O/S Parking, Whirlpool Baths, New SS Appliances, Free Laundry, Live the Sweethome Life On South! Call 716-775-7057. Prices starting at $250.00 per person.

HOUSE FOR RENT HOUSE FOR

RENT

OUR NICEST HOMES RENT NOW! Remodeled 3-8 Person Homes on W. Winspear, Englewood, Tyler, Heath & Merrimac. Amenities include O/S Parking, Whirlpool Jacuzzi Bathtubs, New SS Appliances, Free Laundry, Snow Removal & Valet Garbage! Live the Sweethome Life On South! Visit www.ubrents.com or call 716-775-7057. Prices starting at $250.00 per person.

SERVICES SERVICES CITYA1DRIVINGSCHOOL.COM Beginners & brush-up driving lessons.

5hr class $30.00 716-875-4662.

DAILY DELIGHTS sponsored by Collegiate Village Apartments

COLLEGIATE VILLAGE APARTMENTS

716.833.3700 WWW.CVBUFFALO.COM

8

SPORTS The 906-­mile audible

Friday, October 23, 2015

THE SPECTRUM

UAB transfers Collin Lisa and Jordan Collier look to make Buffalo their new home ROMULO ROMERO

STAFF WRITER

Coming out of high school, Jordan Collier and Collin Lisa thought they were going to be a part of the “UAB football movement” – a group of recruits looking to bring the University of Alabama at Birmingham program to prominence. They both signed letters of intent and expected to have long, productive careers as members of the Blazers in Conference USA. Or so they thought.

The Blazers became the first major football program since Pacific in 1995 to close its doors. The school was losing money in fielding the football team, losing $17.5 million in 2012-13, according to CBS Sports.

“I was hurt,” Collier, shaking his head when asked about the UAB program folding, said. “I was just hurt.”

After losing their team – which they had once dreamed of bringing to prominence – Lisa and Collier found a new home 906 miles from Birmingham: Buffalo.

Despite the fact UAB announced this summer it would bring back its football team around 2017, Lisa and Collier are now members of the Buffalo football team and are finding ways to make their new team successful.

No one was more hurt at the prospects of not playing football at UAB than Lisa.

“It was sad because you could really feel that we were part of a group that changed it there,” Lisa said. “I know the group of guys I came in with really wanted to win. It became night and day from what it was the year before we got there.”

Lisa came out of Georgia as a prized high school recruit. He was listed as a top75 prospect by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and was named team MVP after racking up 51 catches for 992 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior at Chattahoochee High.

Lisa received several offers from schools as he came out of high school – even Buffalo – but he decided on UAB. Even after a coaching change at UAB, Lisa chose to accept the team’s scholarship offer.

“I held on to that UAB offer for a while,” Lisa said. “I was originally committed to the old staff but once that staff left I was thinking about not going, but I had such a good relationship with the guys so it just felt like home to me.”

Collier has been playing the game since he was 7 or 8 years old. He says his whole family is football orientated and lives to love football.

In his senior season of high school, Collier finished as a 2013 First Team All­ Regional selection and a Georgia Class 6A First Team All­State player. His play on the field earned him recognition throughout the state and programs such as Florida State, Duke and Vanderbilt were all vying for his services.

After careful decision making, Collier decided to continue his football career at UAB, looking to make his mark at the same school that produced NFL first round picks Roddy White and Bryan Thomas.

“UAB just felt like home,” Collier said.

“As soon as I got there, I was excited. The coaches, the players, the fans, they loved the game. They wanted to see the program go to new heights and I wanted to be a part of it. I couldn’t wait to lineup for them after I committed.”

But Collier’s UAB career was all for naught.

After taking a redshirt season with the Blazers, the program closed its doors and Collier was back on the recruiting trail, ten months after committing to a place he found to be “home.” He didn’t even play a single snap for the Blazers.

Unlike Lisa, Buffalo didn’t recruit Collier out of high school. And yet, he already had a connection on the roster waiting for him as he made the trip to visit.

Bulls freshman cornerback Brandon Williams and defensive end Randy Anyanwu played alongside Collier at Lovejoy High School in Lovejoy, Georgia. It was there where the three led the Panthers to a 10­2 record and ranked second in the state as se-

ANGELA BARCA, THE SPECTRUM

Freshman safety Jordan Collier (left) and sophomore wide receiver Collin Lisa (right) were supposed to be a part of the UAB football movement. But after the program temporarily folded, they decided to continue their careers in Buffalo.

niors.

The connection with Williams and Anyanwu allowed Collier to join the Bulls with some familiarity.

“It was an instant connection,” Collier said. “I knew some of the players from high school, so that helped me a bit with the transition and the decision. Once I got to meet the coaches and the staff, I got to have a good relationship with them and decided to come to Buffalo.”

With no team, Lisa also went looking for a new program and it was Collier who helped him find it.

“I knew Jordan liked it [at Buffalo] a lot and we talked about it,” Lisa said.

One of the biggest attractions for Lisa: catching passes from Bulls senior quarterback Joe Licata and getting coached by Division-III legend Lance Leipold.

Lisa called Licata one of the best quarterbacks in the Mid-American Conference and said Leipold’s resume at Wisconsin-Whitewater “speaks for itself.”

Since joining the Bulls, Lisa has been one of Licata’s most reliable targets. He ranks third on the team in receptions (16) and yards (188). With senior receivers Ron Willoughby and Marcus McGill on the outside, Lisa has been a reliable target on third down

Backs against the wall Bulls looking for consistency to avoid 0-3 conference start JORDAN GROSSMAN SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR

Head coach Lance Leipold knows his team isn’t playing consistent enough to be a winning football team.

That’s evident by Buffalo’s three-game losing steak that has it near the bottom of the Mid-American Conference. Buffalo posted 500 yards of offense in a close loss to Bowling Green three weeks ago, but sputtered last Saturday and finishing with 236 yards of offense in a 51-14 loss to Central Michigan (3-4, 2-1 MAC) and has been up and down all season.

Leipold admits the Bulls (2-4, 0-2 MAC) will need to correct those consistency issues against Ohio (5-2, 2-1 MAC) at UB Stadium Saturday if they’re going to avoid an 0-3 start to conference play.

“It’s inconsistency right now,” Leipold said. “We got to find ways to become more consistent at what we’re doing. It’s not where it needs to be for us to be a winning football team.”

Leipold said the team worked on building on its performance against Bowling Green during the following bye week, but it all

came apart against the Chippewas.

“I think we came away from the Bowling Green came with a lot of positives,” Leipold said. “And if you still look at what’s happened since then: the defensive performance, the offensive ball control in that game. We have a lot to build on and to take a step back that we did is disappointing but that doesn’t mean we can’t ourselves back to where we want to be.”

But the Bulls may have to get back to where they want to be on offense without their start running back.

On Tuesday, Leipold announced that senior running back Anthone Taylor missed practice and was considered questionable heading into Saturday’s matchup. Taylor left

COURTESY OF OHIO ATHLETICS

Ohio linebacker Blair Brown will be one of the challenges to Buffalo’s offense on Saturday. The Bulls are trying to avoid going 0-3 in conference play.

last week’s game in the third quarter due to a lower body injury and did not return to the game. The Bulls may have to put their faith entirely on the shoulders of junior running back Jordan Johnson.

For the season, Johnson has accumulated 305 yards on 67 carries – all second to Taylor’s team-leading 521 yards on 110 rushes.

as an inside receiver.

Collier had ascended up the defensive back depth chart out of the preseason, but a neck injury against Albany on opening weekend slowed his progress. He had to be loaded into an ambulance on a stretcher, which silenced the UB Stadium crowd with concern. He returned to the lineup after missing one game, but sophomores Ryan Williamson and Andrews Dadeboe are solidified as starters. For the season, Collier has one tackle in five games played.

With the Blazers returning and UAB reopening it’s football program in a few years, both Lisa and Collier wished the program luck in its rebirth, but expressed relief in coming to a program like Buffalo. Collier especially was happy to make the decision to move to a more “stable environment” to start his football career.

“I still think I made the right decision,” Collier said. “Even though the program is coming back, it’s still unstable down there and you never know what can happen, but up here it’s stable and I have somewhere I call home.”

And for Lisa, he said he’s happy with the move and the transition. He’s been one of the more reliable targets for Licata and the Bulls in his first season and looks to “get better” as his career continues.

In the end, he believes the move could be a blessing in disguise for both he and Collier.

“I definitely feel like I made the right decision,” Lisa said. “It brings up anger though, you know we had to go through all that for basically nothing, but I think us ending up [in Buffalo] been a blessing in disguise.”

Five games into the 2015 season, the Bulls are 2-4 and 0-2 in MAC play. With the possibility of an East division title and a trip to Detroit for the Championship game slipping away, Lisa and Collier are focusing on trying to win rather than looking back.

“I’m not thinking about it,” Lisa said.

“You always look back and think about things being different, but not now. We have games to play and our goal as a team here is to win and get to Detroit.”

A year ago, the goal for Collier and Lisa was to bring UAB to prominence and set goals for future teams. Now, the goal is to lead Buffalo its second MAC Championship in program history.

Quentin Haynes contributed reporting to this story email: sports@ubspectrum.com

It’s possible Johnson could have a big day after Bobcats allowed 430 rushing yards on 44 attempts with four touchdowns in a blowout loss to Western Michigan.

Leipold also noted Ohio’s elusive rushing game, which directly affects the Bobcats passing game.

Ohio quarterback Derrius Vick isn’t known for his throwing, but his mobile game is what makes him a threat on Saturdays. Last year, Vick ran for 44 yards and a touchdown while throwing for 118 and another score through the air in a 37-14 victory over the Bulls at Peden Stadium.

With Vick’s ability to make plays with his arm and legs, Leipold expects to see a rushing attack that could be able to open up Ohio’s passing game.

“Teams that are able to run the ball, in their philosophy, will have excellent play action pass,” Leipold said.

Saturday is the last game of arguably the hardest three-game stretch for Buffalo in MAC play this season. But an 0-3 hole may be too much for Buffalo to overcome. The Bulls have not won a conference game yet and Leipold admits changes still need to be made.

In order to take home a victory, Leipold said the Bulls must make adjustments.

“We’ve adjusted a few things during the open week,” Leipold said. “We’re always evaluating. We always will evaluate. We’ve talked about we want to make sure we’re creating competitive situations at practice within the program.”

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. email: sports@ubspectrum.com