VOL. 70 NO. 14 | FEBRUARY 16, 2022
UB grad student utilizes photography to debunk claims of the paranormal
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950
Back to the basics: how John Stutzman has earned the love of the UB wrestling team
PAGE 8
UBSPECTRUM
Maurice Linguist sparks radical change in his first full offseason as UB head coach
PAGE 11
PAGE 9
Campus governance organizations call on university to distribute high-quality masks UB “does not have plans to purchase and distribute masks to the campus community” GRANT ASHLEY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
UB’s campus governance organizations and unions passed a resolution addressed to President Satish Tripathi on Jan. 26 calling on UB to “provide a N95, KF94 and/ or KN95 mask to each of its employees” and make said masks available to the university community “for no cost/nominal cost.” Tripathi received the resolution, but “the university does not have plans to purchase and distribute masks to the campus community,” John DellaContrada, a university spokesperson, said in an email to The Spectrum. DellaContrada simultaneously acknowledged that “N95, KF94 and KN95 masks are ideal.” Leaders from both UB chapters of United University Professions, the Civil Service Employees Association, the Graduate Student Employees Union, the Faculty Staff Senate and the Professional Staff Senate all signed the resolution. The Undergraduate Student Association will also support the resolution, Will Eaton, the SA chief of staff, said in an email to The Spectrum Monday. The SA’s support comes nearly two weeks after Kathleen Kielar, the vice president for professionals of the Buffalo Center Chapter of UUP, said she had reached out to SA President Nick Singh regarding the resolution but had not
Markus Winkler / Unsplash N95 respirators have a close facial fit and are considered very efficient at filtering out airborne particles.
heard back. “We know that [the] omicron [variant] is extremely contagious, and that the virus has mutated to a point that cloth masks no longer will protect you [as well],” Kielar said. “I just don’t understand how you can start up the semester with the omicron variant going on and not even have mask distribution.”
Kielar has several suggestions for how the university could widely distribute highquality masks, ranging from rationing out the masks FEMA provides to UB’s medical and dental schools — which would come at “zero cost to the university,” Kielar said — to stocking on-campus vending machines with affordable masks. (KN95 masks are available at a vending machine
GSEU writes love letters to Tripathi asking for graduate student love GSEU asks for $22,000 stipends, broad-based fees elimination for all graduate students JULIE FREY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
Eight graduate students piled into the cramped Graduate Student Employees Union office in The Commons on Valentine’s Day to write Valentine’s Day cards to
President Satish Tripathi and Provost A. Scott Weber. The cards — which were made out of cut-out hearts and red glitter — were emblazoned with various iterations of graduate students explaining what they said was their need for, not want of, a living wage. One card addressed to Tripathi read, “You don’t work 40 times harder than us,” referencing the difference in salary. Another card read, “You take my breath, every single day, partly because I can’t af-
ford full-time heating and my apartment is freezing.” Delivering Valentine’s Day Cards to Tripathi has been an annual GSEU tradition for at least “four or five years,” according to Lawrence Mullen, the organization’s president. While GSEU has won several small battles in recent years, including raising doctoral student stipends, GSEU leadership SEE LETTERS PAGE 12
in the Student Union, but a single mask, plus four anti-bacterial wipes, costs $7.) “And they [UB] do have funds,” Kielar said. “We know that they got federal funds just for this. They have the ability to purchase these masks, which aren’t cheap, and SEE MASKS PAGE 5
UB will continue to require masks indoors
The announcement comes after New York’s indoor mask mandate expired Wednesday SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
GRANT ASHLEY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
UB will continue to require mask wearing on its campuses, the university announced in a campus-wide email Friday. The email came after Gov. Kathy Hochul let New York’s statewide indoor mask mandate expire on Wednesday, citing declining infections and hospitalizations. Hochul had previously reinstated the mandate on Dec. 10 to curb rising omicron infection rates and called for New Yorkers to wear a mask in all indoor public places, according to ABC. “UB has always said it would make changes to our guidelines in response to the course of the pandemic, and based on scientific evidence, the expertise of our faculty, and state and SUNY requirements,” university spokesperson John DellaContrada said in an email to The Spectrum. “What was described in [the] UBForward [announcement] is nothing new.” The university did lift a requirement that UB-sponsored events only serve “graband-go” food, which will allow normal food service to resume, according to the UBForward release. Email: sophie.mcnally@ubspectrum.com Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Graduate students sent Valentine’s Day cards
to
President Tripathi asking for universal stipends and fee elimination.
NEWS
2 | Wednesday, February 16 2022
ubspectrum.com
‘Bring it on’: UB leads multimillion dollar Space University Research Initiative project UB will lead an interinstitutional effort to advance space domain awareness over the next five years KYLE NGUYEN ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
UB is leading the charge in an emerging area of national military and strategic interest: space domain awareness. UB beat out a pool of 40 proposals to land one of two awards issued nationwide under a new Space University Research Initiative (SURI) program announced by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in December. “[National defense] depends on space superiority, and AFRL has a long history of research and development in support of this domain. With the recent standup of the USSF, along with the emergence of U.S. Space Command and new energy in the commercial space sector, we have exciting opportunities to modernize the way we lead and manage [science and technology],” Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of AFRL, said in a news release. The program will run for up to five years – with up to $1 million to be awarded each year – and contribute to the nation’s space domain awareness capabilities, according to the release. UB is set to lead partner institutions on the grant, including Penn State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Purdue University. The grant’s principal investigator, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Samuel P. Capen Chair Professor in the UB Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering John Crassidis,, submitted the proposal. Crassidis sat down in an interview with The Spectrum discussing plans for the grant and the burgeoning relevance of space domain awareness.
What is space domain awareness?
Space objects are constantly at risk of colliding in orbit. Space domain awareness involves detecting, identifying, tracking and cataloging the items in space. Over years of space travel, this practice has become more crucial due to the crowding of debris, satellites,and other objects in loworbit regions of space around the Earth. “We tend to think of space as this vast, limitless area, but the reality is that it’s becoming increasingly small, especially near Earth,” Crassidis said in a UBNow release. “We’re tracking more than 27,000 pieces of debris orbiting Earth. These objects can threaten human and robotic space missions, satellites and other spacecraft.” Crassidis also touched on the military value of improving space domain awareness, describing the current situation as “the wild wild west.”
“Our satellites are attacked every day — I can’t talk about specific details about them — but they are attacked every day,” Crassidis told The Spectrum. “So we want to try to mitigate any attacks that happen to satellites to make sure that they’re still functioning.” Another area of interest lies between the Earth and around the moon. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. Raymond says “the exploratory activities of bodies such as NASA and its initiative to return to the moon are dependent on space domain awareness capabilities.” “I think for them to do their job, they have to have a domain that’s safe, secure, and stable,” Raymond said in a webinar on Jan. 19 hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. But there are currently engineering hurdles to overcome before being able to achieve that end. “The problem is, we can’t see a lot of things around the moon right now,” Crassidis said. “So how do we put the sensors out there to understand what’s going on out there, just like we’re trying to understand here, and then also get situational awareness?” With the same issues plaguing space domain awareness around the Earth and near the moon, Space Force and other labs like AFRL are seeking answers. That’s where UB comes in.
What does UB bring to the table?
The university currently houses a myriad of facilities relevant to space research including the UB Nano-satellite Laboratory (UB Nanosat), a student-run organization, and the Center for Multisource Information Fusion. The latter focuses on systematically viewing data and information fusion processes, including information collection sources and sensors, core process enabling algorithms and the role of humans in overall system concepts and designs. According to Crassidis, the CMIF is a world-renowned research facility and the only one of its kind in the U.S. “We do have some unique capabilities at UB that nobody else has,” he said. Moises Sudit, a professor in the industrial and systems engineering department and the executive director of UB’s CMIF, is also a co-principal investigator supervising the project. Sudit says that although data that can help improve space domain awareness exists, researchers must develop tools to better process that data. “We are drowning in data yet starved for useful information,” he said. “This project will allow us to find actionable information for space decision-making that is otherwise buried among unusable noise.” Crassidis says university researchers are already looking into other sources of data, such as polymeric data, to understand
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Aerospace engineering students congregate during the spring semester.
what other sensors could become useful for space domain awareness. The challenges of gathering and processing data are ones suitable for the type of work that the university’s in-house facilities have done so far. “How do we combine that information, a lot of things like that are we do with the Center for Multi-source information fusion,” Crassidis said. The grant will also provide valuable research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Research and satellite missions launched by the student-run UBNL are open to interested UB students of all majors. However, the lab says it is unable to accommodate international students due to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Graduate students, such as Ph.D. students, will benefit from the funding provided by the $5 million grant, according to Crassidis, though he maintains that unfunded students are just as welcome to do Master’s projects in collaboration with the
space monitoring project as well. Crassidis took some time to reflect on the moment UB was picked for the SURI. Though he never doubted the strength of UB’s proposal, coming out of a pool of 44 proposals nationwide with one of two grants offered by the AFRL was still a pleasant surprise. “I knew we had a strong proposal, but you never know with this,” Crassidis said. Obviously, the top universities in the country [are] going after that so for us to be able to say, hey, we beat out the top universities, I think is a statement.” The principal investigator for the project cites the mentality and talent of his team as an instrumental factor in pushing the winning proposal through the door at the AFRL. “We have a little chip on our shoulder too because we are UB, right? We’re not in the top ten so we have this attitude of ‘bring it on.’ It felt great.” Email: kyle.nguyen@ubspectrum.com
Stampede follows reduced fall schedule, despite new hires Nationwide labor shortage contributes to reduction in bus fleet, total trips KAYLA ESTRADA ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
The nationwide labor shortage has claimed another victim: Parking and Transportation Services. As was the case last semester, the organization has had to contend with debilitating local and national trends, which resulted in a 20% reduction to its bus fleet and 25% fewer trips last semester, according to data released by the university. But Chris Austin, director of Parking and Transportation Services, says there’s reason for optimism, despite the ongoing challenges. “On the staffing side, two bus operators did not return after the break and winter session, but we gained four and have an additional three in training,” Austin told The Spectrum. “Our staffing levels allow us to effectively deliver the spring semester schedule and meet demand. The schedule currently being operated mirrors the schedule from October and November, prior to the exam period and winter session.” The spring semester schedule may mirror that of the fall semester, but students have told The Spectrum that last semester’s bus schedule didn’t work for them either. Nicole Payamps, a sophomore pharmacology and toxicology major, says the new
schedule has disrupted her daily activities. “I live in Creekside [Village] and I have had to restructure my class schedule around the Stampede,” Payamps said. “I even had to drop courses on South Campus, due to the Stampede’s undependable schedule and inability to arrive on time.” Britney Kerr, a freshman biochemistry major, echoed many of Payamps’ concerns. She says the buses are especially undependable on South Campus, which houses multiple dorms and academic programs. “This winter has been really hard,” Kerr said. “I’ll be waiting for the bus for 30 minutes. There’s also times when the bus will just skip past you on South and have you wait yet again for another bus, which normally takes an additional 20 minutes to arrive. After a long day of class, I’m waiting in the cold for a bus to come that might not even show up. Not exactly the ideal way to end my day.” The Stampede operates a number of bus routes and shuttles that transport students between the North and South Campuses. Some lines only stop at specific drop-off locations, and others stop when the driver is alerted. “We encourage students to reach out to us with any service comments, concerns or issues; by contacting us by phone at 7166453943 or via email to transportation@ buffalo.edu,” Austin said. “We promptly follow up on any matters we observe throughout the week, or that are brought to our attention.” Email: kayla.estrada@ubspectrum.com
Wayne Penales / The Spectrum Students board the Stampede during the fall 2020 semester.
OPINION
ubspectrum.com
Um, I could do that Watching sports on TV doesn’t translate into acing it in real life
SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Doof. THUD. The sound of my body clattering across the snow-laced floor seemed to shake the entire bunny hill. My legs desperately flailed and crossed over each other in my interesting attempt at standing up. Thighs smashed against the solid ground. Neck contorted, head in the air. As soon as we drove to Holiday Valley, my height-fearing, injury-prone self was less than overjoyed at the thought of towering ski lifts and fast-paced winter sports aficionados. So why, then, did I think pffft. Easy money. I’ll go do exactly that tomorrow — the day before I watched the women’s Olympic ski slalom on TV? Wrong. My girlfriend saw my nonexistent potential right off the bat, and started me off on what can only be called an arena of humility. Standing on what can only be classified
as completely flat ground with a slight tilt, I readied myself for the decline. Flanked by seasoned instructors with concerned looks on their face to my right, and literal 5-year-olds leaving me in the dust to my left, I began to uncontrollably slide backward into a ditch. What made it so much better was that I couldn’t shout loud enough for my girlfriend to notice my sheer idiocy — losing me in the span of five seconds would have been miraculous, and not in a good way. Thankfully, she turned around just as my eye level started to disappear into the snowy abyss, and shouted at me to just fall over. Were my skis still attached? Yes. Was my dignity? No. It was like ‘Wipeout: Sophie Edition.’ Realistically, I deserved to feature in the Winter Olympics one way or another. If not for my questionable capabilities, then for my sheer talent at turning solid ice and snow into what felt like tidal waves of slush. I kept asking myself the same question: Why did two uncontrollable, slender pieces of wood seem to get along with everyone else but me? But, as a good sportswoman, I had to get back in the game. A glance from a concerned parent (looking at me like how you would probably look at lifeless roadkill) was the prompt I needed to get back in gear and actually give this thing a whirl. Because I hadn’t yet mastered the art of going downhill — or even standing still — I was faced with the ordeal of hauling my-
self back out of the frozen cave I’d ended up in. Cue to my entire weight being shifted through short ski poles as my body shook like I was in a Zumba class. Back (questionably) on my two feet, I surprisingly got the hang of the short slopes fairly quickly, and ended up graduating to the next levels sooner than my injury-plagued body probably wanted. The next thing I knew, I was being hoisted in the air by a creaky ski lift, as the man putting me in it laughed about how he’d rather die than have to ski the bunny hill all day. Valid. Different reasons, same results. I’d say my entire life is defined by my unsolicited confidence landing me in less than peachy situations. But here we are, I thought to myself — staring down what felt like the barrel of a gun. A swift ski lift ride had landed my girlfriend and I on what was my version of a black diamond. Ski goggles lopsided. Hair strewn all over my face. Legs shaking. Let’s get it? No point in waiting around, right? I set off. No sooner than five seconds into my descent I took my worst wipeout yet. The slow-motion, banana peel-esque
Wednesday, February 16 2022 | 3
slip left my air-suspended body angled to just the right degree so that my neck smashing into the ground allowed me to bite down on my tongue so perfectly that my blood mapped out the 360° roll trajectory it took to come to a stop. I mean, I guess I got some air time? From there on out, an understanding of how much I was at the mercy of falling over actually made me go faster and faster. To the point where I was in full control of the twists and turns and could come to a stop without having to think so hard. All in all, even though I started to really miss the idea of sports on solid ground (what a concept) and I might not be the next Team Great Britain snow-edition member, I really loved trying out the sport. Just maybe I’ll bring more aspirin on my next Olympic conquest. Email: sophie.mcnally@ubspectrum.com
Spread your love to the people who count There’s no such thing as overdoing “I love you”
ALEX FALTER SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
“If you can’t tell your homies you love them, stop callin ‘em your homies!” These words were splattered across a black background on ScHoolboy Q’s Instagram story one morning a while back. While I’ve always been one to make sure my friends know how much they mean to me, it took on a whole new meaning when I heard it from one of the hardest rappers on my playlists. Over the years, I’ve come to understand that the word love is not just another
word. It’s something that gets under- and overused by everyone around us. This isn’t an argument for saying “I love you” to every person in your life. That would be meaningless. If anything, doing so could diminish the word’s value as a whole. But, to the “real ones” in your life, you can never say it enough. It doesn’t matter what persona they put on, or how you think they may perceive it — the words “I love you” can be more powerful than anything else when it comes from the right place. This power goes beyond the word, however. Demonstrating your love is just as powerful — if not more powerful — than uttering that phrase. Sometimes that means calling up a friend to see how they’ve been. Sometimes it means telling someone you care about them. And sometimes it means going out of your way to help your friends with something important. Love comes in so many forms. But as
long as you make sure to project it, the people around you will know they are loved, and there’s not much else you could ask for. This kind of love doesn’t just make someone smile, it can help let out pain that builds up. On a bad day, a big hug or a friend’s kind words can do even more than a good night’s sleep or a big breakfast. That’s how powerful it is. In the right moment, being reminded that you are loved can help you rise from the ashes. But that is what life is all about. Not every day is going to be great, and things won’t always go our way. But if we can live our lives knowing we did our best to be better, and that we treated the ones we care about with love and kindness, then we truly won’t have room for regrets, only reflection. So with that being said, I beg all of you reading this to do one thing today: call someone you care about and tell them you love them. It doesn’t matter how long it’s
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2022 VOLUME 70 NUMBER 14 CIRCULATION: 3,000
Do you have an interest in journalism, graphic design, photography, social media, advertising, cartoons or copy editing? The Spectrum is always looking for enthusiastic students who want to be part of our team. Join our 45-time award winning independent student newspaper for hands-on, realworld experience in your field. Anyone interested in joining The Spectrum’s editorial staff can email Reilly Mullen at: eic@ubspectrum.com. Anyone interested in joining The Spectrum’s professional staff or advertising team can email Alek Ogadzhanov at: aio@ubspectrum.com.
The views expressed – both written and graphic – in the Opinion section of The Spectrum do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial board. Submit contributions for these pages to The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union or news@ubspectrum.com. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit these pieces for style and length. If a letter is not meant for publication, please mark it as such. All submissions must include the author’s name, daytime phone number, and email address. For information on adverstising with The Spectrum: VISIT: www.ubspectrum.com/advertising EMAIL US: spectrum@buffalo.edu The Spectrum offices are located in 132 Student Union, UB North Campus, Buffalo, NY 14260-2100
Reilly Mullen MANAGING EDITORS Justin Weiss Dan Eastman, Asst. NEWS/FEATURES EDITORS Grant Ashley, Sr. Jack Porcari, Sr. Julie Frey, Sr. Kayla Estrada, Asst. Kyle Nguyen, Asst. ARTS EDITORS Alex Falter, Sr. Kara Anderson, Sr.
been since you last spoke, or if you’re concerned that it may be “out of the blue.” It doesn’t even matter if you think they’ll misread it. They won’t. They’ll smile and be happy that they have a friend like you. Email: alex.falter@ubspectrum.com
SPORTS EDITORS Anthony DeCicco, Sr. Sophie McNally, Asst. Kayla Sterner, Asst. MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Sabrina Akter-Nabi, Sr. Sai Krishna Seethala, Sr. Moaz Elazzazi, Asst. ENGAGEMENT EDITOR Jenna Quinn, Sr. CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paolo Blanchi, Sr. Jiayi Zhang, Asst. COPY EDITOR Andrew Lauricella
4 | Wednesday, February 16 2022
OPINION
ubspectrum.com
Crumbl: the newest and best cookies in town Crumbl edges out Insomnia as the superior cookie joint
DAN EASTMAN ASST. MANAGING EDITOR
Insomnia Cookies has long been a favorite of busy college students. But the company’s famous, 19-year-old business model is nothing short of outdated. Since opening its first brick-and-mortar store in 2006, Insomnia has made only minimal changes to its menu and interior design. Enter Crumbl Cookies, which is em-
bracing 21st century cravings and recently opened a store on Niagara Falls Boulevard. Crumbl was established at the University of Utah with a mission to bring family and friends together over the world’s best box of cookies. Crumbl experiments with new recipes and has a different menu every week. The company is using its love, trust and family-infused cookies to take its business to new heights. Since opening its first store in 2017, Crumbl has grown to over 300 locations in 36 states. By contrast, Insomnia added fewer than 100 locations after selling out to JAB Holdings. Family values aren’t the only thing that makes a great cookie place. Consumers think of three things when they consider a new joint: cost, quality and quantity. Insomnia has Crumbl beat on price and the number of coupons you can use on their app and website. But if you factor in quality and quantity, Crumbl comes out on top, using only the freshest ingredients and selling cookies
five-times the size of Insomnia’s. Crumbl is all about transparency, and promises their cookies are never frozen. They even allow customers to see the back of the kitchen. Walking into Crumbl, one can see employees decorating the cookies — yes, decorating — which may be a hard word for Insomnia to hear. Insomnia is terrified for their customers to see how their cookies are made. The company hides them from public view — making customers wonder if they are actually freshly baked. Insomnia has pretty basic flavors like Classic, Classic with M&M’s and Sugar, and deluxe flavors such as Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup and Triple Chocolate. Now, because Insomnia sold out to JAB Holdings, which also owns Panera and Au Bon Pain, you can find an identical cookie in a different store. By contrast, it would be hard to copy Crumbl’s flavors because they didn’t sell out to a large corporation and they change their flavors each week. This means you can have a different cookie or ice cream
flavor each time you visit. This week’s cookie flavors are: Milk Chocolate Chip, Birthday Cake, Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Caramel, Sugar ft. Mother’s Valentine X’s and O’s and Classic Pink Sugar. Worth salivating over, right? Crumbl has been wildly popular since opening in Amherst, but with its mobile ordering, contactless kiosks and a large workforce, you can get in-and-out in a breeze. In essence, Insomnia and Crumbl sell the same products. But if you’re looking for quality and quantity, consider Crumbl for your next cookie adventure. If you are unfamiliar with Crumbl and would like to visit, you can take the Mall and Market Shuttle to Target and find it right across the parking lot, nestled between CoreLife Eatery and Panera. Or, you can have it delivered right to your door. Email: danielson.eastman@ubspectrum.com
Sabrina Akter-Nabi / The Spectrum Crumbl Cookies opened its Boulevard Mall location on Friday, Jan. 28.
For sweets of any occasion, Insomnia Cookies is the clear choice Crumbl flaunts an artisanal vibe while Insomnia Cookies is the dependable option
JACK PORCARI SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
On Jan. 28, 2022, the cookie universe sensed a disturbance. Crumbl Cookies, located at 1595 Niagara Falls Blvd., opened its doors to the Buffalo community, UB students included. With fierce competition in the area, dessert-loving individuals now face new options. With this in mind, let me help you choose the superior cookie factory. Crumbl’s Amherst location is an undeniably alluring craft confectionery shop. Each week, four new flavors rotate in, making each trip one-of-a-kind. That’s over 200 cookies per year and after trying
a sample flight including chocolate chip, oreo and peanut butter varieties, I may go as far to say that they are delicious. But I digress. At Insomnia Cookies, deliveries go out “crazy late,” until 3 a.m. — a definitive three-hour advantage for cookie-lovers. And with a full selection of cookie sandwiches/cakes, brownies, seasonal flavors and ice cream, I doubt you’ll get bored with their menu. If you do, it is time for a road trip out to their CookieLab located in Philadelphia. Here, customers can modify original cookies to their liking with 15 mix-ins and over 20 toppings, including red velvet cookie butter and cinnamon streusel. “Choose from unique CookieLab Creations, or imagineer your own unique Insomnia Cookie creation,” Insomnia’s website says of the lab’s “cookievation” options. “Then slap a name on it like Maximillion Deliciousness. (We won’t judge).” The CookieLab also carries deluxe milkshakes and has recently expanded with the addition of The Space, a rendezvous site for cookie enthusiasts looking to celebrate. Complete with a mural, disco ball and memorable event packages, The Space quenches even the slightest hunger for
dessert. The simple truth is Insomnia is the true home of cookie lovers. From my experience with their pick-up, in-store and delivery options, you can always expect toasty cookies made with expediency, predictability and style. Space-gray Crumbl-branded water sounds cool but, as a customer, I challenge them to think harder. Insomnia embraces the funny and creative aspects of doing business, making it less intimidating to order your favorite guilty pleasures. Items like the “Lil’ Dipper,” “Commercial Break Pack” and “Singles Awareness Pack” tell you everything you need to know: it is totally okay to go overboard. Delivery cutoff times and magical lab aside, Insomnia’s cookies are simply better. They have served vegan and glutenfree flavors since 2016 and even offer deluxe cookies for those interested in a larger diameter. Their cookies have good structural integrity, crispy edges and, most importantly, a warm mushy center. Eating Crumbl is an event;, a whole process worthy of plastic gloves and a heated washcloth. Enjoy sticky fingers? How about eating a cookie with a fork and knife? I, for one, prefer to casually take
bites of fresh, warm cookies with ease. Any trip to Insomnia will most certainly involve an emotional investment, not to mention a financial one. Being considered criminal in any context is usually not a good thing, but at Insomnia, their sweets are just that: criminally delicious. So go order yourself a “buy-one-get-one” 12 pack, enroll in a CookieMagic membership and get your free cookie every day. “Warm cookies and special moments go hand-in-hand,” says Seth Brekowitz, founder and CEO of Insomnia Cookies. Email: jack.porcari@ubspectrum.com
FEATURES
ubspectrum.com
Wednesday, February 16 2022 | 5
Black History Month: Four Black-owned businesses to support on campus Students have turned their passions and hobbies into small businesses around campus KAYLA ESTRADA ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
Buffalo has an abundance of Blackowned businesses. A simple Google search of “Blackowned businesses near me” will yield a 10-page list of options ranging from Black-owned restaurants to Black-owned boutiques. It has never been easier to support these small business owners. Black History Month presents broke and busy college students — many of whom don’t have a reliable method of transportation — with extra incentive to support Black on-campus entrepreneurs. The Spectrum compiled a list of Blackowned on-campus businesses to honor Black History Month. These business owners are students, and can be found on Instagram, at the Student Union or across the hall in the dorms:
Mood Swing
Tangeniqua Washington, a junior psychology major, says she drew inspiration from her 10th grade English teacher, Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou for her poetry. Washington took her inspiration to the page in early February, when she self-published a 72-page collection of her poetry under the title, “Mood Swing.” Washington’s book takes on topics ranging from self-love and identity, to heartbreak and family. Washington says she questioned her decision to release this book, but “realized that I have a voice and I should share my experiences with others.” The writing process wasn’t the difficult part for Washington; after all, being in quarantine during the pandemic gave her time to perfect her craft. After assembling this collection of her life’s work, Washington says everything “just made sense.” However, Washington struggled to find an editor, and sat on the idea of publishing for over a year and a half.
MASKS FROM PAGE 1
they have the ability to widely distribute them across all of our campuses. To me, it is such a no-brainer.” UB received $68.4 million in federal relief funds during the 2020-21 fiscal year, according to the university’s Annual Operating Budget Report. Of that sum, $12.1 million is earmarked for “continuing COVID-19 impacts,” but is otherwise unallocated. To date, the university has spent $10.2 million on “technology to provide remote instruction, cleaning supplies, testing and PPE.” But university allocation of N95, KF94 and KN95 masks would be a “waste of resources,” Dr. Thomas Russo, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the UB Department of Medicine and a member of the university’s Health Guidelines Committee, said. “Masks are a very personal thing,” Russo said. “You have to find that mask that fits you best, that you’re comfortable with. So, going ahead and doing a one-size-fitsall plan? I think it’s fraught with danger.” Russo said that he used N95 masks regularly for hospital work before the pandemic but started looking for a more comfortable mask, eventually settling on the KF94. “Just buy a small quantity [of each kind of mask], and figure out what fits well,” he said, adding that UB community members should be wary of counterfeit masks that don’t meet the same standards. Russo also said that wearing a cloth or surgical mask over a disposable mask, while “not ideal,” is a suitable alternative
After putting considerable work into publishing her first book, Washington is far from finished. She hopes to become a well-known author, as well as an advocate for her community in Brooklyn. Washington’s book can be purchased on her website.
Dee’s Delights
Deandra Clarke spent her childhood baking in her Easy-Bake Oven, and pretending to be a professional baker. Now, a senior psychology and occupational therapy major, she no longer has to pretend. Her passion for making desserts has turned into a small business. Clarke’s bakery, Dee’s Delights, has seemed like an inevitability since she first started selling cupcakes at 16, out of her home kitchen. Now, Clarke sells more than just cupcakes. Dee’s Delights offers chocolate-covered strawberries, cupcakes, pullapart cupcake cakes, cake pops, breakable chocolate hearts and hot cocoa bombs. Of these items, Clarke says she particularly enjoys making chocolate-covered strawberries. This treat can be ordered by the dozen, and comes in a variety of designs and colors (they can also be coated in glitter). Clarke enjoys making chocolatecovered strawberries the most because she says she is “able to show my creativity the most with them.” Clarke hopes to extend this creativity by eventually running a dessert shop that mainly focuses on selling different fruitbased desserts, which would mark a serious upgrade from making cupcakes in her Easy-Bake Oven. Clarke’s desserts can be purchased on her Instagram @dees_delights_.
The Juju Effect
Juliana Asante, a freshman biology major, became a self-taught lash technician during the 2020 lockdown to keep her lashes done and save money during the height of the pandemic. Her quarantine hobby has since turned into a small business. As a lash technician, Asante takes lash extensions and applies them to people’s natural eyelashes. She offers different styles, including hybrid, light volume, vol-
for those who don’t find any high-efficiency masks to be comfortable or accessible. Nevertheless, UUP supplied faculty and staff at UB with approximately 6,000 masks last month, with 3,500 N95 masks coming from NYS UUP and 2,500 KN95 masks coming from the Buffalo Center Chapter. “Demand was so great, that all the masks were gone within 3 hours, demonstrating that the campus community recognizes the need for these masks, and that there is a significant demand across the UB campuses,” a Feb. 2 UUP Buffalo Center Chapter press release reads. Even Environment, Health and Safety — the university department responsible for managing health and safety concerns on campus — came to UUP for masks, Kielar said. But she doesn’t think UUP alone can meet campus needs. “We have about 3,000 members in our chapter,” Kielar said. “We tried to distribute as many masks as we could, as widely as we could. However, we know that you’ve got close to 30,000 students, and another 6,000 employees are CSEA faculty and staff. So this is just a drop in the bucket.” The closure of North Campus’ CVS in January has further limited access to quality masks, she said. “There’s no pharmaceutical needs being met on the North Campus,” Kielar said. “It’s unfortunate that the university has not stepped up in any meaningful way to bridge that gap.” Campus Dining and Shops told The Spectrum earlier this month that it was planning to stock The Elli with additional health items to fill the gap left by CVS. But Russo didn’t think that CVS’ closure
Courtesy of @dees_delights_ / Instagram Chocolate-covered strawberries baked by Deandra Clarke, a senior psychology and occupational therapy major
ume and mega volume sets. She also does colored lash extensions that can be decorated with gems. Despite her busy college schedule, Asante accepts clients on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Although her business keeps her busy, being a lash technician does not cause her additional stress. So far, Asante says her clients have been “chill,” making her job easier. Asante says doing people’s lashes has been more like “therapy” than a job. Being a lash technician helps her destress and calm down. Lash extension appointments can be booked on Asante’s instagram @_thejujueffect.
AVANTNYC
Ibrahim Doukoure, a sophomore business administration major, has always wanted to inspire people. Today he is doing so, with clothes as his medium. In August, Doukoure launched his business, AVANTNYC, a clothing brand that prints inspirational quotes on their merchandise. Doukoure says he wanted to do some-
thing inspirational, in addition to something that “no one had ever done before.” Raised in the Bronx by a pair of “hardworking” immigrant parents, Doukoure says he drew inspiration from the community around him. He hopes to inspire and motivate people from all walks of life. Doukoure’s business reflects his background. “I’m from the Ivory Coast back in West Africa, so French is a second language to me. I wanted to add some spice to the name of my brand, and ‘avant’ means ‘before’ or ‘the past,’ because while the past is important, it seems like that’s all people judge you on,” Doukoure said. The “NYC” portion of the name reflects him being raised in the Bronx. Doukoure hopes to keep inspiring people for the rest of his life as a motivational speaker. He says he plans to venture out of his comfort zone and try touching people from other communities. Doukoure’s clothing can be purchased on his website. Email: kayla.estrada@ubspectrum.com
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Students walk along the Academic Spine in masks last semester.
would inhibit any student’s ability to get a high-quality mask. “I haven’t left my house to get my masks,” Russo said. “Who goes to the drug store? We got Amazon and delivery sites. So no, that pharmacy’s closing makes no difference at all.” DellaContrada did not respond to a question and follow-up from The Spectrum regarding the university’s response to CVS’ closure as it pertained to masks, but he did point UB community members to other sources of high-quality masks, including from Residence Life employees. “High-quality masks are readily available throughout the WNY community or online from trusted retailers, pharmacies
and grocery stores,” DellaContrada said. “As well, the Biden administration recently announced it is making 400 million N95 masks freely available at pharmacies and retailers across the country — starting this week at many locations.” The resolution is the latest debate in long-standing tensions between UB’s unions and administration. UB has 155 cases of COVID-19 and a 2.59% positivity-rate based on a 14-day rolling average as of Tuesday, Feb. 15, according to SUNY’s COVID-19 dashboard. Jenna Quinn contributed reporting to this story. Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com
6 | Wednesday, February 16 2022
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ubspectrum.com
Five great songs to play for your lover Songs to bond over with your loved one ALEX FALTER SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
Few things encapsulate life as well as music. Whether it be something as simple as taking out the trash, going for a head-clearing run or cooking up a delicious meal, the right song can elevate your mood into an experience unlike any other. But no facet of life is elevated by this as well as intimate times with a loved one. If you’re ever having trouble finding the right song to play with your lover, look no further than our latest list:
First Day of My Life Mac Miller
A song about the deepest of loves, this Bright Eyes cover is one of the most loveinducing tracks out there, complete with a beautiful backing guitar, Mac Miller sings: “I thought I’d let you know / That these things take forever, I especially am slow / But I realized that I need you / And I wondered if I could come home.” As the genuinely positive beat continues to fill the ears of listeners with the track’s happily sung lyrics, one can’t help but feel warm with love as the song comes to a close.
Pass By Me
Buddy and Kent Jamz
The only rap song on this list, “Pass By Me” is a tune for that hot summer love who always seems to hit us right in the face. Singing about a girl whose beauty has clearly commandeered their attention, Buddy and Jamz effortlessly switch back and forth on the mic as they do everything besides getting the aforementioned girl out of their head: [Buddy:] “This can’t be real / You make me feel like a soldier on the battlefield / Out for the kill / I get the chills / Might shed a tear, girl, I’ll tell you if nobody will / You’re beautiful / And when the sun goes down, after a while, I want you by me / Cuddled up on top of the money / Make it clap if you nasty.” Not the subtlest love song, nor the crudest, “Pass by Me” feels like the modern rap version of “Summer Nights,” perfect for a day on the beach with that special someone.
Me & You
Champagne Drip and Lucii
If the cover of two aliens making out wasn’t entrancing enough, this EDM banger mixes beautifully personal lyrics with a transcending beat that will bring out the wook in anyone. Made for concerts but best for lovers on a breezy night, “Me & You” will turn any moment of intimacy into something far greater, as it injects the listeners with an invincible love that will take them to a place they never thought possible. Less about its lyrics (fitting as they may be) and more a showcase of its pretty synths, this song will unquestionably find a home on the playlist of any festivalist or raver, inducing head banging and aggressive dancing in a form that can only be felt whole with your lover.
Nicolas Völcker / Wiki Commons Mac Miller performs onstage in Germany in July 2017.
Love Like You
Rebecca Sugar
Made for the credits of the Cartoon Network series, “Steven Universe,” “Love Like You” represents everything the show is about: love. Much more innocent than the rest of the list, Sugar’s vocals echo across the piano beat creating a feeling only found in the purest forms of the word. Perfect for a dance or a loving embrace, this song is for the people who doubt they’ll ever find love, as well as the ones who are unsure of how their significant other feels. How? Because Sugar’s lyrics detail someone who eventually breaks through the uncertainty, reminding said individuals that their time will come while demonstrating the powerful emotion that brings us to someone we feel we can never have, despite how they may feel about us. “I always thought I might be bad / Now I’m sure that it’s true / ’Cause, I think you’re so good / And I’m nothing like you / Look at you go / I just adore you / I wish that I knew / What makes you think I’m so special.”
Me & You
Don Felder
Easily the sexiest track on this list, “Me & You” showcases Eagles frontman Don Felder as he details a steamy experience with a lover. As a psychedelic guitar flawlessly pairs to Felder’s young but gruff vocals, “Heavy Metal (Takin’ a Ride)” will bring together any couple, who come for the hard-as-nails beat but stay for Felder’s sensual lyricism: “You know you just can’t lose, the way she moves / You wait for her to finally release you / It’s not a big surprise to feel your temperature rise / You’ve got a touch of redline fever / ‘Cause there is just one cure that they know for sure / You just become a heavy metal believer” While it might not be the most well-known track on the list, it will surely set the tone for any listener, evoking a side that only those who know their special someone best can see.
Email: alex.falter@ubspectrum.com
Peabody Awards Rebecca Sugar presents onstage at the Peabody Awards in 2019.
FEATURES
ubspectrum.com
Wednesday, February 16 2022 | 7
underrated artists From budding rockstars to aspiring rappers, 12 talented artists on the verge of breaking out SPECTRUM STAFF
Breaking into the music industry is hard. Which is why it’s always a good time to highlight the work of artists who haven’t yet hit the mainstream. From U.S.-based bands to foreign singer-songwriters, here’s The Spectrum’s list of 12 underrated artists worth listening to in 2022:
Tea in China” (2020), “Bo Jackson” (2021) and “Super Tecmo Bo” (2021) — James has earned his place as one of hip-hop’s underrated lyrical giants.
Sleeping At Last
Maise Peters is a quintessential Gen-Z popstar. The songs in her debut album echo insecurities and relationships that any 20-something can relate to. Her song “Details” is about the pain of her unrequited love, falling in love with someone else and hearing the other girls’ details. Her titular song. “You Signed Up For This,” expresses the ramblings and anxieties of someone trying to find and grow into themselves. Peters is perfect for fans of Taylor Swift and Julia Michaels. While she is well known in the U.K., she has yet to make it big in the U.S. That could change soon. Peters is expected to gain a bigger following when she opens Ed Sheeran’s European tour this year.
As its name suggests, Sleeping At Last is the quintessential music project to listen to before going to bed. Multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Ryan O’Neal deftly blends his euphonious vocals with his wonderful piano and chord skills to create a beautiful sound that will evoke all your strongest emotions. From O’Neal’s stunning cover of The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” to his gorgeous rendition of Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone,” his music transports us to a calmer, gentler world.
JUSTIN WEISS
The Bellfuries
I was going through a rough time when I first heard The Bellfuries. Consumed with anxiety, I was canceling plans left and right. So, I shuffled through my music until I landed on the song “Just Remembering,” which quieted my racing mind. I had never experienced music so eclectic yet cohesive, so I instantly downloaded “Workingman’s Bellfuries.” Averaging just 18,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, every single one of The Bellfuries’ songs takes you on a journey. Traversing genres ranging from country to R&B, the band scratches the specific itch in your brain that you didn’t even realize was there until you felt it. Even though the band has stopped making music, their songs will always have a special spot in my playlists.
ANTHONY DECICCO
Maisie Peters
JULIE FREY
Dreamer Boy
Dreamer Boy is the perfect artist to listen to while you cloud-watch with your friends. The musical project of Zachary Arthur Taylor, Dreamer Boy is the perfect mix of bedroom pop mixtape artists like Dayglow and Mild High Club. With just under 800,000 monthly Spotify listeners, Dreamer Boy is on his way up in the indie music scene with support from veteran artists like The 1975. Songs like “Falling for the Wrong One” and “Know You” perfectly melt his melodic voice and psychedelic beats together to show off his signature style. His latest single “ARE YOU LETTING GO?” sees him join forces with BENEE, as they produce lyrics that are soft to the touch. Dreamer Boy is a big hit in the making.
SOPHIE MCNALLY
JPEGMAFIA
Authenticity is the arrow of artistry that pierces the heart of its beholders, and
The Bellfuries 05 / Wiki Commons The Bellfuries perform in Codfish Hollow, Maquoketa, IA on July 4, 2014.
Any true 70s music fan should already be familiar with Ric Okasek, the former co-lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and frontman for the Boston-based rock band, The Cars. Okesek began a solo career in the 90s with the album Fireball Zone. Although his solo career never truly took off, Ocasek’s tunes can be summed up in one word: idiosyncratic. His music choices were peculiar and risky for his time, although they changed the way music is made today. Ocasek is a great artist to add to a study or gym playlist to get you motivated.
Despite six Grammy nominations and plenty of critical acclaim, Yola doesn’t have the extensive fanbase she deserves. Drawing from genres like Americana, pop, R&B, country, rock ‘n’ roll and more, the self-described “genre-fluid” artist pens songs unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. And she blends emotions just as well as she does genres. One of my favorites from her newest album, “Dancing Away in Tears” — unsurprisingly about a breakup — is melancholy and rueful, but its relatively upbeat tempo gives it undertones of triumph. And Yola’s talent doesn’t end at song-writing. It’s her voice — powerful and soulful — that brings her music to life. The only thing you can expect from any given Yola song is that it won’t disappoint. GRANT ASHLEY
Current Joys
With songs soaked in longing and nostalgia, Current Joys is the moniker for alternative/indie singer-songwriter, Nicholas Rattigan. Current Joys is the perfect artist to name drop when wanting to sound just a little pretentious without having to resort to being a fan of The Smiths. With music that feels like the last roadtrip of summer, the achingly bittersweet sounds of songs such as “Kids” and “American Honey” are perfect to listen to while sitting in the sun and contemplating one’s path of life in both past and future tenses.
REILLY MULLEN
Aaron May
Levi Manchak / Wiki Commons JPEGMAFIA performs in Calgary, Canada in August 2019.
KARA ANDERSON
Sipper
NYC-based band Sipper has all the elements of an underrated act: bedroombased production, album art that looks like it was crafted in Microsoft Paint and rooftop shows advertised exclusively via Instagram stories. Nevertheless, Sipper manages to produce songs with exceptional musicality and raw emotion. Songs like “Dance in Room Song” and “FWB” confront harsh realities with cheerful, melodic instrumentals. Sipper is constantly developing and dropping new music, making them a perfect band to follow.
KAYLA STERNER
Boldy James
One of the most prolific artists in hiphop’s competitive underground, 39-yearold Boldy James has been delivering some of rap’s most riveting bars since 2009. A technical wizard who specializes in creating a melancholy tone, James blends a psychedelic style with hip-hop’s boombap roots. Following multiple criticallyacclaimed collaborative projects with legendary producer The Alchemist — “My 1st Chemistry Set” (2013), “The Price of
Ric Okasek
Yola
Issac Dunbar
If you’re a fan of Mac Miller or J. Cole, you need to add Aaron May’s tunes to your playlist — ASAP. From his rhythmic flow to his killer backing beats, May’s music resembles the early works of Miller and Cole. At only 20 years old, May is trailblazing his way to becoming the next big hip-hop artist while discovering his own sound. The Houston native began his musical journey in fifth grade and displays a level of wisdom not typically found in such young artists. May is the perfect guy to listen to whether you need a new song on your gym playlist or something to vibe to in the circle.
KYLE NGUYEN
DAN EASTMAN
JENNA QUINN
I was first introduced to the musical stylings of singer-songwriter Issac Dunbar in a 60-second TikTok where he debuted a short clip of a song he’d been working on, “Bleach.” But like many of the clips Dunbar has continued to upload, “Bleach” will likely never come to fruition, which makes the albums he has released that much more special. The 18-year-old alternative pop artist’s EDM roots are evident in the subtle bass lines and synths that lace each song he’s released. Dunbar’s tracks often follow the roadmap of traditional pop songs, brandishing robust choruses and moody lyrics regarding teens and early-20s plights like love and identity.
JPEGMAFIA is a marksman with a bottomless quiver. The New York City rapper made his start spitting over his own beats because they were too “confusing” for other artists, and he hasn’t looked back since. Peggy revels in unrestrained experimentation and artistry, mesmerizing listeners with scintillating sampling and raw yet cinematic production while rebuffing attempts to be boxed into any one genre. Peggy’s latest release on “LP!” holds true to that and more, as a milestone final project before going independent from his music label. Unshackled and with renewed creative license, it is inevitable that Peggy will do as Peggy does and there’s no better time to tune in for the ride.
MOAZ ELAZZAZI
Maisie Peters / Wiki Commons English singer-songwriter Maisie Peters performs in Chicago in October 2019.
8 | Wednesday, February 16 2022
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ubspectrum.com
Spiritualism for the skeptic
UB grad student utilizes photography to debunk claims of the paranormal KARA ANDERSON SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
obert George doesn’t believe in the paranormal. Hearing voices or seeing fleeting shadows in the corner of your eye? To George, those are just symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Involved in an alien abduction? That can probably be chalked up to a daunting night of sleep paralysis. In George’s mind, everything has an explanation in the scope of the rational, but one wouldn’t know that from his artwork. With a portfolio depicting images of a murdered boy’s ghost and a found spirit report by the supernatural investigator, Egregor, George appears to be an exceptionally strong believer in the paranormal. His art even functions as evidence for the existence of ghosts.
little photo camera,” George said. “It’s like a fiction made from little truths.” In addition to these weaving works of half-truths, George also works with fellow MFA student, Alex Cassetti, the only other first-year graduate focusing on photography. Together, the pair put together the “Ghosts of Film” exhibition in the Fall 2021 semester. “Ghosts on Film” was a black-andwhite photography series that used digital and darkroom prints to focus on the photographic past and the ways in which photography can manipulate an audience. “The exhibition was basically a response to all the conversations we had throughout the semester, [such as] creating realities that we can use to convince our audience that what we’re doing is real, and it’s physical,” Cassetti said. For Cassetti, his work with George in audience manipulation remains especially relevant with the rise of social media and what he dubs as “the age of misinformation.” In working together, Cassetti and George note the ways in which their competing backgrounds aid in each other’s artistic progression. “I can be pretty cynical about Courtesy of Robert George “Ghost of Glenwood,” part of Robert George’s ghost photography the photographic world and for fiction. George, he’s very encouraging Except for the fact that it is all fiction. about how to continue forward,” Cassetti George, a first-year MFA student spe- said. cializing in photography, has always lived a The differences between the pair arise life entrenched in skepticism for the para- from a number of factors: George’s prefnormal, the spiritual and the extraterrestri- erence for theory over technical knowlal. An eclectic man with obsessive interests edge, Cassetti’s years spent in New York as ranging from chess to astrology, the realm a photographer and differing concerns of of the possible and impossible drives his photography in the “professional sense.” artistic work. But George doesn’t use film “[George’s] doing the things he’s doto capture spirits on camera. Rather, he ing for his viewer to always question what creates art with the intention of debunk- they’re looking at,” Cassetti said. “I think ing ghosts, recreating paranormal evidence he’s incredibly successful [at] doing that. and even tricking others into believing his So, I’m almost thinking about presenting own visual stories. my work in different ways because of his “I do a lot of research and a lot of approach of ‘f*** everyone else.’” people make claims on pretty much evBut George’s influence doesn’t stop at erything that I’m making claims on [in my Cassetti. He has also been a source of inartwork],” George said. “I just kind of put spiration and progression for his friend them into a blender and get something on and bandmate, Eric Buchbinder. the other end that still feels kind of real, Together, George and Buchbinder form even though it’s complete fiction.” a “dark wave synthpop” band known as In teetering the line between honesty the Berlin Boys. With Buchbinder makand dishonesty, George has produced ing the majority of the music, he found works including “In Response to Serios,” the behind-the-scenes work of recording a series of thoughtographs (defined by more approachable than live performance. George as photographs that “contain im“A lot of times I would lose my mind ages which are believed to be the direct re- trying to figure out how we would [transsult of psychic thought phenomena”). late the music live],” Buchbinder said. According to George’s website, these “[Robert] would come in and just be like, photographs depict the ghost of David ‘No, you know it’s really simple,’ and get Kreskin, a Buffalo boy who was murdered me back in the proper direction.” in the 1960s, over a drunken selfie of Music isn’t the only area where George George himself. and Buchbinder came together to create. However, David Kreskin never existed. From February to March 2019, the two His name derives from The Amazing Kre- transformed the basement of George’s skin, a popular American mentalist from parents home into their own DIY darkthe 1970s. The actual boy in the image is room. that of George’s uncle. “The stuff we were making was just inYet, not all is false in “In Response to sane compared to the darkroom at UB,” Serios.” Buchbinder said. “I did get drunk and take selfies with my Due to the lack of a professionally con-
Courtesy of Robert George Robert George is a first-year MFA student specializing in photography
trolled environment, the duo were able to garner an aesthetic influenced by expired photo paper, the use of an old pot in place of a water bath and the freedom to explore techniques such as solarizing (turning on the lights as photos are exposed). In their photographic endeavors, George and Buchbinder have also en-
detectors. However, George has found greater difficulty in manipulating UFO sightings than those of ghosts. “UFO people, I think, are more discerning than ghost people,” George said after Reddit users quickly debunked his artificial UFO pictures.
I think for him, he both believes it and also doesn’t. But he’s interested in how these ideas can lead into cult-like behaviors, or some kind of spin-off identity that people can go into and be trapped in. countered their own extraordinary sights. These were not of the ghostly sort, but the extraterrestrial. “I do think if there’s anything that is real, there are aliens on other planets,” George said. “Have they been here? If so, I don’t know. It looks more and more like that is reality.” While Buchbinder hadn’t seen his first UFO until taking trips with George to an overlook in East Aurora, George had his first encounter in high school. Sitting in his mother’s car while driving on the Buffalo Skyway, a young George made out floating white lights, which first appeared to him as Chinese lanterns. Upon closer inspection, George realized the three lights were unblinking and unmoving. “We were kind of curving on the road and watching this thing, for three or four minutes, not move,” George said, “And my mom and I are like, ‘What is going on right now?’” Despite holding a deeper belief in the existence of aliens, pictures of UFOs are just as useful in George’s fiction as those of the supernatural. He even has plans to fabricate a model UFO with old smoke
Still, George’s beliefs don’t stop there. Weary of psychics and other aspects of spiritualism, George does participate in the practice of tarot, as well as subscribing, in part, to astrology. “I think for him, he both believes it and also doesn’t,” Cassetti said. “But he’s interested in how these ideas can lead into cult-like behaviors, or some kind of spinoff identity that people can go into and be trapped in.” Regardless of the extent of his beliefs, nearly every new area of interest for George seeps into his artwork and mentality. Art involving tarot can be found sideby-side with palmistry, an area that George describes as a “slippery slope” into phrenology, and his studio brims with a number of collected items from a Twin Peaks vinyl record to Alfred Hitchcock children’s books. “I think it’s really amazing the way he takes those little interests and fine tunes them,” Buchbinder said. “That’s the way I viewed the tarot, like a little interest. I didn’t expect him to make it such a focal point of his work, which I think is just awesome.” Email: kara.anderson@ubspectrum.com
Courtesy of Robert George “Kreskin Thoughtograph,” a photo of Robert George’s uncle passing off as a fictional murdered child.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ubspectrum.com
Wednesday, February 16 2022 | 9
UB SARPA acts as a hub of friendship and fun for UB students Organization’s management plans to resurrect in-person UBCon this April ALEX FALTER SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
At the UB Strategist and Role Players Association’s weekly meetings, students are bound to run into a few nostalgic relics from their childhood gaming sessions. Yu-Gi-Oh cards and board games cover every surface of the club’s Student Union meeting space as members battle at games of wit and strategy. Welcoming to all, SARPA is one of the dozens of UB clubs to resurface during the current wave of the pandemic. Yet that resurgence has been a long time coming for those leading the group. For Isabelle Ingleman, a junior linguistics major who became club president last September, the process has been especially cumbersome due to ongoing pandemicrelated difficulties. “When I started in the fall, I didn’t have any of the permissions and I wasn’t officially the president in the system, so I couldn’t do anything for a while,” Ingleman said. “It was rough because I was trying to start the meetings, and it’s still rough because the college could cancel at any minute, depending on what happens with COVID-19 policy.” The continued restrictions, on top of a large gap between Ingleman taking over as president and the final pre-quarantine event hosted by SARPA, have also reduced the number of regular attendees, which McKinley Thornton, an exercise science major, notes as a noticeable change. “Before we had a whole room we’d have set up where we’d have people there constantly, so it created a whole community,” Thornton said. “We’d always have like six to 14 people in the room at all times, now when we’re doing events [and] we don’t have that [many people] necessarily. But it’s getting larger than it was before, so it’s like a huge shift.” But, despite the difficulties, Ingleman and the rest of SARPA’s e-board plans for in-person events to go beyond weekly meetings. The group plans to bring back UBCon for the first time since 2019 in April. A staple event of the UB community for over 30 years, UBCon has been a hub
for fans of all forms of pop culture. Scattered throughout buildings including the Student Union and Knox Lecture Hall, UBCon features an array of different vendors, speakers and activities pertaining to popular culture, very much in the vein of the famous San Diego Comic Con. With such a large range of topics to cover, Ingleman is trying to organize the event so it touches as many interests as possible. “It’s not just comic books. It’s general nerd culture,” Ingleman said. “There’s anime and comics and TV shows etc., so it’s not like one thing and I think it’s good because we have a lot of variety with the panels we have, you can find a lot of things that you might be interested in because we crowdsource for that.” While the minds behind the convention are still planning this year’s panels, past conventions have featured industry legends such as voice actors from the cultclassic cartoon series “Invader Zim,” and dub voice actor Eric Vale, best known for voicing Trunks on the hit anime, “Dragon Ball Z.” For many — especially those who have attended previous UBCons — the event is more than just the planning and facilitating process; it also gives them the opportunity to meet with fellow “nerds” and enjoy the culture together. “I’ve been into nerd popular culture for a long time and I’ve gone to a lot of conventions, even before I moved to New York,” Ingleman said. “I thought it was really impressive that they were able to run such a big convention. Like, there’s such a large attendance.” Ingleman’s connection to nerd culture outside UB is not unique, as previous UBCons have featured 3,000-person turnouts and have consisted of students, Buffalo community members and even those who have traveled from beyond the Buffalo area to attend. Beyond the basic panels and signings one would expect at a pop-culture convention, UBCon comes equipped with plenty of exciting activities. This includes everything from cosplay contests to karaoke to scavenger hunts. And most notably, the convention concludes with a Nerf war held in SU. UB SARPA held a “mini-con” last semester, which did satisfy some attendees’ boredom, but had to contend with pandemic-related difficulties, forcing leadership to adjust accordingly. “We had Omicron come up, so they
Hao Wang / The Spectrum Students filled the Student Union for UBCon in 2019.
[UB] changed the rules about a week ahead [of last year’s convention]. It can be a bit of a challenge,” Thornton said. “You have to be adaptable, and you have to keep in contact with all the people [coming to the convention] that we’ve talked to, and so it can be a bit of a bit of stress. You have to be ready and keep in contact and be thorough with what you’re doing.” While the pandemic has made holding UBCon and SARPA meetings difficult, members say these problems have only been exacerbated by UB’s Student Association. For Ingleman, the club office, SU 303,
when we would have to move things. The first time I talked to John Kisker (who is in charge of that) he told me that he didn’t know, and then the other times I went he wasn’t there, and didn’t contact me when I asked him to email me about it.” Told that the school will no longer use club rooms out of inspiration from touring other schools, Ingleman heavily disagrees with this idea working for UB. “People who we didn’t know would stop in and just make friends with us,” Ingleman said. “That’s literally how I joined, I just went outside one day and befriended people.”
Alex Falter / The Spectrum Students gather to play a variety of board games during a weekly SARPA meeting.
was once a location where members could openly relax. It’s now nothing more than a storage room “Before covid, we had an open office where anyone could hang out during the day. They won’t let us do this now,” Ingleman explained. “Their reasoning is that ‘we’re not doing club rooms’, but all of our stuff is still here collecting dust.” With the SA continually pushing back the date on which all club supplies have to be taken out, or otherwise thrown out, the club was at one point sent an email informing them their things would be moved out the next day, but it turned out to be the result of a miscommunication. “I couldn’t even sleep that night thinking they were going to throw out all of our things, so I went as soon as they opened the next morning, and they told me it was apparently a miscommunication with SA and SU, and we didn’t have to move things until winter break,” Ingleman said. “I went to SU a few times over winter break asking
For members like Thortnon, the club serves as a way to develop leadership and team skills for post-grad life. “I’m getting experience managing people and finding out how to organize events and communicating with others,” Thornton said. “Finding out how to work with different groups and bodies is very useful if you’re trying to do budget planning or anything like that [after graduating]. Especially with doing marketing for it, like contacting vendors, getting people interested in how to create a community — that’s all very useful.” For students who joined SARPA this semester, the club is an exciting new place to meet new people. Jordan Reiner, a junior business administration major, was excited to attend his first meeting last week, and sees endless opportunities for fun within the organization. “I would definitely come here again. There’s a lot of cool people and it feels like a community,” Reiner said. “Everyone’s friendly, and it seems like you can really just grab any person and have them join you in a game of cards, Dungeons & Dragons or a video game.” To students like Jake Frisicaro, a sophomore English major, joining the club was a difficult decision — but staying in it was easy. “I’ve always had an interest in tabletop stuff, I’ve just never really been able to find people to do it with in high school,” Frisicaro said. “Now’s the time. I might as well bite the bullet and attempt this.” But despite the group’s planning, Ingleman acknowledges that unless the e-board can recruit new members, SARPA’s future will be murky. “I think that if things go back to normal then we have a pretty bright future, but if we continue to be unable to have our conventions, it might not go well, because it’s hard to revive that attendance,” Ingleman said. “So I think that if things get worse and then go back to normal it [the club] will still be able to go back to its former state, but it might take a while to get everything back up to how it was.” Regardless of this uncertain future, Ingleman still encourages interested students to stop by the club’s weekly Wednesday meetings in Student Union 228. “SARPA is a club that actually gives students a community, friends and events to look forward to,” Ingleman said. “I wish that SA would understand this.” Email: alex.falter@ubspectrum.com
10 | Wednesday, February 16 2022
FEATURES
ubspectrum.com
One World Café in Photos
Julie Frey / The Spectrum
Kali Orexi promises to be a revealing foray into the delightful flavors of the mediterranean. The joint will offer students build-your-own pita, wrap, rice bowl or salad options. The restaurant will also offer eight weekly specials, including dishes like chicken shawarma and Greek meatballs, that will rotate every week.
Jack Porcari / The Spectrum
Students’ broth-filled fantasies will come to life at Noodle Pavilion, where they will have the opportunity to build fresh noodle bowls from scratch. Students can choose from tonkotsu, spicy miso, beef or chicken broth, then add their choice of noodle, protein, vegetable and toppings. The 200-degree noodle dishes are served fresh and are best eaten within 10 minutes of completion, Chuck Nicosia said.
Jack Porcari / The Spectrum
At Pan Asian, Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Korean dishes will converge under the same roof. International student focus groups helped drive the design of the restaurant, according to Ray Kohl, director of marketing and communications for Campus Dining and Shops, which gives the countertop and trim an azure flair. A few of the 28 weekly options could include pad see ew, shrimp fried rice, vegetarian rice cakes with Chinese broccoli and Korean barbecued beef short rib.
Jack Porcari / The Spectrum
Named after the year of UB’s founding, 1846 Grill will be the only restaurant in OWC to serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Specializing in North American cuisine, the grill offers students morning eats like egg sandwiches, lunch staples like burgers and dinner offerings like local delicacy beef on weck. 1846 Grill has options for everyone, like it’s cheesy grits breakfast bowl or vegetarian chickn’ sandwich. “We really want more plant-based offerings in general,” General Manager Chuck Nicosia said. “There is more demand.”
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum
One World Café features over 500 seats, 250 charging ports and mood lighting. Students can study on the wooden platform by the fireplace or head to the second level to sit in soft chairs and overlook the busy first floor. Ideal for any study situation, the seating arrangements at One World Café offer variety and comfort for students.
Jack Porcari / The Spectrum
When One World Café operates at full capacity, its grab-and-go station will offer students quick and convenient access to meals and snacks like baklava, Champa Sushi, kosher selections from the NY Deli & Diner and microwavable meals. It will also feature a section filled with healthy options like hummus, fruit and tutealia organic tea. To improve the flow of students on campus, OWC will have an all-cash line, six self-checkout terminals and backflow preventers for congestion during peak hours.
Jack Porcari / The Spectrum
One World Café is much more than an eatery, according to Executive Director of Campus Dining and Shops Eric Blackledge. Baked into its back-of-house design are sustainable practices meant to streamline production and waste management. This decision was made after UB studied trash from the Student Union to assess the biggest streams of waste. Compostables was the largest channel by far, and as a result, UB Sustainability is working with Natural Upcycling to turn more compostable waste into energy, Nicosia said. Pictured above: the underground portion of One World Café, where organic waste is processed and walk-in freezers store inventory. The sink converts food waste into compostable material consistent with required standards for recycling. Located in the same area is an oil filtration system provided by Restaurant Technologies. Also, single-use bowls and takeout containers will now be compostable.
Jack Porcari / The Spectrum
Tikka Table is an Indian-themed restaurant set to open in March. To start, the
restaurant will offer 5-6 menu items, including chana masala and chicken biryani. Then, it will offer more dishes and weekly specials. Equipped with a tandoori oven for naan bread and chicken, Tikka Table will soon feature 12 “regionally based” flavor profiles that correspond with India’s 12 regions, according to Kohl.
FEATURES
ubspectrum.com
Wednesday, February 16 2022 | 11
UB holds 11th annual Life Raft Debate Anatomy and pathology instructor Joseph Costa prevails over five competitors GRANT ASHLEY REILLY MULLEN SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Just over 100 students faced the aftermath of the apocalypse for the 11th year in a row in the Student Union Theater Tuesday to the tune of “It’s the End of the World as We Know It” by R.E.M. Their prerogative? Elect one of six professors to fill the last seat on their hypothetical life raft as it sails away to — hopefully — rebuild humanity on a deserted island. Joseph Costa, instructor of anatomy and pathology, out-debated his five colleagues — law lecturer Paul Linden-Retek, electrical engineering professor Kevin Burke, political science professor Shawn Donahue, history professor Cari Casteel, philosophy professor David Gray and environmental engineering professor John Atkinson, who won last year’s contest and served as devil’s advocate — to win 38% of the audience’s votes, the last seat in the raft and have his name engraved on the debate’s trophy: a wooden boat paddle. Over the course of the event, Costa maintained he was best fit to join the raft because of his vast knowledge of the human body, arguing that his field has equipped him to handle both medical emergencies and long-term chronic illnesses.
“So anatomists — after spending God knows how many hours in the gross lab and poring over diagrams — get something akin to X-ray vision,” Costa said. “And it gets to the point where most of us can kind of look through somebody’s skin and know exactly where their nerves, arteries, bones, muscles — all the things that give us our shape — are… Now this knowledge has applications [related] not only to conditions that are acute, that are sudden and severe, but also chronic ones.” Some candidates relied on their expertise in humanities-driven skills like collective reasoning and conflict resolution to drive home their points. Donahue argued that his experience as a prosecutor and political scientist has garnered him the ability to mediate different groups of people. “There’s going to be a lot of us on that life raft, with different experiences and values,” Donahue said. “We’re going to have to set up a new government when we get off of it. We’re going to have to determine electoral processes and rights. How are we going to bridge those differences between different people?” Other candidates, like Burke, spoke less about how their field of expertise would contribute to the rebirth of society, but focused their arguments more on winning over the audience through humor rather than preparation. “You need someone on the life raft who’s going to provide a little comedy and you’re not going to fear will put you in jail,” Burke said, taking a direct shot at Donahue. “If I had to decide who to pick, I’d be picking me.”
Noah Wadhams / The Spectrum Joseph Costa, an instructor in the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, won the 11th annual Life Raft Debate at the Student Union Theater.
But despite the stiff competition and low blows exchanged between contestants, Costa says his win only solidified his love for his field. “Probably the biggest takeaway for me from all of this is realizing how much value there is in what I teach,” Costa said. “It’s not just bland science. It’s not just a
dry understanding of the human body, but there’s a lot of value and humanity that comes from understanding the body and its ailments. And so preparing for this, I fell in love with my discipline all over again.” Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com Email: reilly.mullen@ubspectrum.com
Back to the basics: how John Stutzman has earned the love of UB wrestling Fueled by ramen noodles and an oldschool mindset, the Bulls look to make a MAC Championship push ANTHONY DECICCO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
Littered with ramen noodles, three empty cans of Red Bull and a party-sized bag of Lay’s salt and vinegar chips, John Stutzman’s desk could pass for that of a broke college student. But Stutzman isn’t a broke college student. He’s UB’s head wrestling coach, a job he’s held since the 2013-14 season. Stutzman, who graduated from UB in
1998 as the program’s all-time leader in wins, embraces every part of his wrestling pedigree. If anything, it’s all he cares for. The ninth-year head coach kicks his feet up in his office, looks uncomfortable in ties and has only one request: to be on the wrestling mat for the rest of his life. “My life is disheveled,” Stutzman jokingly told The Spectrum last week. “I’m not a nine-to-five guy, I’m a combative guy. I coach wrestling and that’s all I want to do. I can’t do anything else in life.” Stutzman has two major concerns: winning wrestling matches and building a “family” atmosphere within his program. And in the case of UB wrestling, playercoach bonding means sharing ramen noodles and beef jerky while going on expletive-laced rants about grappling and hand-to-hand combat.
Courtesy of UB Athletics Graduate student Derek Spann is declared the victor after a recent match.
A quick stroll through Alumni Arena’s wrestling room showcases the genuine camaraderie that resides within UB’s wrestling team. Stutzman’s office is a revolving door with wrestlers coming in and out. Whether it’s a conversation about the club’s upcoming dual meet or just a quick trip to grab a snack, there’s always something going on in Alumni Arena 66. “We’re super close, it really is a family,” redshirt sophomore Sam Mitchell said. “There’s nowhere else I’d want to be.” A self-identified wrestling purist, Stutzman recruits student-athletes who share his old-school mindset. Now in his ninth season at the helm of UB’s wrestling program, Stutzman has led the Bulls to 41 dual wins over the past five seasons and won Mid-American Confer-
ence Coach of the Year in 2019. With two decades of coaching experience, Stutzman has seen pretty much all there is to see on the mat. But no matter what new trends or techniques emerge in the sport, he remains consistent in his approach and coaching philosophy. “My training methods will never vary. We’re gonna come in and do the same thing every day,” Stutzman said. “The best way I can put [it] is back in the ‘80s, Nebraska [football] ran the wishbone [offense]. They always wishboned, that’s me. It’s like, ‘This what we do, line up and stop it.’ I train us that way and sometimes we get stopped. But if you beat it down, if you beat it enough, then people believe in it. But you can only believe in it if you have success.” Through a distinguished style of grappling, UB has been able to form an identity as an aggressive, old-school team under Stutzman. None of his wrestlers perform flips or float-overs, just traditional doubleleg takedowns with strong fundamentals and maximum physicality. “He’s very hard-nosed and gritty, he doesn’t like fancy wrestling stuff, he likes the basics,” graduate student John Arceri said. “He likes hard wrestling and hand fighting. He doesn’t like the flashy stuff, just the basic stuff works.” Some might call Stutzman stubborn, but nobody can dispute that he’s been successful. The Bulls are currently 11-6 with a 6-2 record in MAC duals, good for No. 2 in the conference. UB set a program record by winning its sixth MAC dual of the season in a Feb. 5 comeback victory over Northern Illinois two weeks ago. Trailing 15-11 with two bouts to go, Mitchell and redshirt senior Toby Cahil were able to clinch dual-sealing victories to give the Bulls their fifthstraight dual win. Stutzman says he saw the potential for comebacks like this in the preseason. “In September we were doing some running workouts. And for the first time since I’ve been here in nine years, everybody was making their time runs,” Stutzman said. “They weren’t just making them, they SEE WRESTLING PAGE 13
NEWS
12 | Wednesday, February 16 2022
SA derecognizes 17 clubs this semester Derecognition formalized for frozen clubs after fall semester resurrection period expires KYLE NGUYEN ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
UB’s Student Association formally derecognized 17 permanent clubs at an SA Senate meeting last week. The decision came after the SA first announced pending derecognition for clubs whose allocated budgets were frozen last semester due to lack of university recognition. The then-28 clubs were given until the start of the spring semester to re-register with the university and meet SA club requirements. The 17 clubs that have since failed to do so either have been effectively dissolved or had their budgets terminated. SA Vice President Montana Desabio, the principal supervisor for SA club activity, says the clubs in question were deemed inactive after failing to host an on-campus event for two years or provide an e-board update verifying the club officer requirements. An SA item document also outlined club members’ failure to attend club orientation and not maintain an active membership of at least 10 undergraduate students as grounds for derecognition. Desabio acknowledged the impact of COVID-19 coupled with outgoing graduations on depleting SA clubs’ e-boards and disrupting operations. The SA revised its mandatory club training and referred students interested in founding redundant clubs to take over an existing club’s budget to address the burgeoning issue last semester. “We did reach out on campus to see if anyone would want to take over the clubs,” Desabio said. “We gave them a full semester and they did not. So that’s where we are.” The full list of derecognized clubs is as follows: 1. Arts and Crafts 2. Japanese SA 3. UB Poets 4. Polish SA 5. Thai SA 6. PODER Latinos Unidos 7. College Republicans 8. Sci-Fi and Fantasy Club 9. United Nations SA 10. Dancesport 11. Pro DJs 12. Smash Club 13. Swing Dance 14. Pharmacology and Toxicology Club 15. Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society 16. Breakdance Club 17. Culinary Club Email: kyle.nguyen@ubspectrum.com
LETTERS FROM PAGE 1
says those changes are still not enough. Members call for universal $22,000 stipends and the elimination of broad-based fees. Courtney Fitzgerald, a Ph.D. candidate in the physics department, says the consequences of not providing a stipend or fee elimination are hurtful to her department. “The big issue in my department is that TA lines are being cut from full-time, where you get full tuition and benefits, to part-time,” Fitzgerald said in an interview with The Spectrum. “Basically, you get maybe a third of the pay and at least half the work… About 50 to 60% of my department are international students, they can’t just get another job because of visa requirements. So, if they get stuck with a
part-time job they are bringing home [at most] $10,000 a year. That’s not enough to pay rent, let alone every other expense.” The Spectrum could not verify these claims. Michelle Williams, a Ph.D. candidate in sociology who told The Spectrum that she started using food stamps this semester, wrote cards to Tripathi pleading for stipends to be even across all disciplines. “I think it is unfair that just because [sociology] is in the College of Arts and Sciences, I am getting paid more than graduate workers in other departments,” Williams said. In total, Mullen estimated that the union delivered Tripathi and Weber roughly 100 cards from 35 graduate students who trickled in and out throughout the day. GSEU intended to hand-deliver the
ubspectrum.com cards but when they arrived at Tripathi’s office, he was “unavailable,” the students say they were told. Tripathi was seen in his office when four GSEU students arrived at the reception desk, but disappeared into a meeting room almost immediately. When Mullen informed the receptionist they were delivering Valentine’s Day cards to Tripathi, the receptionist disappeared into the president’s office for nearly ten minutes before Tripathi’s assistant emerged to collect the cards. Shantam Goyal, a Ph.D. candidate in English, says Tripathi always seems to be in meetings when GSEU advocates for equal stipends and fee eliminations. Email: julie.frey@ubspectrum.com
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Students stand in the reception area of President Tripathi’s office.
Food and sustainability collide in UB’s Food Recovery Network good cake!” would’ve] thrown away untouched.” Organization addresses food waste, helps university meet state mandate JULIE FREY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
Matt Taboni has always been passionate about one thing more than any other: food. During his time as an undergrad, Taboni acted as co-chair of Blue Table, UB’s on-campus food pantry, started a Buffalo foodie instagram with his family and worked at a local Buffalo bakery. So, it seemed like the natural next step to co-found the UB chapter of the Food Recovery Network, a national student-led organization that seeks to “fight waste and feed people.” In November 2020, Taboni, then a senior business administration major, had had enough of food waste. During his time at the bakery, it was his job to cut off the tops of cakes to make them easier to frost and layer. “All that extra cake would be thrown in the trash,” Taboni, now a first-year MBA/ JD candidate, told The Spectrum in a Feb. 10 interview. “I’m like, ‘That’s stupid.’ Why are we wasting so much cake? Who wants to throw out all that cake? [It’s a] perfectly
Courtesy of Matt Taboni A student proudly displays what the Food Recovery Network recovered from C3.
Taboni may not have had luck recovering wasted cake, but he did discover the Food Recovery Network, a national nonprofit focused on the would-be food waste of colleges and universities. Taboni, the current UB FRN president, and Serena Tulley, a senior biomedical sciences major who serves as vice president, separately sought to start an FRN, and ultimately cofounded the UB chapter together. Today, the organization is run out of the UB Sustainability office. Nationally, more than one-third of all food goes uneaten, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In New York State, a Jan. 1 law requires all institutions that generate two or more tons of food waste to begin donating and composting food. There are, however, limitations to donating perishable food, like the leftovers each night at C3. This food must be promptly refrigerated then donated. Derek Nichols, the Sustainability Engagement coordinator for UB Sustainability, confirmed that the new law is impacting campus operations. “There is a lot of infrastructure and social capital we need to put into place to comply, but UB has not taken the waiver route,” Nichols said in a statement to The Spectrum. “We’re working on complying with the law using FRN and our composting practices, and a few other initiatives that will hopefully be launched in the future.” Sabrina Lonas, a sophomore biomedical sciences major, is currently in charge of promotion and education for FRN and got involved in the fall because she wanted to “do something fun.” “Typically I would look for clubs that are random like ‘cake club’ or ‘bowling club,’” Lonas said. “But [I thought] I should do something that actually makes a difference because that’s kind of the point of college, getting involved in stuff that’s actually productive.” Lonas explained that the recovery events, which take place after C3 closes for the night, are “super simple.” “Basically, we go into the dining hall and have our little cart with our trays and scales so we can keep track of how much food we’re getting,” Lonas said. “We go around the buffet area and take the perishable food that’s leftover, sometimes it’s full extra bowls of fried rice that [they
Lonas says the whole collection process takes less than a half-hour most days. Once the club has taken stock of how much food is available to donate, members store the food in a fridge overnight then donate it the following morning or later in the week. The club has currently recovered 1,758 pounds of food from its 21 recoveries. Taboni says his club currently donates to The Response to Love Center and the Pendleton United Methodist Church but is seeking to expand its donations this semester — including to Blue Table. He says logistics are currently holding the club back. As of now, Taboni’s car, affectionately named Trevor, is how the Network transports the food. The car can hold up to 85 pounds of food, Taboni says. The club anticipates that food banks will soon pick up food at C3 rather than have it driven to them, alleviating the logistical strain of arranging transportation. Hazel Rodriguez, a senior studying neuroscience and psychology, joined FRN after she saw flyers in the bathroom. Now an e-board member in charge of engagement and volunteers, Rodriguez has learned more about food waste and sustainability from FRN meetings. “[At] the first meeting, [Taboni] told us about how most of the waste comes from our own household, which I found crazy because I would have thought it was from restaurants,” Rodriguez said. “But no, most is from our own homes [rather] than from [places] like restaurants and grocery stores.” Lonas says FRN meetings are fun and educational — their meetings can range from paper airplane competitions to brainstorming sessions for future events. Taboni works for UB Sustainability as a graduate assistant for ‘zero waste.’ He has worked on issues like waste management, the professional clothing boutique, food recovery and UBReuse. The club hopes to expand its reach in the future, Taboni says. They plan to collect four times a week — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The FRN’s first meeting of the spring semester will be held on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. in Natural Sciences Complex 218. Email: julie.frey@ubspectrum.com
ubspectrum.com
SPORTS
Wednesday, February 16 2022 | 13
WRESTLING FROM PAGE 11
were blowing them away. Because of those September workouts, I knew we were going to have a good year.” But UB hasn’t always cruised to victory this season. This year’s Bulls squad faced major adversity after stumbling to a 1-3 start at the beginning of the season. UB kicked off its season with matches against three nationally ranked teams in then-No. 23 Wisconsin, then-No. 15 Pittsburgh and then-No. 4 Michigan. But, despite losing all three contests, the Bulls were able to hold their own against a brutal gauntlet of opponents. Stutzman’s decision to schedule some of the nation’s best programs was intentional. It gave UB the confidence to perform strongly in conference play, Arceri says. “I think having those tough matches almost in a way made us believe in ourselves more,” Arceri said. “We were right there with the best teams in the country and we know we can do it with the best of them.” Stutzman says that even though outsiders “thought the sky was falling” and friends were calling him crazy for scheduling such a difficult schedule, he knew facing quality opponents at the start of the season would work out in the long run. “Right now, I know what good [wrestling] looks like. We go wrestle Michigan, I know what good is. That’s what we’re getting to,” Stutzman said. “So when you do those things, you’ve kind of figured out who’s good. And then you really figure out where you’re at. And even though we lost, we weren’t getting blown out.” Now, with the season winding down, the MAC Championship push has certainly begun for the Bulls. The Bulls have never finished first at the MAC Championships in program history. And while UB recently lost to No. 21 Cen-
Courtesy of UB Athletics Graduate student John Arceri during a recent match.
tral Michigan over the weekend, the Bulls still pose a legitimate threat to secure the conference’s top spot. “You’ve gotta take it day by day, but these guys are not idiots. They know what’s at stake, you might as well talk about embracing it,” Stutzman said. “If you don’t talk about it then it doesn’t mean as much. They started talking about it three, four weeks ago, and I had to slow them down a little bit. Hopefully, we can put ourselves in a position to do something special that this program’s never done.”
While a MAC Championship would be the program’s defining moment, UB wrestling is still an entity greater than the sum of its parts. At its core, the program is about the relationship that exists between wrestler and coach. Stutzman is a coach so beloved that wrestlers and assistants have made customized “Stutzman 3:16” (a reference to former WWE star “Stone Cold” Steve Austin) shirts that are worn around the facility.
No matter what happens at the MAC Championships, the wrestlers and coaches say UB wrestling will remain a big, happy, sweaty, ramen and beef jerky-eating family. “Stutz has done everything for us,” Mitchell said. “He’s brought us up when we’ve been in down places and he’s pushed us to levels we never thought we’d be able to reach. He’s the reason our team is doing as good as we are.” Email: anthony.decicco@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @DeCicco42
Swimming and diving looks to defend MAC Championship title UB rides a 14-match winning streak into Bowling Green, OH next week KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Last April, Toni Naccarella found herself in the biggest moment of her career. Naccarella, a senior on UB’s swimming and diving team, was one of four UB athletes competing in the 400 freestyle relay, the final event of the Mid-American Conference Championships. The Bulls needed to win gold to capture their first-ever MAC title. Naccarella and her teammates delivered. “When I finished the race I just remember everyone screaming, then I got out of the pool and the whole team came down crying. We were just so happy,” Naccarella told The Spectrum in an interview last week. “It’s a feeling I’ve never felt before.” UB’s swimming and diving team hopes to capture that feeling for a second time in late February when they compete in the MAC Championships in Bowling Green, OH. The Bulls went 5-0 in head-to-head
matchups this season, which extended their program-record winning streak to 14 matches. The Bulls will be among the favorites when they seek to defend their MAC title next week. “You’re excited but you can’t get too excited, or you’re just going to tire yourself out,” head coach Andy Bashor said. “We have to slowly build that type of energy so we’re peaking at the MACs and not trying to keep this energy up so high that by the time we get to the MACs we’re exhausted.” The Bulls are on an unrivaled run, one that has seen them string together so many consecutive wins that their last loss came more than three years ago, before COVID-19 rocked the U.S. UB had five wins this season: over Toledo, 198-102; Ohio, 190-110; Duquesne, 169-129; Miami (OH), 178-122; and Ball State, 158-141. Junior diver Tori Franz had an especially prolific regular season, notching multiple 1-meter and 3-meter crowns. The Bulls also shined at the 200 medley relay and the 100 backstroke. Freshman Marialis Kwak, sophomores Mia Naccarella (Toni’s sister) and Marij van der Mast, senior Katie Pollock and graduate student Jillian Lawton all stood out this season. The Bulls’ winning streak has helped
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Swimming and diving head coach Andy Bashor talks to his athletes during a match against Cornell.
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Members of UB’s swimming and diving team pose for a photo during an unscored match against Cornell.
build a strong sense of trust and community among members of the team. The club’s robust bond has proven to be a weapon as they continue to blaze their path toward stardom. “There’s a lot of laughing and entertainment in between. It’s just kind of like we’re all hanging out,” Franz said. “We’re doing our sport, we’re working hard, but at the same time we are making memories.” This comfortable environment translates in the water, where the women say they are able to lean on their teammates for comfort and support. Head diving coach Russ Dekker says he urges his athletes to focus on one correction at a time, and to keep looking forward. “I keep my composure by having fun with my teammates and not taking it too serious,” Naccarella said. “I really like competing and you have good races and bad races, but at the end of the day you’re making memories with your team.” Franz says she is able to succeed when she grounds herself and sees things in a new light.
“It’s putting it in perspective. If I’m getting really nervous before an event I’m like, well, wait a second, this is not a life or death situation,” Franz said. “It’s staying in the moment and being grateful. I love competing and I love diving, it’s just going and having fun with it. Every day is a blessing I get to do that.” Like every other championship sports team, the Bulls pride themselves on working hard — in and out of the pool. UB had a cumulative 3.501 GPA in the fall, which rivals its impressive efforts in the water. Bashor says he hopes his team is rewarded for their hard work. “It was really fun to watch the girls celebrate and feel the accomplishment of working so hard towards a common goal and then being in a position to achieve it,” Bashor said about last year’s finish. “These ladies do a lot of what we call delayed gratification. They work really hard for a long period of time to peak at one moment.” Email: kayla.sterner@ubspectrum.com
SPORTS
14 | Wednesday, February 16 2022
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL LOSES IN OVERTIME TO NORTHERN ILLINOIS
MEN’S BASKETBALL DEFEATS BALL STATE 80-74 Saturday afternoon’s matchup was a back-and-forth affair as the UB men’s basketball team (13-8, 7-4 MAC) defeated the Ball State Cardinals (11-13, 6-7 MAC), 80-74, at Alumni Arena. Strong performances by UB’s “big three” — senior guard Ronaldo Segu, senior forward Jeenathan Williams and senior forward Josh Mballa — powered the Bulls to a hard-fought victory over a formidable conference foe. Williams, who turned 23-years-old on Saturday, led all scorers with 24 points and shot 9-of-16 from the field. The Rochester native tacked on three rebounds and three steals to propel the Bulls to their second three-game winning streak of the season.
WOMEN’S TENNIS SNAPS EIGHT-MATCH WINNING STREAK TO SYRACUSE
MEN’S TENNIS LOSES BACK-TO-BACK MATCHES, REMAINS WINLESS
Women’s (8-1) and men’s tennis (0-6) fell short in the same weekend for the first time in more than a year — particularly frustrating, since the women’s loss broke their eight-match win streak. On Saturday, both teams suffered 5-2 defeats to Syracuse (6-1) and The University of Alabama (2-5) at Birmingham, respectively. Sunday saw men’s tennis falter again, with a 7-0 loss to Florida Gulf Coast University. For the women’s team, Saturday’s loss snapped a winning streak that dated back to April 2021. Women’s tennis was largely unsuccessful on the doubles side, with juniors Ambre Amat and Lolina Schietekat Sedas pulling off an impressive 6-3 victory in the only doubles win out of three matches for the Bulls.. The singles matches saw the Bulls secure two points, as junior Azra Deniz Comlek notched a 6-4, 6-3 win, while senior Gabriella Akopyan — a Spectrum staff writer — made her mark with a difficult 6-2, 6-2 win at third singles. The women’s team will return to action on Friday, Feb. 25 at Cleveland State.
By contrast, men’s tennis secured the doubles point but just one of the singles matches in their 5-2 loss Saturday. Freshmen Cheng Tang and YuShiang Huang won 6-2 at second doubles. This set the scene for junior Greg Hastings and sophomore Finn Macnamara to notch a 6-4 triumph at third doubles — landing the Bulls an early 1-0 lead. The second singles match saw Tang return victorious with a 7-6, 6-3 win over UAB sophomore Athanasios Spyropoulos. Tang landed the sole singles points for the Bulls, as the Blazers forced Huang to retire in his third set at fifth singles and bested Macnamara in a super tiebreaker in third singles after playing for just under two and a half hours. Sunday was another tough loss for the Bulls. FGCU immediately took the doubles point, and were then nearunbreakable in singles. Tang (second singles) and freshman Danils Snaiders (fourth singles) were the only Bulls to get at least one of their sets to the tiebreaker mark. Men’s tennis will return to the court next Saturday at St. Bonaventure.
Women’s basketball (16-8, 10-4 MAC) lost to the Northern Illinois Huskies (10-12, 7-7 MAC), 69-64 in overtime, Saturday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center in DeKalb, IL. The loss marked a painful end to UB’s five-game win streak, dropping their record to 16-8 and 10-4 MAC, though the Bulls remain in second place in the conference. The game’s start and finish saw the Bulls’ slow pace cost them crucial points. UB trailed 12-2 by the first media timeout, and overtime saw UB trailing 64-60 in the final 45 seconds of play — securing nine baskets compared to NIU’s 14. Despite a hard-fought game by the Bulls, the Huskies were the better team for the entire match. Saturday’s contest saw junior guard Dyaisha Fair dominate from the field, as she scored 27 points and gave UB its only lead of the game when she went 1-of-2 at the line with 3:02 left on the clock. Freshman guard Georgia Woolley scored 15 points, making it the 18th time she’s scored double digits in the last 19 games. The Bulls saw senior forward Adebola Adeyeye hit the court again for the first time since her Jan. 24 injury. Overall, UB scored 11 fastbreak points and 24 points in the paint, to go along with 54 rebounds. The Bulls will return to action against the Ball State Cardinals (14-7, 7-4) for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off at Alumni Arena this Wednesday.
SOPHIE MCNALLY
SOPHIE MCNALLY
SOPHIE MCNALLY
Last week in UB Athletics
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
ubspectrum.com
Buffalo found its largest lead of the night, 76-68, with 1:17 left on the clock. Williams’ triple in the final two minutes allowed the Bulls to clutch a six point advantage and pull out the win. “It’s always good to get a win, especially on my birthday,” Williams said. “Now I can go home and have a good celebration with my family.” Buffalo turned 18 offensive rebounds into 22 second-chance points, and turned the Cardinals’ 19 turnovers into 14 points. The Bulls will travel to Ypsilanti, MI to face the Eastern Michigan Eagles (9-6, 4-10 MAC) at 6 p.m. at the Gervin GameAbove Center. KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Intense practices, strong defensive play key Bulls’ recent success Men’s basketball comes into its own after inconsistent play during the first half of the season JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR
To many outsiders, Jim Whitesell probably doesn’t come across as a yeller. Which is why his direct, profanity-laced coaching style may come as a surprise to people who don’t religiously follow the third-year coach and his team. Whitesell, 62, wears a permanent scowl on his face and constantly mumbles under his breath. But he’s also a players’ coach, not afraid to crack a joke to lighten the mood or stick up for his guys when a call doesn’t go their way. He says his “tough love” is born from a desire to raise the intensity level — both in practice and during games. “I think you have to have energy every day when you come to practice,” Whitesell said at practice last Thursday. “What you want to have is good, controlled, positive energy — teaching energy. To go along with it, you want to make sure you have discipline, you have accountability. You have to hold them to a standard.” Whitesell’s standard is for the Bulls to be “one of the hardest practicing teams in the country,” senior forward Jeenathan Williams explained last week. “You see how rowdy it gets in here, it’s real competitive — guys want to win.” Practices are grueling exercises in endurance and controlled energy. Players dive for loose balls and set hard ball screens. They challenge each other to make tighter cuts and comfort each other when they don’t get around picks. They play tight defense and urge their teammates to communicate better. Practice is even more important than usual this season, Whitesell says. The Omicron variant ripped through college basketball late last year, which led to game
postponements, shortened benches and by his team’s defensive strides and offen- the conference’s guaranteed March Madunusual layovers. Whitesell himself en- sive unselfishness. ness bid, they will need to figure out how tered COVID-19 protocol in late Decem“I’m happy to see we’re playing bet- to overcome the mental lapses and inconber after testing positive for the virus. ter defense, we’re moving the ball better, sistencies that have defined them for much It’s the irregularities engendered by the we’re rebounding better — three things of the season. pandemic that have forced certain play- we’ve been talking to our guys about all Whitesell circles back to those tough ers — like Williams, senior guard Ronaldo year,” Whitesell said. practices — where his piercing words can Segu and senior forward Josh Mballa, who Helping key this turnaround is redshirt occasionally rile up a player — as being make up the team’s “Big 3” — to take an sophomore center David Skogman, a 6-10, crucial for when the Bulls reach postseaeven greater leadership role this season. 228 lb. big man who combines length and son play. The road to the NCAA Tourna“They’re huge,” Whitesell said, referring athleticism to shoot at incredibly high per- ment won’t be easy: the Bulls will have to to his veteran players. “They’re good play- centages at the rim. Skogman has the dis- get past conference leaders Ohio (21-4, ers. They know what to do. They’ve been tinction of being the only player in the na- 12-2 MAC) and Toledo (20-5, 12-2 MAC) through their battles. They have the expe- tion this season who has recorded multiple along the way. rience. Much is expected of them. That games with a perfect field goal, free throw But Williams believes the Bulls have doesn’t mean they’re going to play perfect. and three-point shooting percentage. what it takes to make it past Cleveland. But if their mindset is the right way, it’ll “Skogman is great for us,” Williams said. “Just staying confident in yourself,” carry our team in the right direction.” “He’s stepped up a lot. He’s been making a Williams said, when asked what the team UB hasn’t always been trending in the lot of great plays for us. Shooting the ball needs to do to overcome these mental right direction this season, Whitesell ad- really well, rebounding well. He spaces the challenges. “Just being level-headed, evenmits. The Bulls were picked to win the floor for us. He’s a key factor for what we keeled. Mistakes happen in the game of Mid-American Conference in the Pre- do. He’s a great pick-and-pop guy. I really basketball. No player is perfect. You just season Coaches Poll, but had a tough time love his game. He’s going to have a great have to be level-headed and wipe out the out of the gate. career at Buffalo.” negative things.” The Bulls squandered multiple opFor the Bulls to win the MAC and earn Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com portunities in early-season losses to Michigan, Stephen F. Austin and St. Bonaventure. Two weeks after their loss to the Bonnies, the Bulls were stunned at KeyBank Center by Canisius. In late January, they dropped back-to-back games to the top two teams in the conference. But the Bulls have recently shown signs that they may be turning things around. They are currently riding a threegame winning streak, which included a tough, 80-74 victory over a scrappy Ball State team on Saturday. The Bulls (14-8, 8-4 MAC) may not have the record they were expected to have before the season, but the needle seems to be pointing up. Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum Whitesell says he’s heartened The UB bench celebrates after a big field goal during a recent game.