The Spectrum Vol.69 No.26 by The Spectrum Student Periodical

VOL. 69 NO. 26 | DECEMBER 5, 2019

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

‘Your Friendly on-campus Spider-man’

All Aboard The Polar Express

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Weber is one of ﬁve ﬁnalists for UB’s second-ranking position BENJAMIN BLANCHET ENGAGEMENT EDITOR

UB has narrowed down its search for a new provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs. On Wednesday, UB’s provost search committee began a string of public forums, which end Dec. 11, for the five finalists for UB’s provost position. The forums will feature remarks from finalists and Q&A sessions for UB community members to speak with the potential secondranking administrator at UB. Provost finalist A. Scott Weber, current interim provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, talked about the student government fiscal agent transition, budget models and hiring more minority faculty in the Buffalo Room on Wednesday. Carl Lejuez, University of Kansas interim provost and executive vice chancellor, is the second hopeful for the provost position. Weber’s forum comes roughly two months after the university announced the departure of former provost Charles Zukoski. Zukoski left on Oct. 1 to become the University of Southern California’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

BRITTANY GORNY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

UBSPECTRUM

role from 2010 through 2017, Weber discussed the UB Finish in 4 initiative’s increase of fouryear graduation rates and the creation of an enrollment division at UB. Weber said UB could increase “the diversity of [its] faculty,” mentioning that 5% of faculty are underrepresented minorities and faculty of color. He said, as provost, he would set a five-year goal to raise minority faculty rates to 10%. “That’s below our Association of American Universities peers, it’s something we need to work on,” Weber said. He closed his remarks with his glance at top research, public universities ahead of UB in academic rankings having “90% or better” first-year to second-year retention rates. UB, he said, is at 86-87%. He said UB needs a program, similar Siddharth Bandu / The SpecTrum to Finish in 4, that “allows [UB] interiM provoSt a. Scott weBer SpeakS to an audience during a puBlic foruM at the Buffalo rooM on wedneSday. to think about cultural change to this weBer iS one of five finaliStS in the Search for uB’S next provoSt. process.” The search committee, made up of stu- committee. He also referred to UB’s “3.1 out dents, faculty and staff, landed on its five In front of a packed Buffalo Room, of five” reputational index and said if finalists and confirmed the public forums Weber surveyed his roles at the university UB was at “3.3,” “we’d be in the top-25.” on Nov. 26. UB spokesperson Kate McK- over the last 30-plus years and mentioned Weber said great universities in the AAU enna wrote in an email that “in keeping a “willingness to learn” as central to the “recognize their faculty better, retain their with usual practice, public funds are not provost role. He said he believes in UB’s faculty at higher rates and are diverse.” being used to support” the provost search. hopes to become a “top-25 institution” Weber has been serving as interim proCommittee members have worked with but he’s more excited about the “attain- vost while serving as vice president for search consulting firm Russell Reynolds ment” of that merit rather than the “num- Student Life. He said he’s “learned a lot” Associates. The firm’s services are paid ber.” from his two months as interim provost He emphasized the importance of facfor by the UB Foundation, according to McKenna, and committee members are ulty and staff celebration and recognition > SEE PROVOST | PAGE 2 not compensated for their work on the in his remarks. Moving to his vice provost

Ph.D. students and won’t cover the cost of student fees. But the committee said bridge-funding is “not truly 100%” as it will not provide for the incoming graduate student class in fall 2020. The committee also said the university’s decision didn’t consider CAS’ overall budget. “A reasoned, justified plan for reconfiguring Ph.D. training in the college will take time, more time than the few weeks available between the announcement of the graduate stipend increase and the beginning of the 2020 graduate recruitment season,” the committee wrote in its recommendation. The deans now also have the option to request additional funding from the university’s “operating budget,” a $753 million budget composed primarily of tuition

The College of Arts and Sciences will recruit the same number of funded Ph.D. students for fall 2020 as it did for fall 2019, Dean Robin Schulze announced on Wednesday in an email to CAS. Schulze decided to pause recruitment of CAS-funded Ph.D. students on Sept. 19 due to a lack of funding for the Ph.D. stipend raise to $20,000. Students and faculty were upset with the decision, so Schulze granted the Ph.D. Excellence Bridge Committee additional time to decide the best solution. Interim Provost A. Scott Weber announced an increase in bridge-funding from the provost’s office on Oct. 2, which will “bridge the gap” for the Ph.D. stipend increase to $20,000. The provost’s office is providing 100% bridge-funding for 201920, 100% for 2020-21 and 50% for 2021-22. Schulze said maintaining the number of funded students for Fall 2020 is a “one-time only” decision to create budget space and came as a recommendation from the 10-member committee, which CAS tasked with determining “how resources for TAs and RAs would be distributed across the college for fall 2020 and beyond.” The committee recommended maintaining recruitment because the provost’s bridge-funding only provides increases for currentlyvv funded Brenton Blanchet / The SpecTrum

revenue, student fees and state support, according to UB spokesperson John DellaContrada. Weber said this investment funding gives deans “flexibility” in order to reprioritize their budgets according to the “needs of their units.” Gina Cali-Misterkiewicz, spokesperson for the dean, said CAS is “operating within the adjusted bridge-funding” granted by Weber. She did not specify if the college requested additional funding from the operating budget in time for publication. Schulze said CAS’ next task is to “assess the quality of our Ph.D. programs in terms of time to [earn a] degree, completion rates, job placements, relation of current curriculum to job outcomes and cohort diversity and inclusion.” Email: brittany.gorny@ubspectrum.com

the college of artS and ScienceS dean’S office on the eighth floor of cleMenS hall.

Dennis Black writing grants for Habitat for Humanity after stealing over $300,000 from UB BRITTANY GORNY SENIOR NEWS EDITOR

Dennis Black, UB’s former vice president for Student Affairs is now volunteering as a grant writer at the Habitat for Humanity in East Cooper, South Carolina, after he pleaded guilty to stealing roughly $320,000 from university bank accounts and tax fraud in 2018, . Bob Hervey, executive director of East Cooper Habitat for Humanity, said Black “absolutely does not” have access to any of the organization’s funds. State Supreme Court Justice John L. Michalski sentenced Black in January 2018 to five years probation, 2,500 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine for stealing roughly $320,000 from UB and $22,238 from New York state taxation. Now, Black writes draft proposals to request funding from various agencies and foundations for Habitat for Humanity. Hervey said he “doesn’t know” if anyone made Habitat for Humanity aware of the details of his conviction, but they knew he had “some legal difficulties at UB.” “We are aware he has legal issues, the court assigned him community service,” Hervey said. “He’s doing some of that community service here.” Hervey said he doesn’t see a reason Black shouldn’t write draft grant requests for the organization. “He would have supervision and wouldn’t be the person officially requesting the information, but he does assist in drafting such requests,” Hervey said. Email: brittany.gorny@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @BrittanyGorny

2 | Thursday, December 5 2019 PROVOST FROM PAGE 1

and his approach to “collaborative leadership” can be an opportunity to move UB forward. After Weber’s address, UB community members covered a number of topics in a roughly 40-minute forum. A College of Arts and Sciences student questioned Weber about the “chaotic” rollout of the Ph.D Excellence Initiative by former provost Zukoski and asked how Weber would have initiated it as provost. Weber said he believes it’s important to create collaborations and a consensus “in the face of great skepticism” around initiatives. He emphasized “incremental change” as being easier than “rapid, sudden change.” “I wasn’t here [in this role], so it’s not my prerogative to say how I would have done it differently but I would say that I’m a believer that incremental change … shows a positive progression … and allows more opportunity to keep moving in the direction that you really believe is appropriate.”

NEWS Cecil Foster, former chair of the Transnational Studies department, said he was impressed by Weber’s commitment to an increase in diverse faculty. He asked Weber’s thoughts on the role of programs “that speak to the experiences and academic experiences of those who are not on the mainstream.” Weber said students of color have told him that classes in Transnational Studies are among the most impactful in their academic experience. He said this speaks to the rich, rewarding and gratifying experiences students have with those classes. Philip Glick, former faculty senate chair, asked about the Sub-board I/Faculty Student Association fiscal transition and how Weber, who oversaw the transition which started in May, “would have done [it] differently.” Weber said he’s “happy to be criticized” but “hated” how UB, including himself, announced it at the end of the semester. “But part of that was dictated by the schedule that was pushed on us by a variety of factors and I wanted to make sure that

ubspectrum.com

we had communicated to all the students that had participated in that process, some of which were graduating,” Weber said. “So that’s certainly not ideal, but I would still do that again, rather than wait to the following semester to roll it out because [they] had invested their thought process in that decision-making.” Weber then discussed an “incremental change” to UB’s physical landscape and emphasized the importance of “smaller, more intimate spaces” where community members can get together on campus. SUNY Distinguished Professor Cristanne Miller recognized that UB budget models “tend to go in the direction of supporting” numbers of student majors or “quantifiably, comparable metrics that don’t always work to give adequate support to arts and humanities.” She asked Weber if he’s willing to consider structural changes to budget models. Weber said he is willing to consider changes, noting that UB’s budget model is “primarily dominated by historical reference.” He said the model is very enrollment-centric and it “does not value what we value in our entirety” as a university. “Just like [when] we served on the budget committee [when UB faced state funding cuts in 2008], it’s really going to take a collaborative effort,” Weber said to Miller. UB’s provost position was one of the top-75 paid public positions in the state in the 2018 fiscal year, as departed provost Zukoski made roughly $438,000, according to SeeThroughNY. Lejuez, who will speak to UB community members Thursday, was hired to

his position at Kansas University in April 2018. There, he earns a $410,000 annual salary, according to university records. Last year, KU cut $20 million of its budget, which led up to nearly 60 positions being cut at the university, according to The University Daily Kansan, KU’s student newspaper. He’s since been at the “helm of developing” a new budget model for the university, which is “a hybrid” based on student credit hours and one based in merit, according to the newspaper. Lejuez has received criticism from KU graduate students, according to the newspaper, who asked Lejuez for “increased financial support” as students earn roughly $16,000 a year. Lejuez is also one of four finalists for the provost position at KU. Lejuez, during a public forum at KU in October, said KU gave him “an opportunity when no one else would” and that “means something to” him, according to the University Daily Kansan. His CV on UB’s website is dated Oct. 1, one day after UB’s committee made a call for nominations. Lejuez will take part in a public forum in the Buffalo Room at 3 p.m. Thursday. The other three provost finalists, who haven’t been announced via UB’s website, will speak on Dec. 9, 10 and 11 in the Buffalo Room at 3 p.m. Finalists are announced 48 hours in advance of their visits to UB, according to the university’s website. UB’s provost search committee is seeking feedback on the provost finalists through 12 p.m. Dec. 13. Email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @BenCBlanchet

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PROFESSIONAL STAFF froM left to right: helene polley (office adMiniStrator), nicholaS Meurer (graphic deSign Manager)

MANAGEMENT DESK froM left to right: BenJaMin Blanchet (engageMent editor), Brenton Blanchet (editor-inchief), Jacklyn walterS (Managing editor), lauryn king (aSSt. Managing editor)

CREATIVE DESK froM left to right: Matt koonS (creative director), paolo Blanchi (aSSt. creative director), JeSS Sutton (creative director)

FEATURES DESK froM left to right: reilly Mullen (aSSt. featureS editor), Julian roBertS-grMela (aSSt. featureS editor), SaMantha vargaS (Senior featureS editor)

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THURSDAY DECEMBER 5, 2019 VOLUME 69 NUMBER 26 CIRCULATION: 4,000

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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.

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ARTS DESK alex whethaM (aSSt. artS editor) not pictured: Julianna tracey (aSSt. artS editor) and anaStaSia wildS (aSSt. artS editor)

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FEATURES

4 | Thursday, December 5 2019

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‘

‘UB Spider-Man’ dresses up, hands out gifts, puts on show to make students smile JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA FEATURES EDITOR

On Nov. 26, as students began to leave campus for fall recess, Spider-Man appeared on the top of the bridge connecting the Student Union to the Commons. He wasn’t fighting any villains or webswinging. He doesn’t even have webs. “The UB Spider-Man,” as the UB student refers to himself, was just trying to make students smile. But University Police referred Peter Parker* to Student Conduct and Advo-

cacy and advised him that there are “safer ways” to make students happy, according to UPD Deputy Chief Josh Sticht. Climbing to The Commons’ roof, which Parker doesn’t recommend, was his first major stunt, but he has more shenanigans planned for the future. “I do have these Spidey undies. I’m planning to just wear the mask and the undies one time,” Parker said. “Nothing that is too illegal. OK UB Police? I’m not going to do anything that is too dangerous.” Parker declared himself UB Spider-Man after he started wearing Spider-Man costumes around Halloween. He wanders campus three or four times every month and finds ways to “help people” by distributing snacks, offering assistance to workers, offering suggestions and trying to provide entertainment. Parker’s life goal

A SKETCH OF SPIDER-MAN DRAWN BY PARKER.

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is to “help people” through charity work, and he believes his role as UB Spider-Man allows him to achieve it. He says that nobody –– not even his parents or friends –– knows of his alter ego. Parker tells his friends and family that he’s in class or a meeting at his undisclosed club when he’s actually wandering campus as UB Spider-Man. He uses public bathrooms to change into his Spider-Man costume in order to ensure nobody he knows sees him putting on his disguise. Parker says any public bathroom will do. “I don’t have a secret lair,” Parker said. “... Any bathroom that’s open [will suffice]. Hell, even ‘porta potties.’ Gross, but I wash the suit after I wear it.” Although UB Spider-Man loves being the center of attention, Parker does not. He hasn’t told anybody of his superhero identity and wants to remain anonymous for the timebeing. He doesn’t like attention when he isn’t wearing his mask. “I have really bad social anxiety. I don’t want people to come up to me saying ‘you know you’re Spider-Man, dude.’ ‘Thanks. Please go away.’” Parker said. But Parker says that he feels like a whole new person when he has his costume on. He notices people are “friendlier” when he’s in his Spidey gear. “I’d rather wear

the mask so people are, well, friendlier toward me,” Parker said. “I always wanted to help people out and it seems like the mask really does it because if I went up to them [without my costume] offering free doughnuts or like bags of chips, it’d be weird. But if I put [my suit] on they’re like ‘Spider-Man’s about to give me chips, I’m gonna take it.’” Unlike when he’s in civilian clothes, students start to treat Parker like a super-hero when he wears his costume. He says people trust UB Spider-Man more than the average student. Parker says people let him into buildings without questioning if he lives there when he wears his costume. “There’ve been times when I walked with people and they let me into the dorm building,” Parker said. “I’m not gonna do anything stupid, but if I wasn’t wearing the mask they [probably wouldn’t let me in].” Parker thinks by dressing up like Spider-Man, he causes excitement on campus and can even spark new friendships among Siddharth Bandu / The Spe students. uB Spider-Man recreateS i

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ubspectrum.com “If two random strangers are sitting next to each other and I walk by, they’re going to look at each other like, ‘Is that Spider-Man,’ and they’ll talk,” Parker said. “And it’s a nice, neutral conversation.” Parker still tries to “help” without his costume by volunteering at a homeless shelter downtown with his grandmother. He hopes to do more to help the homeless in the future. “Nobody should be living in poverty, everyone should have a second chance,” Parker said. “If you have the opportunity to help someone, and you don’t, then

ectrum

iconic

Spider-Man poses outside Student Union.

FEATURES when bad things happen, they happen because of you.” Rohit Khemlani, a sophomore accounting major and a student manager at Student Unions, received help from UB Spider-Man when he was moving tables for an on-campus event. Khemlani and UB Spider-Man have become friends since then, but Khemlani still does not know UB Spider-Man’s real name. “He’s a pretty nice guy generally; he gives out candies and gives out free pens as well,” Khemlani said. “[But] he doesn’t tell me his name, doesn’t tell me his major.

Thursday, December 5 2019 | 5

He wants to be pretty discrete.” Parker says that he definitely won’t reveal his identity until he leaves UB. But he may let people know who he is when it’s time to move on. “Maybe [I’ll tell people that I’m UB Spider-Man] when I graduate. Wouldn’t it be

Courtesy of UB Spider-Man UB Spider-Man takes a selfie from

the roof of

funny if I went up to get my diploma and just rip off the mask?” *Name has been changed for in order to preserve UB Spider-Man’s identity Email: julian.grmela@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @GrmelaJulian

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NEWS

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All aboard the Polar Express profit organization, runs the Polar Express train ride every weekend until the Sunday before Christmas. For the ninth consecutive year, passengers can purchase a “magic ticket” which lets them embark on a train

Medina Railroad Museum’s Polar Express train ride opens for ninth season

ride to a fictitious North Pole. During the ride, chefs serve passengers hot chocolate and cookies while singing and dancing to music from The Polar Express. Upon arriving at the North Pole, Santa boards

DONOVAN NEWKIRK STAFF WRITER

James Mitchell has over 22 years of experience as Santa Claus. To him, the experience of cheering children up with his $3,000 costume is “uplifting” and “refreshing.” “This will be my third season at the railroad. When I first started out, I never knew what a difference I would be able to make in children’s lives,” Mitchell said. “I also never knew the impact the children would have on me.” And 22 years ago, he probably didn’t expect to impact the lives of nearly 1,000 people who visited Medina Saturday to ride the Polar Express for its first day of operation for the 2019 holiday season. The Medina Railroad Museum, a non-

Donovan Newkirk / The Spectrum Passengers take their seats and eagerly await the train’s departure to the North Pole.

Donovan Newkirk / The Spectrum The Polar Express’ horn blares vehemently as it pulls into sengers of the 2019 holiday season.

the train and presents children with silver bells. On the 30-minute ride back to the station, Santa walks around the train, interacts with families and takes pictures with children. Throughout the experience, passengers meet characters like conductors, elves, chefs and Saint Nicholas from “The Polar Express.” Actors strictly adhere to the script and choreography from the film. Janien Klotzbach, executive director for the Medina Railroad Museum, said she was “impressed” with the opening day turnout. As of 4 p.m., just over 1,600 tickets had been sold for the season, according to Klotzbach. She described the “unique” event as a “real-life” ride on the Polar Express, as

roughly 50 employees and 24 volunteers work the train every season. Klotzbach said Warner Brothers has approved Medina’s use of the scripts and the soundtrack from the film. Staff members strive to ensure the passengers feel as if they are “immersed” within the world of The Polar Express, according to Klotzbach. The actors must memorize their respective lines and remember to act within the confines of their role anytime they’re in view of the passengers, according to Mitchell, which includes not interacting with certain characters on the train. “[Santa] cannot interact with the conductors or the wandering hobo character because they don’t believe in Santa anymore,” Mitchell said. “Initially, it was tricky, but after watching the film this year for the first time, it became easier to understand which characters I’m able to interact with in front of passengers,” Mitchell said. The departing station is located directly outside of the museum which houses a gift shop, food vendors, restrooms, a photo booth and a special mailbox that passengers can leave letters for Santa. Mitchell said reading the letters kids put in the mailbox is one of his favorite parts of the job. “Kids aren’t as greedy as we like to think. I get a lot of ‘thank you’ letters from kids. It’s very heartwarming,” Mitchell said. “Some kids apologize for wrongdoings throughout the year, and some even ask for money or gifts for their parents.” Patricia O’Donnell, a first-class passenger and resident of Cheektowaga, attended the event with her four-year-old son. The event is designed for “riders of all ages,” and it was “well worth” the 56-minute drive, according to O’Donnell. “This is the second year my son and I have ridden the Polar Express. We enjoy the singing, dancing, and of course the refreshing hot cocoa. We absolutely love it,” O’Donnell said. “This is more than a train ride; it is an aspect of our Christmas tradition.” Email: news@ubspectrum.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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‘The

Nutcracker’ kicks off holiday season with charm Tchaikovsky’s classic holiday ballet comes to Shea’s for 11th year ANASTASIA WILDS ISABELLA FORTUNATO ASST. ARTS EDITOR STAFF WRITER

Dancing sweets, giant mice and a Nutcracker came to life and contributed to a magical staple of the holiday season at Shea’s Performing Arts Center on Saturday and Sunday. Locals were able to experience this popular story of “The Nutcracker” performed live in its 11th year in Buffalo, with mystical charm and astute accuracy by some of the best visual and performance artists in the area. Audience members watched in awe as the Neglia Ballet Artists and the Buffalo

Philharmonic Orchestra presented the annual local production. The cast, dressed in a variety of vibrant colors and dramatic ensembles, decorated the stage and resonated deeply with the audience’s sugary dreams of Christmas. The dancers elegantly captured the child-like charm of the ballet with precision and emotion. The well-known ballet received a large crowd of roughly 3,000 devoted audience members, many of whom see the show every year. Audience member Mary Friona-Celani was excited to be sharing the magic of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet suite with her daughters for the first time. “It’s a story you hear over the years and the fact that you can only see it around the holidays really makes it feel like Christmas,” Friona-Celani said. The ballet, originally written in 1892, takes place on Christmas Eve as Marie Stahlbaum’s mysterious relative, Herr

courteSy of Shea’S the nutcracker fightS the giant ratS.

courteSy of Shea’S Ballet dancerS perforMing aS the flowerS.

Drosselmeyer, uses his magic to bring Marie’s Nutcracker to life. Neglia Ballet Artists had the crowd giggling at the goofy nature of the army of dancing rats who flopped gracefully in line. And audience members gasped when the lead ballerinas pirouetted for minutes on end. The production also included special touches like a puppet show, fake snow falling from the ceiling and fog. While the production was off-campus, several UB community members contributed both artistic and technical skills to the holiday fantasy. Donna Massimo, the costume shop manager at UB, was the costume designer for the production. Professor Jon Shimon and UB’s Director of Design and Technology Dyan Burlingame were also involved. Hannah Mackey, a senior theatre design and technology major, worked as the assistant lighting designer. “This is actually my first time see-

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ing ‘The Nutcracker,’” Mackey said. “I know some people come every year to see this, so it’s a big thing for the community.” One of the most important parts of the ballet is, of course, the music. The production used the talents of both the Amherst Central High School Concert Chorale and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra to showcase Tchaikovsky’s work. The ACHS Concert Chorale, although high school students, sang both beautifully and professionally with the live orchestra. Meanwhile, the BPO’s performance was so perfect that it was easy to forget that it was not pre-recorded. Matthew Bassett, the Principal Timpani of the BPO, says that he thinks he has performed “The Nutcracker” over 400 times. “The music [of ‘The Nutcracker’] is so well-known. Various parts of it everybody has heard, and it is so evocative of Christmas or particularly people’s traditional notion of Christmas, which makes you think of snow and presents,” Bassett said. While he says performing ‘The Nutcracker’ can get repetitive, the magic of the production always makes him excited to play it all again next year. Email: arts@ubspectrum.com

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SPORTS

10 | Thursday, December 5 2019

ubspectrum.com

Get to know an opponent: Charlotte The Bulls take on the 49ers in the Bahamas Bowl JUSTIN WEISS ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Coming off a 49-7 win over Bowling Green, the Bulls travel to Nassau to take on the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl on Dec. 20. The 49ers are 7-5 following a 38-22 victory over Old Dominion. Charlotte went 2-2 in non-conference play, with wins over Gardner-Webb and Massachusetts, and losses to No. 21 Appalachian State and No. 3 Clemson. The 2019 Conference USA Media Preseason Poll projected the 49ers to finish last in the C-USA East division. The 49ers won five straight games to finish the regular season. Will Healy, in his first season as head coach, is in line to receive consideration for C-USA Coach of the Year, after orchestrating a two-win turnaround. Buffalo finished the regular season with a 7-5 record after defeating Robert Morris,

Courtesy of Charlotte Athletic Communications Senior running back Benny LeMay runs into the open field.

Temple, Akron, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Toledo and Bowling Green. They lost to Penn State, Liberty, Miami (OH), Ohio and Kent State. During the BGSU game, sophomore running back Jaret Patterson rushed for a school-record 6 touchdowns and 298 yards. He ranks No. 5 in Division 1-A with 1,626 rushing yards. Alongside sophomore Kevin Marks, he has formed one of the most dynamic backfields in the country. Now, the Bulls are looking for their firstever bowl win. Here’s what to expect when they take on the 49ers on ESPN:

COACH: Will Healy, 7-5, first season at

Charlotte

LOOKING BACK

The 49ers entered the 2019 season with low expectations. In 2018, they ranked No. 115 in the nation in total offense. Only five offensive starters returned from the previous year. The pass rush was fairly limited. The new coaching regime cautioned that it could take a year or two before completely shifting to its own system. After defeating Gardner-Webb in their season opener, the 49ers lost five of their next six games, including games against No. 21 Appalachian State and No. 3 Clemson. Charlotte needed to excel in conference play to have any chance of making a bowl game. They did. The 49ers pulled off five straight wins to finish the season, winning two of them by a single score. They did this behind the No. 52 total offense and a renewed pass rush. Quarterback Chris Reynolds was sidelined with a season-ending injury last year. He returned to complete 62.2% of his passes for 2,366 yards, 21 touchdowns and

10 interceptions. He has fought through a series of obstacles to lead the 49ers into bowl contention. He developed a rapport with running back Ben LeMay, who was named to Courtesy of Charlotte Athletic Communications the 2019 Doak First-year Charlotte head coach Will Healy rejoices during a recent game. Walker Watch List Both teams feature elite running backs. and the 2019 preBoth teams have quarterbacks who have season All-Conference U.S. team. LeMay leads the team in total yards and touch- been forced to prove themselves time and downs, and ranks No. 42 in Division 1-A time again. Both teams are going through rebuilding years. for rushing yards, with 1,027. Most impressively, both teams have The new coaching staff inherited a emerged as sneaky contenders, even in a flawed and inexperienced offensive line, transition year. but for the most part, they held their During the regular season, the Bulls ground in 2019. Led by redshirt senior tackle Cameron Clark, this group has been earned victories over 8-4 Temple, 8-4 Central Michigan, 6-6 Eastern Michigan and tough against accomplished pass rushers. On defense, the 49ers have allowed 32.5 6-6 Toledo. Meanwhile, the 49ers had a points per game, ranking No. 106 in Divi- big win over 8-4 Marshall, which put them squarely in contention for a prominent sion 1-A. The unit brought back seven starters, bowl game. The Bahamas Bowl will be an opportuincluding senior defensive end Alex Highnity for both teams to pitch themselves to smith, who was named to the 2019 Chuck future recruits and put a stamp on a sucBednarik Award Watch List. He ranks seccessful 2019 campaign. ond in the nation with 14.0 sacks. He is one of the most effective pass rushers in the country and a potential pick in April’s BOTTOM LINE The Bulls are going bowling for only the NFL Draft. Despite this, the Niners have actually fourth time in program history. In 2019, regressed on defense. They’ve allowed 5.9 they have their best opportunity to finally points per game more than a season ago, win one. The 49ers are a tough opponent, despite returning Highsmith. The 49ers catching fire toward the end of the sealost All-Conference safety Ben DeLuca to son and featuring one of the best running a shoulder injury earlier this year, which backs and pass rushers in the nation. But the Bulls have an elite running back of hampered their secondary. their own, and have defeated four bowleligible teams this season. Expect them to LOOKING FORWARD There are parallels between Lance compete strongly against the 49ers. Leipold’s Bulls and Healy’s 49ers.

Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com

A quiet leader Men’s basketball ‘unsung hero’ Jayvon Graves lets his play do the talking ANTHONY DECICCO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

sung hero,” according to head coach Jim Whitesell. He helped the team achieve Mid-American Conference Championship status with his critical play, but didn’t hold the spotlight like his teammates at the time. And while Whitesell appreciates Graves’ humble approach, he said Graves need to embrace more of this “alpha dog” role. “I want him to be that way because he has that ability, the sky’s the limit for him,” Whitesell said. Whitesell remembers seeing Graves’ stardom in the making as early as his Ama-

Jayvon Graves doesn’t say much. He doesn’t have to. Despite his reserved personality, Graves has filled a leadership void left by ‘19 men’s basketball alumni CJ Massinburg, Nick Perkins and Jeremy Harris. His teammates and coaches look up to him. They say he does all the little things right. Graves, who started in 2017, got there through earning valuable minutes as a freshman and working his way up the depth chart. Last season, Graves, who hails from Ohio like his hero LeBron James, started in 35 of the team’s 36 games and averaged 9.7 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game. Things changed this year, ordon Myers / The Spectrum as Graves stepped G Jayvon Graves, Guard for the UB Men’s Basketball team, talks about his onto the court with a hopes and inspirations. larger role as a team staple and a leading scorer. Now eight teur Athletic Union days, when he was games into the 2019-20 campaign, Graves playing for the King James Shooting Stars is averaging 16.6 points per game. But his in Ohio. biggest challenge isn’t his ability to score. “When I saw him in AAU, I really liked He already proved himself there. his game but the biggest thing is I thought He now has to adapt to his newfound he knew how to pass the ball,” Whitesell leadership role. said. “I mean I knew he could score, but “I know my game can speak for itself,” the thing is he had good natural instincts Graves said. “But I think leadership, taking of making his teammates better” ownership, being the example [is where I Graves developed these instincts at a need to improve].” young age. Last season, Graves was the Bulls’ “unHe grew up in Malvern, OH play-

Alexander Brown / The Spectrum Junior Jayvon Graves driving to the hoop for a dunk against Daemen College on Oct. 24th.

ing football, baseball and basketball. He played all positions expected of the typical star athlete, he said. Graves, growing up in Ohio, says he was always inspired by Akron native James. And after middle school, Graves took a huge step in his basketball prophecy. He and his family moved 45 minutes north to Akron, where Graves attended the prestigious St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, LeBron James’ high school. “It meant a lot,” Graves said about the illustrious school. “I knew I could excel well and be ready for college, that’s why I chose it.” He thrived in high school, improving his numbers every year and ultimately averaging 21.6 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game as a senior. Graves’ efforts earned him Division-II Player of the Year and Cleveland.com’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year. In 2017, Graves helped bring a state championship back to Akron, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the then career-defining game. When he won the game, it affirmed his dreams of following in LeBron James’ footsteps. But unlike James, Graves wasn’t headed straight to the NBA after graduating St.

Mary’s. He had a decision to make. He received scholarship offers from several MAC opponents, including Kent State and Graves’ hometown team Akron, but, even with staying home on the table, he decided to choose UB. Buffalo was exactly what Graves was looking for, he says reflecting on the decision. He loved “the style of play, the atmosphere, closeness to home, and the coaching staff.” Graves, since choosing UB, recognizes he’s grown as a player. With his statistics in nearly every statistical category increasing every year since 2017, Graves’ work ethic speaks for itself. Whitesell said Graves’ “unselfish” attitude will allow an easy adjustment into his leadership role. “He understands there is a process to being successful,” Whitesell said. “There’s no shortcut to it.” And Graves knows he has the dedication and drive to be the leader everyone is starting to see him as. “[I want to] be more vocal and leading by example. [I’m going to] bethe first on the floor [and] the last to leave.” Email: sports@ubspectrum.com