VOL. 70 NO. 16 | MARCH 2, 2022
The unsung heroes of UB’s courts and stadiums
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO, SINCE 1950
UB selects four new campus art projects
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UBSPECTRUM
International Fiesta will return to the CFA on Saturday
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‘Slava Ukraini, heroiam slava!’: UB students rally in solidarity with Ukraine Students, community members turned out Sunday afternoon to show support for Ukraine KYLE NGUYEN ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
On Sunday, murmurs of grief turned into a rallying cry of defiance as UB community members gathered to express solidarity with Ukraine in the Student Union. Gregory Hawuczyk, a senior pharmaceutical sciences major, stood at the head of the SU lobby as the people around him held cardboard signs reading “I stand with Ukraine,” “Putin #1 Terrorist in the WORLD” and “Russian warship, go f—k yourself.” “Slava Ukraini!” Hawuczyk shouted. “Heroiam slava!” the crowd responded. The words “Glory to Ukraine, glory to the heroes” have come to symbolize resistance and universal solidarity with Ukrainians affected by Russia’s invasion since it began on Thursday. Hawuczyk is the president of Friends of Ukraine, a student organization representing the Ukrainian community and promoting its culture at UB. In the wake of the unfolding crisis, the organization hosted an event in the SU lobby Sunday afternoon to elevate Ukrainian voices on campus and to gather signatures for petitions and pre-written let-
ters to U.S. government officials. These petitions and letters ask U.S. lawmakers and NATO to take firmer action against Russia, including banning SWIFT, a network that allows banks to transfer money between branches, as well as closing the military airspace over Ukraine. Featured speakers included community organizer Bohdan Cherniawski, club secretary Anastasiya Bigun and UB alum Antonina Bandrivska, who offered updates on the situation overseas as well as personal testimonials. Several attendees spoke with The Spectrum about their loved ones overseas and the anxieties that followed Russia’s invasion. Alex Myrovych and Rhea Mukhtarov share similar sorrows over the invasion, despite hailing from different countries. Myrovych, a freshman pharmacy major, was born in Ukraine but immigrated to the U.S. in 2014. Despite having left Ukraine eight years ago, Myrovych still has strong ties to the country. “All of my family members besides my parents are there currently,” Myrovizh said. “And many of my classmates from my old schools were drafted to the [Russo-]Ukrainian war, which is just shocking.” Mukhtarov, a sophomore computer science major, is an international student from Azerbaijan, another country with a long history of conflicts with its neighbors.
Campus Dining still looking to hire 80 employees to staff One World Café Two café eateries will open to students this month, according to Campus Dining JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR
Campus Dining is still looking to hire more than 80 employees to staff One World Café, the three-story, 53,500-sq. ft. international-themed eatery located outside of Capen Hall. On Thursday, CDS will host a job fair from 1-6 p.m. for potential employees. The café opened its doors to students for studying and socializing at the start of the spring semester, but won’t open its food counters until late March, according to the organization. “We’re getting ready to open the brand
new One World Café and we are hiring line managers, line cooks, prep cooks, cashiers and dishwashers,” CDS wrote on its website. Two of the café’s five eateries — Kali Orexi and Tikka Table — are supposed to open in March, according to CDS. The other three eateries — 1846 Grill, Pan Asian and the Noodle Pavilion — will undergo a “phased opening,” probably in the fall, according to Eric Blackledge, executive director of CDS. One World Café is part of UB’s Heart of the Campus initiative and features more than 800 seats, an international-themed dining center, The University Club and a pre-function space for Buffalo Room events. UB says the project will ultimately add 138 new positions to campus.
Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum Students painted the bull outside the Student Union blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag.
“We had a war that was going on for 35 years, and it just ended in 2020. So in this situation, I kind of feel the same pain as all the Ukrainian people here,” Mukhtarov said. “Alex is my best friend and I kinda — not only because of him — but I also want to support people that are trying to support Ukraine with this war. So I’m here [at the rally] right now. And I’m supporting them [Ukranians].” Bandrivska provided a testimonial of a friend who remains in Ukraine and witnessed firsthand the first day of attacks. She described the harrowing scenes of
SEE UKRAINE PAGE 2
UB ‘in discussions’ to lift indoor mask mandate Six other greater Buffalo area colleges and universities have lifted their mask requirements DAN EASTMAN ASST. MANAGING EDITOR
Six colleges in the greater Buffalo-Niagara area have relaxed their mask requirements following Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision Sunday to lift the statewide K-12 mask mandate and delegate mask decisions to university officials. UB wasn’t one of them. “Because New Yorkers have stepped up, we can confidently remove the statewide mask requirement in our [K-12] schools,” Hochul said. UB announced Monday that its mask mandate will remain in place for the time being, and that a decision to relax its mask requirement would be made in collabora-
Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Two of One World Café’s five eateries — Kali Orexi and Tikka Table — are projected to open in late March.
missile strikes descending upon Kyiv. “They’re targeting our hospitals, they’re targeting our kindergartens,” Bandrivska said. “They target everything they can.” Much of her friends and family remain in Ukraine, Bandrivska says, which is a fact that weighs on her mind with each passing day. “I just cannot normally function right now — it’s all I think about,” Bandrivska said. “[I] just keep checking the news,
Kenneth C. Zirkel / Wiki Commons A sign welcomes visitors to Buffalo State College.
tion with SUNY and Erie County leaders. “University leaders are in discussions internally about lifting indoor mask mandates on our campuses,” UB spokesperson Kate McKenna said in an email to The Spectrum. “More information will be provided to the UB community this week.” Buffalo State, Niagara County Community College, Hilbert College, Houghton College, Daemen and Canisius have all recently lifted their mask mandate. Canisius will still require unvaccinated people to wear a mask at all indoor and outdoor on-campus events. Daemen will continue to require masks in classrooms and high-density areas such as hallways and the entrances and exits of classrooms. D’Youville University and Erie County Community College will keep their respective mask mandates in place. Medaille did not respond in time for publication. Email: danielson.eastman@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
2 | Wednesday, March 2 2022
‘Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people’ President Tripathi says the university stands in solidarity with Ukraine JULIE FREY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
UB President Satish Tripathi released a statement Monday expressing UB’s solidarity with Ukraine and its people. Tripathi’s statement came in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24. The New York Times has reported that at least half a million refugees have already fled the country. “As we look upon the Russian invasion of Ukraine with disbelief, anguish and horror, our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people and the extended Ukrainian family across our community, across our nation and around the world,” Tripathi wrote. “In the moments and days ahead, we will continue to watch and hope that Russia will deescalate its rhetoric and vio-
lent actions, and retreat from the sovereign nation of Ukraine.” Tripathi added that Ukraine should be able to exist without the fear of a military invasion. He reiterated that UB is a vibrant international community that accepts people from all backgrounds. “The University at Buffalo community stands in solidarity with Ukraine for their inalienable right to remain as a free republic and to live peacefully without fear of oppression by military invasion,” Tripathi wrote. “As an inclusive and welcoming international community, the University at Buffalo greatly values our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends from all backgrounds and nationalities.” The recent actions by the Russian government have spurred anti-war protests in Russia and across the world. At UB, Friends of Ukraine hosted a protest in the Student Union Sunday. Email: julie.frey@ubspectrum.com
Jahanvi Chopra / The Spectrum UB President Satish Tripathi said he is looking on in “disbelief, anguish and horror” at the situation in Ukraine.
UKRAINE FROM PAGE 1
I keep talking to my friends to see that they’re all alive and safe and we just do what we can do.” “It’s just been so much nerves and anxiety. We are very privileged in the U.S. — we are not the one under missiles. But I couldn’t focus on any of my studies, my lab work,” she said. “It was really hard to get anything done with the mental trauma at what’s going on. Just keep checking the news every five minutes — that’s basically what I do now.” Although Bandrivska knows she can’t help her family directly right now, she is determined to spread awareness for their struggle. “I know we cannot do that much,” she said. “But we just try to spread awareness so people can work and help Ukraine as much as they can.” Assistant political science professor Collin Anderson, an expert on Russian conflict and messaging, was among the faculty present at Sunday’s rally. He says hearing the lived experiences of Ukrainians touched by the war has been key to garnering support for their cause among foreigners.
ubspectrum.com “It’s very easy for us to sit here and just watch it happen on YouTube or Twitter, but actually talking to someone who says like, oh, my parents or my family’s in Kharkiv,” Anderson said. “That takes it from being something you’re watching on TV to this person who I know has a stake in what’s happening.” Roxy Tyminska, a club member and junior psychology major, echoed that sentiment as she manned a petition-signing station in the SU. “It’s about spreading truth rather than hate,” Tyminska said. “Talking and discussing what are the true ways to help Ukraine at this moment, and how to further request more help from our own nation in the most peaceful and most proactive way possible.” Hawuczyk says the club plans to hold regular meetings each Tuesday for the remainder of the conflict. The first meeting will take place on March 8 in NSC 228. Another campus-wide rally focused on halting the war in Ukraine is slated to take place in the SU lobby this Friday at noon. Students can find more information about Friends of Ukraine and keep up to date on upcoming events on UBLinked. Email: kyle.nguyen@ubspectrum.com
Moaz Elazzazi / The Spectrum Dozens of students and community members partook in a rally in the Student Union in support of Ukraine on Saturday.
Yik Yak provides insight to UB after dark Late-night Yik Yak posts reflect another aspect of campus culture KAYLA ESTRADA ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
“Quiet hours” are implemented in UB dorms on weekdays after 11 p.m. to promote healthy sleeping habits and ensure the comfort of all students. But the nocturnal tendencies of college students are revealed in late-night “Yik Yak” posts that prove UB’s campus remains busy and bustling after dark. “Yik Yak” is an app that allows users to post anonymously to a message board. Other users within a five-mile radius can then upvote or downvote these posts — impacting the popularity and promotion of the message. Users can also comment on other messages, which can also be upvoted or downvoted. The app is popular on college campuses across the nation, including UB. The Spectrum compiled a list of funny messages posted on Yik Yak after 1 a.m. and within the last week:
“Monsters university gave me an unrealistic impression of what UB was gonna be like…and I don’t even go here” “Anyone know what Obama’s last name is? Been tryna figure it out for a min” “You ever j be up late asl thinkin ‘dam I’d be a sick actor’”
“Honestly I chose UB cause the campus is so ugly. So by logic I look hotter when I walk through it.” “petition for the elli to start selling claws”
“Where is the best place to live on campus?’ - “Off campus” - “Off campus” - “Off campus” - “Off campus” - “Off campus” - “Off campus” - “Off campus” - “not gov’s that’s for sure” “We need to collect everyones gross, smelly, dirty and annoying roommates and just room them together let them live in their filth together.”
“I am simply too sexy and funny and hot to be faced with any challenges” “how do u tell someone their breath stinks? like i’m bored lol let’s go use mouthwash”
“UB really grading me on my ability to submit my homework as a PDF’”
“Just saw Victor E. Bull 360 no scope a small child”
“professors be like ‘i know these are troubling times’ and then be the troubling times”
“The Moes line can turn a good man into a feral beast with how slow it moves”
“Buffalo is putting its whole bufu–y into these weather changes.”
“Mandate getting lifted, let’s see who’s been maskfishing”
OPINION
ubspectrum.com
Facelift, please? North Campus needs some architectural love
JULIE FREY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
UB’s North Campus is ugly. Really ugly. As a high school senior, that observation is what made me second-guess my decision to come to UB. Could I really be happy somewhere that looks so dull and downtrodden? I’m not alone in thinking campus is ugly. Over the years, UB has ranked high on lists of ugliest college campuses. Most recently, North Campus peaked as the fifth-ugliest campus in the U.S., according to Complex. The campus’ ugliest buildings — Furnas Hall and Ellicott Complex — look
like they could be in Soviet-era cities. Furnas sticks out like a sore thumb, towering above every other academic building and shooting the sad gray brick upward, making you feel small. Ellicott Complex, designed to be confusing and isolating on purpose according to urban legends — legends claim it was to dissuade students from protesting during the Vietnam War — looks like the life-size version of a 5-year-old’s Lego creation. And that ugliness left its mark. As a firstyear student at UB, I left my hometown that has more state park-land than people, to a campus with barely any trees, I was homesick. I hated — and still hate — being constantly surrounded by concrete and brick, as half-century old buildings loomed over me. But at least I can walk. Many of the buildings on both campuses are spread far apart making them inaccessible to students, faculty and staff with a disability or a hardship within the 10 minute period between classes. Buses run between residence halls and apartments, but are only helpful when they
only help if they keep on schedule, which they rarely do. Students can’t and shouldn’t wait around longer just because they need extra assistance; it’s not equitable or accessible. Campus lacks life and color. The few trees are vastly overshadowed by parking lots. Students frequently complain there isn’t enough parking, but much of campus is paved over, adding to the effect of a barren and sad-looking campus. Even though there has been a concerted effort to plant more trees in the four years since I came to UB, notably along Mary Talbert Way, the campus still has an empty feeling to it. The long stretch between Greiner and the Student Union is completely bare — save for a few disc golf receptacles —while the Academic Spine is only lined by a handful of trees. During the warmer months, there are few places to sit outside along the Spine and enjoy the sunshine. Students are forced to pack onto benches and rocks outside of the SU. If they throw a frisbee or sit on the grass adjacent to Baird Point, UB’s favorite and most notorious critter, the goose, might leave them with a pres-
Wednesday, March 2 2022 | 3
ent. After all, lawns are the perfect environment for geese and that’s all UB has to offer. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that green space can improve mental health. The CDC says that the more exposure people have to the outdoors, the less stress they have. The first warm day of every semester is like an oasis, where everyone just seems happier, as they smile and chat away. UB can and should invest more in its environment. Renovating buildings takes time to plan and budget. For example, One World Café only opened this year despite originally being projected to be completed in 2020. Investing in outdoor spaces and making campus more accessible would be a game changer for helping students adjust to UB. It wouldn’t take as long as constructing new buildings, it would make campus prettier and most importantly, it would be a good first step in improving students’ mental health. UB can and should invest in the outdoors immediately. Email: julie.frey@ubspectrum.com
Being straight at a gay bar My first experience at a gay bar was a reminder of how similar we all are
ANTHONY DECICCO SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR
I’m a simple guy. My ideal day consists of me sitting with my basketball sneakers kicked up on my desk, while I watch sports highlight reels in my Nike sweatpants. How else is the sports editor supposed to act and dress? I hit the local sports bars on the weekends in hopes of meeting more people like myself. While I’m open to new things, it’s safe to say I’m a creature of habit. I like consistency. That’s why I was hesitant when my female friends brought up the idea of going to Club Marcella — a notorious gay bar in downtown Buffalo — on a Thursday
night. As a straight guy, just entering a gay bar felt like a threat to my masculinity. I normally try to avoid appearing hypermasculine — it’s not true to myself nor does it make others feel comfortable — but I initially couldn’t fathom going to a gay bar. But after some more convincing from my friends, I decided to give it a shot. If I didn’t like it, I could at least get drunk and forget it ever happened, right? But before I even stepped foot in the place, I had to deal with the teasing from my friends who decided not to attend. “That’s so gay, dude.” And frankly, they were right. The place certainly was gay. As soon as I entered Club Marcella I knew I was dealing with a crowd I wasn’t used to. I was initially overwhelmed by people with multi-colored hair, pairs of men making out in the middle of the dance floor and the infamous Thursday night drag show. As a straight man, I was intimidated seeing this new group of people in a setting so foreign to me. It definitely wasn’t my vibe on paper — I’m used to college bars and frat basements, not whatever this was.
I was uncomfortable, so how did I get myself out of this awkward slump? I started buying drinks (duh). After a half-hour of downing Corona Lights, I began to embrace my new environment. And the longer I stayed, the more I realized the parallels between a gay bar and any other bar. The same rules apply: everybody is drinking and having a good time. There’s music blaring and people dancing. Some are on a quest to meet new people, while others want to stay close to their circle of friends. No matter what establishment you go to, there will always be the sloppy drunks and there will always be the fun drunks. And then there will be those who have a test the next day and are trying to get home before 3 a.m. While I was technically in a “gay bar,” I soon found out that a bar is a bar. Sure, the bartender hit on me, but that’s the fun of trying out a new environment. I was flattered. Did I have to ask two guys to stop making out in front of the urinal so I could pee? Yeah, I did. But after the two men relocated per my request, I realized this was an experience I wouldn’t have
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF WEDNESDAY MARCH 2, 2022 VOLUME 70 NUMBER 16 CIRCULATION: 3,000
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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. 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.
anywhere else. It’s important to understand and embrace other people’s cultures, whatever they may be. An idea far out of my comfort zone ended up being a highlight of my social life this semester. All that is to say, don’t be afraid to take risks. It’s OK to go against the grain every once in a while. We need to push ourselves out of our comfort zones from time to time. A small risk I took on a Thursday night gave me the opportunity to embrace a different culture and meet new people. It also reminded me of how similar we all are. Even though it’s a gay bar, it’s still a bar at the end of the day. They have the same drinks and play the same music as any other place. In a world that’s so divided at times, it’s important to remember that we’re all human. It doesn’t matter what your sexual orientation, gender, race or religion may be: We’re all far more similar than we are different. Email: anthony.decicco@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @DeCicco42
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, March 2 2022
OPINION
ubspectrum.com
It doesn’t matter whose shoes you’re in We have to start caring about things that don’t affect us personally
SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Feb. 22, 2022. The Russian invasion of Ukraine. This issue does not affect me personally. I have no family or friends there, I have never visited and I can’t say I know anything substantial about its people or culture —
it is a world away from my understanding. Feb. 24, 2022. Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill — which limits educators from freely discussing gender and sexual orientation issues in the classroom — passes. This does affect me. I am bisexual and many of my friends are LGBTQ, and though I’m not a U.S. citizen, this law sets an alarming precedent for other nations to follow and directly impacts people I love. But regardless of personal attachment, these issues both drive me to the same feeling: Desperation. Both elicit the same anger in me, and make me feel an intense helplessness as millions of people’s lives hang in the balance. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way. Whether you are directly hurting right
now, or carry a heavy heart from the searing images you see on your TV screen, these issues are real. We must act against them. It doesn’t matter whose shoes you’re in. Whether you’re from Ukraine or the U.S., gay or straight, cisgendered or transgendered — it should never matter. Too often people only care about the causes that impact them directly. The ones that keep them up at night with worry. Carving fear into their families’ eyes and lacerating their friends’ speech into stutters and sobs. But this mentality of solely fighting for issues that revolve around you and your loved ones is closed-minded. A one-point perspective takes root, no matter how well-intentioned you are. It creates a narrowness — though goodhearted — that can end up as harmful as
the evil it protests against. We have to start caring about things that don’t affect us personally. It’s OK to need reminders, especially when things feel hopeless. We also can’t make an enemy of those associated with the source of injustice. Russians are not responsible for this war, their government is. Floridians are not responsible for this bill, their state government is. We can all be responsible for taking the time to understand the predicament that others find themselves in, and what we can do to help them. We must start caring about things that don’t personally affect us. Email: sophie.mcnally@ubspectrum.com
How slavery’s power dynamic has influenced the NFL The NFL Combine helps establish a power imbalance between team officials and players
KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
The U.S.’ beloved pigskin kicks off three days a week for roughly four months of the year to provide extra anxiety and excitement into our lives. Fans come from near and far and even overseas to fill stadiums and cheer on their favorite players as they sprint, tackle and slide from end zone to end zone. If it seems like a game of fun, it’s because it is. But, simmering under the surface, professional football displays shocking parallels to the power dynamic that fueled the system of slavery. For starters, the NFL exists to entertain viewers and generate revenue, perpetuating the system of capitalism in the sports industry. Capitalism would not be possible without a power dynamic, as there must be a winner and a loser for the system to work as designed. “It’s modern-day slavery, you know?” former running back Adrian Peterson said in a 2011 interview with Yahoo! Sports regarding the National Football League. “The players are getting robbed. The owners are making so much off us to begin
with.” America’s monetary obsession and greed fuels inequality throughout society to maximize profits — something that influenced slavery in this nation. Athletes work their entire lives to earn the opportunity to show their abilities on the big screen. They will stop at nothing to get their chance, shedding blood, sweat and tears on the road to the NFL Combine. Yet the Combine, which is sometimes referred to as “the underwear Olympics,” shares distressing similarities with a slave auction. The participants — primarily people of color — are observed and examined by scouts and general managers, who are primarily white, and those white scouts are then the ones determining who is the fastest and strongest, and who can bring in the most money. Slave-buyers were also found to pay attention to little details, such as speed and hand size, as they sought to purchase the enslaved human that could get the most work done in the shortest amount of time. Nowadays, as back then, the purchaser attempts to evaluate the longevity of the prospect. These vulnerable college athletes are dying for their chance to prove themselves to capitalists to make it on the big screen, which makes them highly susceptible to the league’s imbalanced power dynamic. Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL quarterback who has become the face of the league’s activist movement, spoke of this in his docuseries, “Colin Black and White.” In the first episode he said: “Coaches will tell you they are looking for warriors, killers, beasts. They want you to be an animal out there, and you want to give them that. What they don’t want
you to understand, is they’re establishing a power dynamic. Before they put you on the field, teams poke, prod and examine you… No boundary respected, no dignity left intact.” Athletes are usually willing to put their bodies through the wringer to make it to the pros, even if this process equates to unfair or unorthodox treatment. This process can also exemplify how athletes can be influenced subconsciously to be submissive to the power figure. They work hard to achieve a personal goal, but then coaches and trainers break their spirits like horses, trained to compete for the teams’ benefit — nothing more, nothing less. They are poked and prodded — physically, sure, but also mentally — through a series of challenging tests and interviews. According to The Guardian, some of the bizarre interviews consist of the following questions: “Do you like men?” “Is your mother a prostitute?” “What is your murder weapon of choice?” It is that power imbalance between the prospect and coach that is so startling here, and the fact that many of these questions appear to be racially motivated. The athletes know that this authoritative figure is what stands between them and their dream, which influences them to give answers they believe the figure will deem “acceptable.” And sure, teams have a responsibility to ensure that their new players are reliable. But there are things that cross the line. This clearly crosses the line. Speakers at the Combine are often found describing the prospect’s physical ability ad nauseum, whether it be his hand
size or his time in the 40-yard dash. Scouts need to know their players’ abilities, sure, but all of their highlight tapes are already accessible online, making the Combine almost unnecessary. Similar to how those enslaved were sold in open markets for the public to see, the NFL Combine is streamed so anyone who desires can tune in. The contracts professional athletes sign are comparable to slave contracts, as they bind a player to a specific organization for a given period of time, and if these contracts are broken, the player can be fined or removed from the team. Slave contracts aimed to keep slaves in a subordinate position while working on plantations, while players’ contracts aim to keep players in a subordinate position while on the field. Players being traded and sent to other teams is slightly akin to how slaves were sold and then sent to another master. In both scenarios, money talks. However, the “owners,” whether it be the slave owner or team owner, go for whichever contract will benefit them most, not the human being they are trading. This disconnect harms the athletes and highlights the power imbalance by establishing dominance and a hint of narcissism. Let’s not forget how we refer to the people with money and decision-making power: owners. Just that title in itself is wrong for many reasons, and the NFL should follow the NBA’s lead — replacing the term “owners” with “governors” — to replace the name with something more appropriate. And, let’s stop claiming that just because these athletes have money, or are on their way to money, that their claims of mistreatment are baseless. Email: kayla.sterner@ubspectrum.com
FEATURES
ubspectrum.com
Wednesday, March 2 2022 | 5
upcoming events Sporting events, concerts and nature excursions worth taking advantage of SPECTRUM STAFF
March. The month of daylight savings and college basketball, women’s history and St. Patrick’s. As the weather gets warmer and the semester ramps up, it’s more important than ever to leave the classroom and enjoy everything the Queen City has to offer. Lucky for you, the staff of The Spectrum has compiled a list of things you can do over the coming weeks:
Tournament. The women’s team — which won the MAC Championship back in 2019 — has secured the second seed with high hopes to take home some hardware. The men have gone to the MAC Tournament
six times since 2015 and won it in 2018 and 2019. Seedings and game times are still to be determined, but the games will be streamed on ESPN+. KAYLA STERNER
Buffalo Bisons games
For so many people, baseball is a cathartic escape from life’s stresses. This year, Major League Baseball is mired in a months-long lockout, which will undoubtedly result in a delayed start to the season. But Minor League Baseball promises to bring the same family-friendly action as it always does. The best part? The Buffalo Bisons — the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays — open their season in less than two months, on April 5.
Hasan Minhaj is an American-Indian comedian, writer, producer, political commentator and television host. After working as a stand-up comedian, he made his TV debut as a senior correspondent on “The Daily Show.” Minhaj later partnered with Netflix to release his first stand-up special, “Homecoming King” and create the Peabody Award-winning series “Patriot Act.” Back with another one-man show, “The King’s Jester,” Minhaj will convey his experience with global success to a Buffalo audience on Friday, March 4.
Taylor Swift night (Rec Room)
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum The men’s and women’s basketball teams will both play in the MAC Tournament in March.
March Madness at KeyBank Center
Hippo Campus concert
MOAZ ELAZZAZI
Screaming my heart out to the “this is me trying” bridge is my passion, and it should be yours too. Rec Room’s Taylor Swift Night on Dec. 17 was the muchneeded post-finals treat of up-tempo beats and heart-wrenching melodies, and the insane sell-out is once again bringing blondie back with a vengeance on April 1 to Rec Room’s doors.
SOPHIE MCNALLY
SABRINA AKTER-NABI
Minnesota-born indie powerhouse Hippo Campus will play songs from their new album, LP3, at Town Ballroom on Tuesday, March 8. A driving force behind today’s independent music scene, Hippo Campus is sure to leave a lasting impression on your hippocampus.
Drag, filth, horror and glamor are coming to Buffalo. Following the release of season four of their hit horror-themed drag reality TV competition, Dragula, The Boutlet Brothers and season four’s top four “dragmonsters” will perform at Buffalo Ironworks on May 20 as part of The Boulet Brothers’ “Dragula World Tour.” Featuring the ghastliest looks and gruesomest performances drag has to offer, the Boutlet Brothers’ troupe is sure to linger in Buffalonians nightmares for weeks to come. Eat your heart out, RuPaul. GRANT ASHLEY
JUSTIN WEISS
Hasan Minhaj
‘Boulet Brothers’ Dragula’ World Tour
EJ Hersom / DoD News Comedian Hasan Minhaj performs during a comedy show at Joint Base Andrews in Washington in 2016.
Buffalo Sabres games
For the first time since 2017, March Madness will return to Buffalo. Buffalonians can experience the atmosphere of “The Big Dance” at KeyBank Center for the first and second round games on Thursday, March 17 and Saturday, March 19. With three games each day, fans have the option of purchasing individual game, day or session passes. While we don’t know which teams will be playing in Buffalo just yet, basketball fans shouldn’t miss out on the chance to see college basketball’s elite compete for the ultimate prize. Local teams such as UB and St. Bonaventure have a legitimate chance of making the tournament, so fans could have the opportunity to see their favorite teams play on the biggest stage. ANTHONY DECICCO
If the Bills are Buffalo’s favorite sports team, the Sabres are the scrappy underdogs. But despite their less-than-stellar record, Sabres games can be just as fun. Hockey is one of the easiest sports to learn the basics of: two nets, one puck and six players on each side. Tickets for upcoming games start as low as $15. With direct transportation from South Campus to KeyBank Center via the metro, there’s no better way to spend an otherwise boring night.
SUNY Clash
College students like to party. Luckily, all SUNY students can hitch a ride on the free shuttle to The Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls on Saturday, March 5 for the SUNY Clash. With local musical artists, bottle service (21+), an onsite food truck and 1,500+ students from 16 colleges/ universities, Saturday night will certainly be a night to remember. Tickets can be found on the SUNY Clash’s website or at the door.
JULIE FREY
JENNA QUINN
Karaoke Night at Mr. Goodbar
Located in the heart of Elmwood Village, Mr. Goodbar is always an experience. Hosting various live concerts, comedy nights and trivia events each month, Goodbar is the kind of bar where sweatpants are acceptable attire, which makes it the perfect environment for bad karaoke. Leave your inhibitions at the door each Wednesday night and let the warm atmosphere and cheap drinks coax you onto the stage, where you’ll have the opportunity to choose from thousands of songs, from Cardi B’s “WAP” to The Temptations’ “My Girl.” But don’t forget to secure your spot in the lineup by requesting your song online!
friedoxygen / Wiki Commons Hippo Campus performs in March
NYS Parks and Recreation Nature Events 2017.
REILLY MULLEN
Mid-American Conference basketball tournament
UB’s men’s and the women’s basketball teams will both travel to Cleveland from March 10-12 to compete in the MAC
A few weeks of gloomy Western New York skies certainly makes going through each day a little harder. Luckily, New York State Parks and Recreation offers a host of events for you to look forward to as the sun creeps out. If you enjoy the cold, Evangola State Park offers a guided crosscountry ski experience on Friday, March 4. Spots are limited, as those new to the sport will have access to free equipment. Have you ever wanted the chance to see birds like raptors, blackbirds and waterfowl? On Wednesday, March 16, Woodlawn Beach State Park will offer a bird-watching event called “I Bird NY.” Lastly, visitors can watch the seasons change to Spring with Joseph Davis State Park’s vernal pools exploration event on Saturday, April 2. JACK PORCARI
Andre Carrotflower / Wiki Commons KeyBank Center, located in downtown Buffalo, hosts the Sabres, Bandits and major concerts.
6 | Wednesday, March 2 2022
NEWS
ubspectrum.com
‘I would hope that it’s a start’ Students express their appreciation for Campus Dining employees through thank you cards GRANT ASHLEY SENIOR NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
Kallie McKenzie had seen enough. She’d heard students direct passiveaggressive comments about long lines to Campus Dining employees. She’d seen students refuse to put their mask on after CDS employees asked them to do so. She’d watched students not clean up after themselves in dining areas, saying that CDS workers could do it instead. “It was just really personally upsetting to me,” McKenzie, a sophomore Spanish and biomedical sciences major, said. “So I came to Preston [Arment with the Student Engagement office] with the idea of somehow organizing an event to show appreciation and show thankfulness to Campus Dining [workers] and show them that, even though there are bad experiences, there are people out there who really do appreciate them and who are so grateful for the services that they provide.” So McKenzie and Arment, a graduate student studying higher education and student affairs administration, set up two tables in the Student Union and covered them with construction paper, art supplies and free lemonade. They then encouraged passing students to make thank you cards for CDS workers. Over the course of three afternoons during Random Acts of Kindness Week, students made 226 cards, featuring drawings, messages of encouragement and lots of food puns. “We actually helped one student write a pun about lettuce,” McKenzie said. “It was like ‘Lettuce rejoice for Campus Dining,’ which was a lot of fun to brainstorm with them.” McKenzie and Arment were inspired to hold the UB Kind event after making personal thank you cards for CDS employees for a similar, smaller Student Engagement project in October. McKenzie, who said CDS employees made her “feel like family” last year when most of her classes were
online, recalls giving a card to one of her favorite CDS employees, Smiley. “He started crying and he hugged me,” McKenzie said. “And I started crying too because when people start crying, I start crying, and it was a really moving moment. I couldn’t believe that this gratitude hadn’t been expressed before.” But for as simple as their idea was, scaling it up to include hundreds of students involved “a lot of moving pieces,” according Courtesy of Preston Arment to Arment. Kallie McKenzie, a sophomore English and biomedical sciences major, holds a pink card thanking Campus Dining employees. McKenzie and Arcording to Mary Jo Butler, a general man- worker,’” Arment said. “They were excited ment staffed the tables, to see that someone was out here doing passed out pamphlets with tips on how ager at Campus Dining and Shops. Butler said CDS employees were “very something like that.” to treat CDS employees with respect, reArment, who is a graduate assistant for appreciative” of the cards and “the enviewed all of the cards for quality, recruitStudent Engagement, will graduate at the gagement of the larger community.” ed student ambassadors from UB’s new end of the year, but McKenzie hopes to “Even the smallest of kind acts are enFreedom of Assembly Support Team and make this an “annual tradition” and change rebranded their lemonade cans to resem- couraging and valued,” Butler said. the culture surrounding Campus Dining. And although McKenzie and Arment ble those featured in the Disney Channel “I would hope that it’s a start,” McKenzie didn’t get to distribute the cards themmovie “Lemonade Mouth,” in an effort to selves, they did get to interact with “a cou- said. “Obviously a lot of the students who play on students’ nostalgia. They also collaborated with Campus ple” of CDS workers while staffing their came to our table are people who already appreciate Campus Dining, but I would Dining and Shops, which provided print tables. “We did have some students walk up to hope that [we’re] helping students… [realmaterials, signage and suggestions and disus, and they were like, ‘Wait, I’m a dining ize that] this is a Campus Dining worker tributed the cards to CDS employees, acand, yes, ‘I have a meal plan,’ but also this is a human and somebody who’s worthy I would hope that [we’re] helping of dignity, worthy of respect, worthy of students… [realize that] this is a you taking your headphones out while Campus Dining worker and, yes, ‘I have a meal you’re ordering, looking at them and saying, ‘Hello, how are you?’ Those are things plan,’ but also this is a human and somebody that are small, but I think that they make who’s worthy of dignity, worthy of respect, a difference.”
worthy of you taking your headphones out while you’re ordering, looking at them and saying, ‘Hello, how are you?’
Email: grant.ashley@ubspectrum.com
Flint and Hadley Village residents contend with hot water shortage Students received refunds, Campus Living Director says KAYLA ESTRADA ASST. NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR
Aimee Zynda, a junior political science major, watched her roommates in their Flint Village apartment perform their usual nighttime routine, consisting of brushing their teeth, washing their faces and putting on their pajamas—except starting Feb. 5 this also included boiling several pots of water to avoid taking cold showers. Residents of Flint Village 301 were without hot water from Feb. 5-10, as the result of a malfunctioning main circuit board that controls the building’s boiler, according to Campus Living Director Tom Tiberi. Tiberi also said students in Hadley Village 110 and 113 reported not having hot water “a few days before” Campus Living received the Flint complaints. Flint residents were instructed to use the shower facilities in Alumni Arena during the hot water pause. “I was very thankful to have friends that live off campus, so I was able to shower at their place, but if it wasn’t for them being very kind to me I don’t know what I would have done,” Zynda said. “All they [Campus Living] offered us was Alumni, and granted Flint 301 is the closest building to it—but still we didn’t have time to go to Alumni to shower, especially in freezing cold weather, and ridiculous wind chills.” After technicians looked at the circuit board in Flint, they determined that a new part had to be installed, Tiberi said in a
Zoom interview with The Spectrum. But the part they required needed to be shipped by the manufacturer in Texas. While waiting for the new part, technicians installed a temporary fix. “We had told students that this temporary solution would cause the water to be lukewarm to hot, but most reported back that it was hot,” Tiberi said. “So, students actually had hot water by Wednesday night [Feb. 9] and the permanent solution came in on Feb. 10.” By contrast, Hadley’s hot water issues were caused by failing boilers. “There were actually three hot water boilers, one boiler heats the water for one building,” Tiberi said. “There’s 12 apartments in each of those buildings and three of those failed, we got those up and running, two of them within the day, and one
of them within eight hours. We just put a different system in there and that was much easier to figure out.” Tiberi says the systems should have lasted longer than they did. The malfunctions occurred several years before they are expected to die, something Tiberi attributed in part to harsh weather conditions. “The part that is frustrating is that neither of these systems are old,” Tiberi said. “The Flint system is only 2 years old and the Hadley system is 7 years old, but you should get 8-12 years out of these systems. So, we are working with the manufacturer to figure out why but unfortunately, equipment does fail, even when we take care of it. The winter is certainly hard on equipment, but we are committed to doing all that we can to make sure that the equipment works properly.”
Davila Tarakinikini / The Spectrum Residents of Flint Village 301 were without hot water from Feb. 5-10.
The equipment problems not only impact administrators, but also students — the lack of hot water violated students’ housing agreement. “We actually did refund all of the students in Flint 301 for the five days that the hot water was not working,” Tiberi said. But according to Zynda, the Community Advisers were the ones at the forefront of solving the water crisis. “Our CAs were mainly the ones who seemed to be handling the situation,” said Zynda. “Out of the kindness of their hearts they offered to drive us over to Alumni so we could take hot showers. The administration wasn’t giving us a lot of answers and that was really frustrating.” Email: kayla.estrada@ubspectrum.com
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FEATURES
Wednesday, March 2 2022 | 7
What’s UB ‘Spirit’ all about? The unsung heroes of UB’s courts and stadiums SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
The Spectrum’s sports page has long featured athletic greats from basketball stars like Dyaisha Fair to NFL Draft hopefuls like Kodofi Wright. But these athletes play a small part in creating the electric atmosphere that surrounds UB athletic events. The real heavy lifting is done by UB’s “Spirit Teams.” UB has five different “Spirit Teams”: Thunder of the East Marching Band, UB Pep Band, True Blue — UB’s student fan section — The Dazzlers dance team and UB Cheer. “GO BULLS!” “Let’s! Go! Buff-a-lo!” These chants wouldn’t exist (at least not in an in-tune way) if it wasn’t for these squads. “It’s free therapy,” True Blue graphic designer Emma Stanton said. “I scream at the absolute top of my lungs. It’s cool that we’re all being loud together,” Stanton told The Spectrum. These “Spirit Teams” are the hidden backbone of UB Athletics: they give students, fans and athletes alike the perfect atmosphere to bleed blue. “We bring that college atmosphere,” backstop cheerleader Lindsey Hurlbut said. “You want the students to be proud of where they go to [school]. Like proudly say, ‘I go to the University at Buffalo.’” “School spirit helps with that,” marching band president Kwasi Hammond said. Their dances, chants and cheers embellish free throws and beautify touchdowns. They give UB’s nearly 400 D-1 athletes that lump-in-the-throat feeling every time they come on or off the court, pitch, pool or track. “We bring that UB spirit and pep not only to football games and basketball games, but to people around us when we talk about what we do,” Thunder of the East’s social media manager Thomas Farry said. “I think that the entire UB community shares the love and light with the sports teams.” These cheers audibly transform Alumni Arena and UB Stadium into raucous venues, even if the room is only filled with dull claps and dwindling crowds. These student “Spirit Teams” have to be on their A game as much as any of the student athletes they’re hyping up. “At the core of what we’re doing is to be at a sports game to help the athletes feel like we actually care,” True Blue president Alyssa Gomez said. We’re “a community,” True Blue photographer Nicholas Lividini added. The enthusiasm of UB’s “Spirit Teams’’ is matched by their talent and drive. “It looks easy because people make it look easy,” Dazzlers dancer Breanna Duchatellier said. The height of their kicks, rhythm of their somersaults, virtuosity of their tem-
pos and even volume of their shouts are trained day-in and day-out. “It’s fun so it feels effortless some days, but then also it definitely can be a lot of hard work at the start of the season when we’re getting things going,” Farry said. High-level athleticism isn’t exclusively reserved for the athletes; the spirit members, too, perform exceedingly powerful feats. “We are working hard, destroying our bodies too,” Hurlbut said. “We don’t spend our practices working on game material. We spend them working on material that we want to compete with one day.” Cheer members aspire to make an impact that goes beyond the sidelines. Cheerleaders at UB dream of making the NCA and NDA College Nationals in Daytona. It’s at this event that the cheerleaders hope to take home a coveted national title and megaphone-clad trophy.
games,’” Hammond said. But with increased recognition comes tremendous commitment. True Blue aims to attend as many sports games at UB as they can, while the marching band practices three times per week. The Dazzlers and cheer squads have a relentless training schedule, practicing three times per week for two to three hours on top of their weekly performances at games. “It could be all week basically,” Hurlbut said, recalling when the cheer squad was “together for six days straight” two weeks ago. The Dazzlers had a similar experience where they were spending so much time training and dancing at games that Duchatellier was “dancing every single day.” Ten-hour days at football games and hectic 12-hour boot camps in Fall’s ‘Band Week’ make for a rigorous lifestyle for these students.
are echoed through how the cheer squads have had to wear the same uniform for four years (eight whole seasons). “I feel like it can be underappreciated, like the work we do,” Duchatellier said. “Sometimes it’s like, ‘Did you think about us?’” Stanton added. But this sense of devaluement isn’t the case across the board. “I feel like everybody knows who we are and I feel like we’re very supported, even by the staff,” marching band social media manager Mary Dixon said. Katherine Gaynor, True Blue’s social media manager, echoes those same thoughts. “The coaches and the higher-ups go out of their way to help out,” Gaynor said, emphasizing UB Athletics’ appreciation t for their hard work. Gomez went on to highlight how UB football head coach Maurice Linguist re-
Sabrina Akter-Nabi / The Spectrum UB Cheerleaders delight fans during a recent men’s basketball game.
In the same vein, Duchatellier — an award-winning dancer — aspires to perform in the NBA or NFL one day, taking inspiration from the success of the renowned Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and the bright lights of the Super Bowl Halftime Show. “Dance and cheer are all sports as well. We all work hard, we dedicate our time, we have practices all week, we have to learn things so quickly. We have to test our bodies physically, mentally, emotionally,” Duchatellier said. Every “Spirit Team” shares in this graft and glory. “After a lot of basketball games recently, people will come up to us and say ‘Man you’re a big reason why we come to these
It’s “go, go, go all year round,” cheer flier Samantha Campanella said. Unlike some of UB’s D-1 athletes, the cheerleaders have twice the normal load — covering both the Fall and Spring semesters. They are student-athletes too. So do these teams necessarily get credit where credit’s due? “I think if people came into a week in our lives and saw how much we do they would actually be really surprised,” Campanella said. Putting in these hours is a huge commitment for any member of UB’s “Spirit Teams” and it can take a toll quickly. “We’re all students first, we all have busy schoolwork schedules,” Farry said. Sometimes it can feel like the UB cheerleaders need their own cheerleaders. Some members of the squad say they feel underappreciated by the school and its students. “We are constantly asked by the university to come to everything, so we drop everything and do it. Because that’s our job, and there’s this lack of appreciation sometimes for us I feel. They expect us to drop everything on a dime but we don’t get anything in return,” Hurlbut said. “It costs nothing for them to simply recognize us and recognize what we’re doing.” These frustrations
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum The UB Marching Band looks on as Evan Finegan punts during a game against Coastal Carolina last season.
ciprocates True Blue’s energy and calls for them to come out on game days. Or maybe this isn’t reciprocation at all. “I mean they deserve more spotlight than we do, because they’re the ones actually playing that sport that we’re watching,” Hammond said, explaining that spectators come out to watch the athletic teams, not the “Spirit Teams.”. But while they may feel underappreciated compared to the athletes, the differences are even starker between the “Spirit Teams” themselves. “Compared to the marching band, the cheer squad and the Dazzlers we definitely are a little overlooked,” Stanton said about True Blue. But common bonds of hard work and passion for bringing heat and energy to the main stage is what forges clear relationships between the different “Spirit Teams.” Just like a “partner in crime,” these teams don’t have to be the best of friends to share their electric zeal, Duchatellier said. “We all chime in on the same chants, we’re very linked with them,” Gomez said about the unity she feels these teams share with each other. “We love to watch them dance,” Hurlbut emphasized about cheer’s support for the Dazzlers’ performances. At the end of the day, the community feel and positive impact these teams bring to UB is indisputable. “The kids look at you like you’re a little celebrity,” Campanella said. UB’s “Spirit Teams” are rightfully known as the Bulls’ personalized hype men, but they are in their own right talented, toptier, athletes, musicians and fans. Email: sophie.mcnally@ubspectrum.com
8 | Wednesday, March 2 2022
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
ubspectrum.com
Conway the Machine drops his Shady Records debut with ‘God Don’t Make Mistakes’ ALEX FALTER SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
Album: “God Don’t Make Mistakes” Artists: Conway the Machine Label: Shady Records, Griselda Records Release Date: Feb. 25 Rating: 9/10 From the opening notes of the introductory track, “Lock Load,” it’s clear that if any one word could be used to describe Buffalo rapper Conway the Machine’s latest album, “God Don’t Make Mistakes,” it would be gritty. As cinematic as ever, Conway’s lyricism is on point, evoking “Scarface” with a pinch of “New Jack City” in this tale of crime and betrayal. This is, without question, the Buffalonian’s best project to date, exemplified quickly on the second track, “Tear Gas.” Assisted by excellent verses from veterans Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, Conway outshines both artists right off the bat with stories of a man backed into a corner: “I’m just tryna keep my head above the water, my feet on solid ground / Post traumatic stress disorder got me smokin’ out a pound / Heard a n—- say he gon’ do something to me, how that sound? / Anybody get out of bounds, Shots gon’ come and knock him down.” No album would be complete without a fitting cover, and the cover of “God Don’t Make Mistakes” is as fitting as covers come, featuring a classic transaction with a man decked in camouflage against a house that all but implies exactly what this sort of transaction entails. Never one to forget his roots, Conway’s hard-as-nails persona is perfectly encapsulated on the appropriately titled “Piano
Love.” Across a dark beat, the rapper successfully blends reflection of his progress while still reminding listeners that his is absolutely not to be crossed. “Hood n—s still eat the ramen noodles / That load cost an extra five if I got it to you / We the mob, you violate that, I gotta shoot you / Send some rockets through you, hollow tips poppin’ to you.” The album does anything but reinvent the wheel, but that’s not bad in this case. Continuing to push the trademark 1990s NYC-influenced style Conway and his fellow Griselda members have been establishing for years, Conway sounds at the top of his game, mastering the style once and for all. One of the LP’s most outside-the-box tracks is none other than “Wild Chapters,” which is especially eerie for one of the eeriest produced albums of the year. Along a grimmer-than-the-reaper beat, Conway, Novel and rap icon T.I. each deliver original, easy on the ear verses along with a beautiful chorus courtesy of Novel that perfectly compliments the Hit-Boy produced beat: [Novel:] “I’m so fried all day / On my grind always / Seen some foul, foul times / In this wild, wild life / And I ain’t even trippin’, no / Since the world we live in is so cold.” The album’s best collaboration comes in the form of “John Woo Flick,” an anthem of badassery from the likes of Conway and Buffalo brethren Benny the Butcher and Westside Gunn. Equipped with a beat from Kill and Daringer so cool Samuel L. Jackson would stop in awe, the Griselda crew raps like rent is due, finding time to reference multiple NBA teams, Wu-Tang Clan and even personality Wayne Brady. Each member of the crew gives it his all,
reminding longtime fans that the trio have some of the best chemistry in not just hiphop, but music as a whole. [Benny the Butcher:] “I swing this MAC, I’m clearin’ the fences / Enough shooters on my team to embarrass the Pistons / The trap empty, all I had, kitchenware and a biscuit / I need a pile of dirty cash and somewhere I can rinse it.” Unquestionably the best solo track on the album, “Stressed” shows a vulnerable side of Conway not often seen, where he talks about mental health and the struggles of life in Buffalo: “The bullsh-t in life, everybody go through that / But it’s a lesson in it all, you gotta grow through that / I was down bad and broke, but I wrote through that / Felt my problems would go away if I could blow through rap / Dutch Master, smoke the whole two packs / This kind of stress, I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to go
through that / My cousin, he took a cord and put his throat through that / I wish I had a chance to tell a n—a, ‘Don’t do that’ / Uh, n—as don’t understand depression is real / People stressin’ ‘bout real life shit, you stressin’ your bills.” To close out the album, title track “God Don’t Make Mistakes” contains a heartfelt voicemail from the artist’s mother, Annette Price, but not before a savory psychedelic beat from The Alchemist and an extra long verse courtesy of Conway, which caps off the album in the smoothest of fashions. Arguably the best rap album so far this year, “God Don’t Make Mistakes” is just another exceptional project in the discography of Buffalo hip-hop, once again raising the impossibly high standards Conway and his peers continue to set. Email: alex.falter@ubspectrum.com
Courtesy of Shady Records/Interscope Records Conway the Machine’s latest album, “God Don’t Make Mistakes.”
UB selects four new campus art projects Projects are expected to be installed over the summer, pay tribute to UB’s history JUSTIN WEISS MANAGING EDITOR
In 1958, the UB football team turned down the school’s first-ever bowl game invitation because its two Black players weren’t allowed to play.
Sixty-four years later, UB will honor the team with a mural on its North and South Campuses — one of four new public art projects expected to be installed over the summer as part of the university’s second annual Contemplative Sites project. Launched by the Office of the Provost, the annual project installs art that intends to “not only enhance the campus, but provide for contemplation on important issues of our time,” according to a UBNow story from late February.
UB community members submitted 24 ideas for public art projects. Four ideas — a tribute to the Haudenosaunee Nation, a mural about Title IX, a South Campus walking path in the shape of a labyrinth and the aforementioned mural about the 1958 football team — were chosen by the Contemplative Sites Subcommittee to be displayed during the 2022-23 academic year. “Our university community is incredibly creative and I hope the competition will
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum “Progress Pride Paths,” a rainbow-colored sidewalk in Knox Quad and last year’s Contemplative Sites project, celebrates the LGBTQ community.
continue to grow,” Despina Stratigakos, vice provost for inclusive excellence, said. “The more we transform our landscapes as makers and users, the more alive they become to us.” Last year’s Contemplative Sites project featured “Progress Pride Paths,” a rainbow-colored sidewalk in Knox Quad, outside the Student Union, that celebrates the LGBTQ community. Email: justin.weiss@ubspectrum.com
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Wednesday, March 2 2022 | 9
The sophomore scaries: sex, drugs and recovery road Euphoria wraps up its sophomore season with explosive entertainment, eye-catching cinematography and numerous failed plot lines KARA ANDERSON SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
With a plethora of prosthetic penises, a gun-slinging granny and the best musical rendition of “Holding Out For a Hero” since “Shrek 2,” “Euphoria’s” sophomore season started and ended with a bang… literally. Picking up at New Year’s Eve 2019 following Rue Bennett’s (Zendaya) drug relapse, season two delivers an eight-episode run that struggles to find the proper balance between greatness and failure. While able to portray the gut-wrenching reality of addiction and deliver visuals that rival masterpieces of art, season two betrays its weaknesses in poor character development and even worse story lines. Perhaps the shining star of “Euphoria’s” second season is episode five, titled “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird,” a reference to a book of the same name by Henry Miller. Though in the past, “Euphoria” has been criticized for glamorizing drugs
by organizations like D.A.R.E., this episode dispels this notion completely. Gone is the glitter and enticing psychedelic trips of the first season, leaving the audience with only the bleak and disturbing nature of drug withdrawal and its consequences. Season two is a gruesome and all-too-real look at how addiction affects not only the person afflicted, but also their family members, friends and surrounding community. Further pushing the second season into the territory of spectacular is the further development of characters like Lexi Howard (Maude Apatow) and her impossibly high-budget and entertaining play, “Our Life”; Fez’s little brother, Ashtray (Javon “Wanna” Walton) and his striking penchant for violence; and Ethan (Austin Abrams) and his Tony-level performance of Suze Howard, Lexi and Cassie’s mother, in “Our Life.” Then, there is the season’s cinematography. To put it simply, season two is visually breathtaking. From floral shots inspired by Mexican murals to an entire montage of recreated art and film history, “Euphoria” is saturated with pointedly crafted television artwork. If nothing else, “Euphoria” season two is a visual feast for the video glutton. However, it’s largely style over substance.
The writing, while at times humorous and poignant, isn’t able to stabilize itself enough to create and finish any coherent storylines. The plot jumps around from character to character, at times giving extended screen time to near pointless scenes (such as Elliot, played by Dominic Fike, who sings an entire three-minute song), while limiting screen time for other characters (especially in the last two episodes), including Jules, played by Hunter Schafer, and even Rue. Then there’s the unresolved storyline with McKay (Algee Smith), who makes exactly one appearance this season, despite being a focal character in season one. There’s the lack of acknowledgement of Laurie, the teacher turned drug dealer (Martha Kelly), despite Rue owing her a debt. That’s not to mention the half-baked and wildly unnecessary drama triangle between Rue, Elliot and Jules. The amount of loose ends this season could knit a sweater. Further pushing the second season toward the edge of failure is the constant blurring of fantasy and reality. This occurs to such an extent that the audience is no longer left intrigued, but rather feels a sense of disorientation and confusion. It’s ambiguous to the point of absurdity. Another miss in storytelling is that of Cal Jacob’s — played by Eric Dane, but
portrayed by Elias Kacavas during flashback scenes — backstory. “Euphoria’s” season two dedicates the first 16 minutes of its third episode to creating a story, that while beautiful and devastating on its own, serves only for viewers to sympathize with a known sex offender. The backstory raises the question of why? Why do we need to devote so much time to create sympathy for a predatory side character, when parts of the main cast, including the story of Kat (Barbie Ferreira) and her cam girl days get completely sidelined? Why does this backstory have to rely on tired queer tropes that only end in loss? It’s messy and stale writing. Overall, “Euphoria’s” sophomore season almost miraculously scores and misses in the same intensity. Its failures are as equally devastating as its successes are redeeming. The acting is stellar, the outfits are trendsetting and the humor is wellbalanced. But, there are simultaneously periods of little-to-no plot development, an oversaturated cast of characters and writing that goes nowhere. Jenna Quinn contributed reporting to this story. Email: kara.anderson@ubspectrum.com
Eddy Chen / HBO A scene from “Euphoria” season 2, episode 8.
International Fiesta will return to the CFA on Saturday International Fiesta will return for the first time since 2020 with a “revival” theme KARA ANDERSON SENIOR ARTS EDITOR
From domestic violence to bullying and suicide, UB’s International Fiesta has been a platform for UB’s cultural organizations to bring awareness to pressing social issues through the art of dance. Hosted by the Student Association, the annual competition will return Saturday at the Center for the Arts for the first time
since its COVID-19-related cancellation in 2021. This year’s theme is “revival.” In the past, the competition has drawn an audience of 1,500, selling out the CFA mainstage theater. Previous winners of the competition include the Latin American SA in 2020, the Korean SA in 2019 and the Indian SA in 2018. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the competition will begin at 7 p.m. The event is free to UB undergrads. Email: kara.anderson@ubspectrum.com
Thomas Atehortua / The Spectrum Members of the Latin American Student Association celebrate after winning International Fiesta in February 2020.
10 | Wednesday, March 2 2022
SPORTS
ubspectrum.com
WOMEN’S TENNIS TRIUMPHS, MEN’S FALLS AT CLEVELAND STATE
Last week in UB Athletics
SWIMMING AND DIVING FINISHES SECOND AT MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
UB swimming and diving (5-0, 4-0 MAC) finished second at the Mid-American Conference Championships in Bowling Green, OH at the end of the week — falling more than 200 points short of its second-straight MAC Championship victory. Akron placed first with a dominant 896.5 points, which blew UB’s 619.5 points out of the water. Five Bulls earned first team All-MAC honors: freshman Sawyer Bosley, junior Victoria Franz, seniors Toni Naccarella and Katie Pollock and graduate student Jillian Lawton. Sophomores Mia Narccarella and Marij van der Mast and junior Clarice Fisher went on to earn second team All-MAC honors. Franz clinched MAC Diver of the Year, becoming just the second Bull ever to win the award, joining alum Meili Carpenter. Freshman Marialis Kwak took the MAC Freshman Diver of the Year award while diving coach Russ Dekker received the MAC Diving Coach of the Year honor for the third time in his career. UB divers also set a number of program records last week. Wednesday saw Mia and Toni Naccarella, Pollock and Lawton smash the 200-medley relay record with a 1:37.58 finish, .24-seconds faster than the previous record. But Akron still edged UB out by .30-seconds for first place. Thursday brought further success as Franz broke UB’s 12-year gold medal drought in the 1-meter dive — clinching the distinction for the Bulls for the first time since 2010. Franz won with a score of 318.75 and defeated Eastern Michigan senior Bethany Berger by a 3.45-point margin. Lawton, Bosley, Toni Naccarella and junior Elinor Duley closed the day with a 200-freestyle relay program record of 1:29.43, which earned them silver. Day 3 saw Pollock break her own 200-breaststroke record twice to strike gold with a final of 59.92 seconds. Latwon followed suit with a personal best in the 100-butterfly at 53.02 seconds. While the Bulls weren’t able to win back-to-back MAC Championships, they put on an impressive performance that saw both individual and team success. SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Women’s tennis (9-1) and men’s tennis (1-7) each faced Cleveland State Saturday at the CSU Medical Mutual Tennis Center — with very different results. The women’s squad pulled out a 4-3 victory to win its ninth match of the season while men’s tennis fell to the Vikings by the same score. The women’s team just managed to squeak out the doubles point. A strong start saw senior Nikoleta Antoniou-Karademitrou and fifth-year senior Gabriella Akopyan bag a 6-3 win, followed by a harsh 6-1 loss in second doubles. Senior Pia Schwarz and junior Azra Deniz Comlek went on to seal the win with a 7-5 victory in third doubles. Singles was a grueling battle to the top as three of the six matches went into third sets. Cleveland State clinched first, second and fifth singles before the Bulls reinstated their dominance on the court. Akopyan won her first set 6-2, before losing steam in her second with a 7-5 defeat. But a 6-4 performance in her third set clinched the match for the Bulls. Men’s tennis — a squad that has struggled all season to find consistency — disappointed with a 4-3 loss. Similar to the women’s team, the men fought an exhausting battle for victory, with three matches going into three sets. Macnamara’s third singles saw a 7-6, 1-6, 1-4 win, as Snaiders overcame a first set loss to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, but ultimately failed to conquer the Vikings. Women’s tennis will host Youngstown State Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at the Miller Tennis Center, while men’s tennis will compete on March 12 to open Mid-American Conference play at Binghamton. SOPHIE MCNALLY ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL DEFEATS KENT STATE, 82-64, FOR COMMANDING WIN
Dyaisha Fair dropped 28 points, three assists, two steals and three rebounds to lift the Bulls (20-8, 14-4 MAC) to an 82-64 victory against Kent State (17-10, 9-9 MAC) Saturday afternoon. Fair, a junior guard from Rochester, is fourth in the nation in scoring at 23.8 points per game, while UB is second in the Mid-American Conference with just over a week remaining until the MAC tournament. Redshirt fifth-year forward Summer Hemphill continues to dominate on both sides of the ball, as she dropped 15 points and 18 rebounds to secure her secondconsecutive double-double. Junior forward Loren Christie found the basket for 12 points; she also added six boards and three blocks to extend UB’s winning streak to four. Back-to-back layups from Christie gave UB a 4-0 advantage within the first minute of the game. A triple by junior guard Dominique Camp gave Buffalo a 7-2 lead with 8:04 in the first quarter. That became a 19-14 advantage at the end of the period thanks to a 6-0 run capped by a jumper from Christie. Buffalo opened the fourth quarter on a 10-3 run, which was highlighted by a three-pointer from freshman guard Georgia Woolley to secure a 70-49 advantage with 6:21 left to play. The Bulls snagged a 20-point lead with 4:43 remaining thanks to a pair of baskets at the charity stripe from Fair. UB held a 23-point advantage four times in the fourth quarter as it proceeded to an 82-64 victory. UB out-rebounded the Golden Flashes 41-38 and turned 12 turnovers into 15 points. UB dominated in the paint, scoring 42 points compared to Kent State’s 20. Buffalo turned 14 offensive rebounds into 15 second-chance points while shooting 32-of-63 from the field. The Bulls are 10-0 when they score 80 or more points this season. The Bulls will return to MACtion on Wednesday as they face the Zips in Akron at 7 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN3. KAYLA STERNER ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Sai Krishna-Seethala / The Spectrum Swimming and diving finished in second in the MAC Championships last week.
JOSH MBALLA’S EIGHTH DOUBLE-DOUBLE HELPS BULLS WIN NINTH STRAIGHT
Track and field traveled to Kent, OH over the weekend to compete in the MidAmerican Indoor Conference Championships. The men placed fourth out of four teams with 64 points, while the women placed 10th out of 12 teams with 24 points. UB struggled as a team, but individual athletes stood out. Junior Dustin Meyer earned a bronze medal in pole vaulting with a height of 4.81-meters. Senior Scott Loforte secured his spot on the podium in the 5,000-meter race after finishing in 14:25.50 to become the third-fastest 5K runner in program history. Junior Jonathan Surdej — who won the 2021 outdoor championships in shot put — once again took home the gold with a 17.64-meter launch. UB has won 11 of its last 14 MAC track and field titles for shot put. Fifth year senior Brandon Burke also won his second consecutive title, after he soared 2.2 meters in the high jump. The men’s distance relay team — graduate student Thomas Flannery, junior Alex Hislop, freshman Fernando Sanchez and sophomore Evan Hilbert — crushed its season-best time by nearly 18 seconds (9:55.16) to take home a bronze medal. The women’s team also enjoyed some individual success. Junior Johann Matzal finished fifth overall in the 800-meter run with a 1:53.71 time. Sophomore Scilla Benussi finished seventh overall to snag two points for the Bulls in the women’s pentathlon. Senior Christina Wende launched herself 5.89 meters in the long jump to finish in sixth place. Junior Zaria Fuller tied for fifth place in the high jump with a height of 1.66 meters. Senior Antoinette Miller ran a 7.67 in the women’s 60-meter dash to take home sixth place. The Bulls will begin their outdoor season on March 24 when they travel to Raleigh, NC for the Raleigh Relays.
Senior forward Josh Mballa’s eighth double-double of the season propelled the UB men’s basketball team (19-8, 13-4 MAC) to a 70-60 victory over Northern Illinois (8-20, 5-1 MAC) Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena. Mballa netted 14 points and snagged 15 rebounds in the win, which extended UB’s win streak to nine with just two regular season games remaining until the MidAmerican Conference Tournament. “We had to lock in,” senior forward Jeenathan Williams said. “We had to take a look in the mirror and we did that and we just came together. Once we play together, it’s hard to beat us.” Nine Bulls found the net in a balanced scoring attack as Buffalo mustered 18 bench points. “We really had a great stretch there,” head coach Jim Whitesell said after the game. “Our bench came in and really gave us a great lift and it’s been really good to see that. I think they play good defense most of the time when they come in but it’s great to see them really get us going offensively.” Williams, who led all scorers with 18 points, also added four assists and three boards. The Huskies came out of the gate hot, going on a 5-0 run to open things up, but a layup from Segu ignited a spark in the Bulls, who responded with a 10-0 run to clutch a 10-5 lead with 12:46 to go. “Nothing was going for us,” Williams said about the first few minutes. “But we just stuck with it, kept playing and digging until [we] finally broke through. Rondo [Ronaldo Segu] got a layup, a couple more layups for us and that’s all we needed to see — the ball [to] go in one time.” UB had 28 points in the paint and 12 fast-break points. The Bulls scored eight points from 18 offensive rebounds and turned 10 Husky turnovers into 16 points. Buffalo will return to action on Tuesday against Toledo for its final home game of the season. The game will mark UB’s sixth match in 12 days. “It’s a lot of games in 12 days,” Whitesell said. “We need a little bit of rest and recovery tomorrow and then we have to regroup and get ready for Toledo. I’m proud of the guys.” Tip-off is at 7 p.m. and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.
KAYLA STERNER
KAYLA STERNER
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
TRACK AND FIELD TEAMS STRUGGLE AT MAC INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS