8/27 Search Committee Withholds Presidential Candidates
Eight months after President William Greiner announced his plans to resign from the presidency, the search committee for a new president continued to withhold the names of potential candidates, keeping everyone in the dark.
8/27 Students Stuck in Hotels
Due to a tremendous incoming freshman class of record size, UB had to house 155 students in two local motels and a South Campus office building for the fall semester. The students were forced to leave the hotels in the spring, despite being happy there.
9/3, 9/5, 9/10 Nan Harvey Dies; Dickerson Memorial Stolen Then Replaced
UB Athletics Administrator Nan Harvey died of ovarian cancer. Unrelated, but equally saddening, a small memorial for a fallen UB athlete was stolen that same week. It was replaced soon after.
9/3 SA Stops Communication with Media
In a sweeping change in public relations policy, the Student Association decided to restrict its contact with the media to e-mail only. Later, after much criticism, SA eased its media policy.
9/3 SA Withholds Funds from Linda Yalem Race
The SA Senate decided to withdraw $5,000 of support from the annual race named in memory of a UB student who was raped and killed while jogging. The decision received criticism from students and administrators. SA cited lack of support from the Yalem family.
9/15 Fall Fest a Hit
With Godsmack, LilO Kim and Nas on hand at Baird point to perform for thousands of students, SAOs Fall Fest was a smash hit. Fall Fest 2003 marked the first such event run by SA Entertainment and not Sub Board I, Inc.
9/29 Racism Countered on Both Campuses
Five white supremacists marched on Main Street, which triggered tremendous and spirited protests by students and community members on both campuses, with 200 protestors at the march itself.
10/13 Yalem Family Supports Race
Following SAOs decision to withdraw money from the Linda Yalem charity race due to a lack of Yalem family support, the Yalem family said they did indeed support the annual race.
10/20 Santa Cruz Official Tapped For Presidency
After nine months of confidential interviews and decisions by the Presidential Search Advisory Committee, UB welcomed John B. Simpson from the University of California Santa Cruz as UBOs 14th president to succeed President William R. Greiner.
10/22 Capaldi Moves On
Elizabeth D. Capaldi, who served as UB Provost for three and a half years, accepted the position of SUNY vice chancellor and chief of staff in Albany shortly after the results of the presidential search were announced.
11/3 Police Crackdown on Mayhem in the Heights
Eighteen students were arrested at three different University Heights parties in the biggest police crackdown of the semester. Police said they were trying to curb rising complaints and quality of life crimes. Students were arrested for selling liquor without a license and operating a criminal nuisance.
11/10 Students Fired After On-Campus Halloween Party
Flint Village community assistants Marc Stellrecht and Jordan Berry were fired by the director of University Apartments after attending a Halloween party in Southlake Village during their off hours. Alcohol was served and students under 21 were present at the party.
11/12 SA Begins Investigation into The SpectrumOs Budget
The newly formed SA Senate Allocation Review Committee began an examination into the $30,000 from the mandatory student activity fee that SA allocates yearly to the publication. Committee members said the investigation would be conducted to ensure the streamlining of funds; The Spectrum editor-in-chief felt the publication was singled out because of rough relations between the two organizations.
11/14 Fired Community Assistants Rehired
Community assistants Marc Stellrecht and Jordan Berry were rehired after appealing their terminations handed down from the director of University Apartments. The two then chose to resign from their newly restored jobs in protest.
12/3 SUNY Moves Toward Annual Tuition Increase
SUNY delegates approved a proposal by a vote of 13-2 authorizing the development of a new tuition plan that may increase SUNY tuition on an annual basis. For a tuition increase to take effect, a bill must be passed by the State Legislature and signed by Gov. George Pataki.
12/3 Two Students Abducted from North Campus Parking Lot
The Buffalo and University Police departments collaborated in an investigation into the abduction and robbery of UB two students. The students were abducted from Spaulding Lot, near the Ellicott Complex.
12/3 Committee Recommends Continued Funding to The Spectrum
After several weeks of hearings, a Student Association committee decided to recommend The Spectrum continue to receive funding. The SA Senate Allocation Review Committee will recommend to the SA Senate during the spring semester that The SpectrumOs student subscription fee be earmarked specifically for paying the newspaperOs annual accounting costs.
1/1 Greiner Says Goodbye
President William R. Greiner stepped down from his position of 13 years as he handed the reins to John B. Simpson, former executive vice chancellor and provost at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
1/14 UB Welcomes New President John Simpson
John Simpson took office on Jan. 1 after a nationwide search and replaces President William R. Greiner, who announced his retirement one year ago. One of the first things on the agenda, Simpson said, is the search for a new provost.
1/14 New Interim Provost is No Stranger to UB
President John B. Simpson announced that Robert Genco, a distinguished professor of oral biology and microbiology, will take office as interim provost on Feb. 1. A search committee was created to find a permanent provost.
1/24 Rehired Community Assistants Resign in Protest
After they were fired last semester for attending a controversial South Lake Village Halloween party, and rehired after an appeals process, Marc Stellrecht and Jordan Berry have left their positions as community assistants for good.
1/24 Business in Heights on Decline
Stimulance coffeehouse, formerly located at 3160 Main St. in the heart of University Heights, closed its door to the public shortly before winter break, leaving a disappointed community in its wake. The closing is part of a trend of poor business traffic near UBOs South Campus.
1/26 Pataki Proposes Zero Tuition Increase Next Year
In the presentation of his 2004-05 budget, Gov. George Pataki proposed that tuition remain unchanged for the coming school year. In addition, Pataki proposed a 5 percent increase in spending for the entire SUNY system that would raise state spending on SUNY by $75.4 million to $1.58 billion.
1/28 Among UB Custodians, Union Presence Fading
On-campus union leaders call for the university to return to a fully unionized cleaning staff. Union leaders said non-unionized cleaners - such as those from the Class Act Cleaning Services - performed at a lower rate and were more likely to steal than those in a union. University officials said hiring non-union employees resulted in millions in savings.
2/2 Professor, 2 Students Arrested in the Cayman Islands
Communication professor Gerald Goldhaber was arrested at his condo in the Cayman Islands along with two students, Bernardo Tagliareni and Jose Antonia Sierra. He plead guilty to possession of marijuana and ecstasy, and consumption of marijuana. Goldhaber spent two nights in jail and paid a fine of $2,500.
2/6 Former UB Students Arraigned on Kidnapping Charges
Four University Heights area men were arraigned on charges of kidnapping, robbery and assault in connection with four gunpoint kidnappings that took place on campus from October to November. Two of the men were UB students at the time of the crimes.
2/18 From Coast to Coast, in Running Shoes
In an effort to raise money for diabetes research, UB graduate Jason Gross announces plans to run from New York to Los Angeles. The run, which is set to begin in July and end in January 2005, could raise up to $100,000, he said.
2/23 At Black Explosion, Style and Soul
Hundreds of people gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Buffalo for Black Explosion, the annual night of fashion, food and entertainment hosted by the Black Student Union. Highlights this year included the fashion designs of a UB student and Griff, a comedian from Black Entertainment TelevisionOs ??UIComic View.??U\0x9D
2/27 Blue Squall Capsizes Kent State
Over 6,000 students cheered on the menOs basketball team as they crushed the Kent State Golden Flashes. Hundreds of students stormed the court after the game, cheering and celebrating with the Bulls.
3/10 Bulls Beat Huskies in Front of Record Crowd
A record crowd flooded Alumni Arena to watch the Bulls cruise to a 90-73 victory against the Northern Illinois Huskies. Again after the game, fans stormed the court and hoisted head coach Reggie Witherspoon on their shoulders for a victory ride. The BullsO win sent them to the Mid-American Conference Quarterfinals in Cleveland, Ohio.
3/12 22 Students Run for SA E-board Positions
In one of the largest races the Student Association has seen in recent years, 22 students vied for seven positions in the SA general elections. Many speculated that the large number of candidates - 17 more than last year - came as a result of several articles by on-campus publications detailing SA spending.
3/26 Goldhaber Retires After Scandal
Popular communication professor Gerald Goldhaber, who was arrested on drug charges while with two students in the Caribbean in January, decided to retire after 29 years at UB. Following his arrest Goldhaber told The Spectrum he intended to return in the fall.
3/29 Presidential Candidate Removed From Assembly
The Ascension PartyOs candidate for SA President, Timothy Kelly, was removed from the SA Assembly for missing meetings. KellyOs leadership of the Diversity Committee was also weak, according to Assembly Speaker Adam Sherlip.
4/2 Elevation Party Sweeps Elections; Kelly Restored
Led by presidential candidate Anthony Burgio, the Elevation Party took every seat in the SA elections with a landslide victory. Ascension Party candidate Timothy Kelly finished in second place and was reinstated to the Assembly at a meeting of the Rules Committee.
4/9 Med Student Wins UB Council Elections
In a low turnout election, medical student David Brooks won a six-way battle for the student seat on the UB Council. Brooks will replace Jennifer Tuttle, who ran unopposed for the seat last year.
4/14 Simpson Makes First Moves
President John B. Simpson chose Senior Vice Provost Bruce Helm to be the new executive director of UBOs bioinformatics center. Simpson also increased the number of faculty at the center. The moves were SimpsonOs first major personnel decisions as UBOs president.
4/21 Bush, in Buffalo, Touts Patriot Act
President George W. Bush brought his presidential campaign to Buffalo, defending his law enforcement record to a group of politicians and first responders at Kleinhans Music Hall.
4/21 Tripathi Named Provost
President Simpson named computer scientist Satish Tripathi UBOs next provost. Tripathi is credited with building the University of California-RiversideOs engineering program during his tenure as dean of their engineering school.
4/26 Hoobastank Plays Springfest
A relatively small but energetic crowd greeted the MTV Campus Invasion at Alumni Arena. Ima Robot was greeted with boos and chants, but the crowd warmed to Hoobastank, which played its hit ??UIThe Reason.??U\0x9D
