Runnin' down a dream
Everywhere you looked, prospects were being assessed and judged under a microscope.
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Everywhere you looked, prospects were being assessed and judged under a microscope.
Members of the UB community can breathe a sigh of relief today after reports of a possible gunman on North Campus could not be fully verified. At 4:05 p.m., officers from the University Police Department received a call from a student at Lockwood Library, where there was a possible sighting of a man with either a rifle or a shotgun under a navy pea coat. According to Gerald W. Schoenle Jr., chief of police, the call resulted in officers' arrival at the site and the use of security footage from the building, which showed the possible suspect with something under his jacket, although what it was remained unclear. 'We went to a video and we immediately saw someone walking into the library that was right at the location where the suspect said there was a person that had a weapon,' Schoenle said. 'We were able to zoom in on those cameras and see a person in a very grainy video, that you certainly could not identify, who was carrying something that sort of fit the description, so that elevated our concerns a little bit.' The library was evacuated at 4:40 p.m. and a campus-wide alert was sent to students in the form of a text message at that time, asking them to stay away from the building. While the initial evacuation was in process, confused and interested students gathered around the library while police began to enter the building. Many were concerned that they were too close to a building where a possible gunman was on the loose. 'We would have acted totally differently [with an active shooter] than we acted in this case,' Schoenle said. Rumors about the incident were appearing on social networking Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter, mentioning hostages, missing police officers and a vague description of the suspect. Molly Wright, a senior business administration major, was sitting in her market research class in Alfiero Center when she received the text message. 'I showed the people sitting next to me and initially thought nothing of it,' Wright said. 'I just assumed it was a gas leak or something. I figured if something was seriously wrong, they would evacuate the campus.' The evacuation of the building did not cause a panic for students that were forced to leave, according to John Curaba, a senior business major. Curaba was on the third floor of the Student Union when he received notification of the evacuation. After looking out toward Lockwood Library, he was surprised by what he saw. 'It was kind of calm,' Curaba said. 'No one really knew what to think.' Alice Park, a senior nursing major who was in Lockwood Library at the time of the evacuation, said that the process was very quick. 'I was studying in the third-floor study room and the police came in and asked us to evacuate, saying there was some sort of an emergency,' Park said. 'I asked what was happening and they wouldn't disclose any information.' By 5 p.m., officers from the Amherst Police Department joined the UPD in its efforts to search the premises and fully evacuate the building. In addition, police created a perimeter around the area, which also resulted in the closure of Putnam Way between the library and the Alfiero Center. Police officers geared with assault rifles and bulletproof vests then entered the building through its main entrance to conduct a thorough sweep in search of the alleged gunman. A video of multiple police officers searching the Cybrary was leaked on Twitter and Facebook by an unknown source. 'I looked up in a window later when I was walking outside and I watched a cop kick open a door and go inside with his rifle,' Curaba said. 'I asked another cop and they said he couldn't find [a gunman] at all.' With a search still ongoing at 5:40 p.m., members of UB's senior administration felt that it was in the best interest of students to cancel all classes on North Campus for the remainder of the evening. '[We] decided … to cancel classes because there was a lot of concern on campus,' Schoenle said. A press conference was held at 6 p.m. by Joe Brennan, vice president for University Communications, which outlined what was known about the events during the late afternoon. 'The police have established a perimeter around Lockwood Library and are advising people to stay out of it so they can conduct their search,' Brennan said. But the main search didn't last long. By 6:30 p.m., officers from the Amherst Police Department left the scene because they felt that the threat was 'under control,' according to a UPD officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. As the final search by UPD officers began, there were still a sense of confusion throughout the UB community. Reports from students said that both Capen Library on North Campus and the Health Sciences Library on South Campus were closed during the early evening, but there was no immediate threat at either location. In order to coordinate a thorough search, Schoenle contacted off-duty officers to immediately come in, in addition to pulling officers from South Campus onto North Campus. 'Our emergency recall plan worked perfectly,' Schoenle said. 'Officers we hadn't even called yet got the text. We had 20 [off-duty] officers to assist us in searching the library.' To replace the lack of a university police presence there, Schoenle contacted the Buffalo Police Department, which supplied patrols to the area. At 8:15 p.m., Brennan addressed the media again, notifying them that the search for a gunman was completed and that no one was found in the building. 'Police have determined that there is no threat to campus and that it will be safe to resume activities, so classes will resume,' Brennan said. 'Safety and security of our students, faculty, staff and visitors is a top priority. We're glad that … it ended up being no harm to anybody.' Schoenle said that while no gunman was found, investigators will still be reviewing video from Lockwood Library and that police presence will be increased on North Campus until further notice. Stay with The Spectrum for complete coverage on the incident at Lockwood Library. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
Martin Luther King Jr. may be 42 years deceased, but Dr. Cornel West showed Friday night that King's teachings are everlasting. West reiterated King's messages throughout UB's 34th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemoration Event at The Center for the Arts. Those in attendance nodded in agreement as West preached the word of Dr. King during a one-hour lecture, followed by a 50-minute question-and-answer session with the audience. West hit upon a bevy of topics affecting America today, but it all came back to Dr. King and one existential idea. 'Learning how to die means what? You're forced to examine assumptions and presumptions you had,' West said. 'It's called education, and Brother Martin learned how to die.' He began the lecture by thanking the Buffalo community and UB's leaders, from President John B. Simpson to SA President Ernesto Alvarado, for making this event possible. To Simpson, West is one of the best individuals to speak of King's legacy. 'The annual Martin Luther King celebration has been a profound and important commemoration at UB, and Cornel West is a charismatic man who is ideally suited for this event,' Simpson said. Sherryl Weems, Director of UB's Educational Opportunity Center, agreed that West's credentials made him the right man for the event. 'Brother West has a complex mind and safeguards a complicated soul,' Weems said. 'My favorite reflection of his: you can't lead the people if you don't love the people. You can't save the people, if you don't serve the people.' After acknowledging the people that made the commemoration possible, West saluted King with a simple, but heartfelt message. To West, King should be remembered for what he was: a fighter for the quest of unarmed truth. 'We love you Brother Martin, we need you, we will never forget you,' West said. 'You will never undergo the process of Santaclaus-ification.' King was one of the figures that helped West learn how to die. Now a 56-year-old author and Princeton professor, West was a child filled with rage who, according to him, was destined for jail. At one point, he hit one of his teacher's and was kicked out of school. But things turned around. King and many others inspired West. In high school, West began to read and fight for Civil Rights, and a few years later, he was a 17-year-old Sacramento kid traveling the length of the United States to attend Harvard University. West mentioned how King's quest and his objection to the Vietnam War weren't popular, but King wanted to bring everyone together. 'Anybody that is serious about the quest for unarmed truth must be willing to pay the price,' West said. 'King had the same disapproval rates as George W. Bush. When he came against the war, everyone was against him. Black folks were against him.' West's appreciation of King showed during Friday's lecture. West spoke of King's life as a normal child as a point to inspire those that they can succeed. '[King] wasn't always Martin Luther King Jr.,' West said. 'He was once little Martin just running around the fields of Atlanta.' He made this point to show that progress could be made. West believes some progress was made with President Barack Obama's election in Nov. 2008, but people were blindsided by the change rhetoric Obama spilled in his speeches. Even though West campaigned for Obama during 67 events, he won't be sold until he sees results, and right now he's entirely skeptical of Obama. 'I told him, ‘I'll break-dance in the night [if you win], but I'd wake up the next day as his critic,' ' West said, 'He was seduced to those tied to the strong and the ones with money.' This abidance to powerful Americans has left many problems unsolved, including many problems affecting poor African Americans. Part of West believes that Obama has alienated these people while in office. 'I believe in the rule of law. How come no torture [overseas] is investigated, but Jamal on the corner with a crack rock is prosecuted to the fullest extent,' West said. 'President Obama needs to be protected, but also needs to be corrected.' The most powerful messages were made during the question-and-answer portion. Concerned Western New York citizens voiced their worries in their questions and sought West for help. Topics including education, the dying breed of young African American teens, and unconditional love were mentioned. On the topic of poor Americans of all races getting together in peace, West said that this is as important as ever. According to him, America sends the wrong message to these people, leaving them with little to no hope for the future. It's up to Americans to forego individual differences and come together for change. 'Everyday people are too little to rescue, but big companies are too big to fail. We fail, and it's ok, but the banks don't fail,' West said. 'We need grassroots organizing, not Astroturf connecting.' According to West, these examples are driving down America. There are not enough examples of success, and no positive role models to inspire youths. Until this changes, motivation will be lacking. 'If you witness wise examples, it equals wise judgments,' West said. 'When you see concrete examples of compassion, they become contagious.' But whatever the topic, whatever the issue, it was all reverted back to Dr. King and his messages. As King gained inspiration from President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionists in the 19th century, modern Americans can use King's words towards the movement of what's right. 'Martin Luther King Jr. is not an isolated individual to put on a pedestal; he's a wave in an ocean,' West said. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
Dr. Cornel West may be looked at as a civil rights leader, but the 56-year-old philosopher is more concerned about the health of America in general. Managing Editor David Sanchirico spoke to Dr. West before his Friday night speech at The Center for the Arts and learned about West's concerns on a bevy of topics. The Spectrum: You seem to be on the road constantly giving speeches. Do you enjoy leaving Princeton and traveling all across America? Dr. West: It depends how smooth the plane ride is. Sometimes they're moving all over the place, and I wish I were at home reading some Tolstoy. But generally speaking, meeting wonderful people like you is a joy and allows me to see all sides of America. S: I got you quoted saying, 'If a nation is sleepwalking and doesn't wake up, it will never be saved. An individual can be a catalyst and spark a nation, but can't totally save it.' While you were campaigning for Obama, did you view him that way? CW: Some people did, but we know there's no such thing as messiahs in the 21st century. For Christians, there's one particular Jew that they view as one, but other than that, there are none. There was a certain misconception regarding Obama. He was very charismatic and was running a crucial campaign, but of course he's no messiah at all. In a democracy, all of us have to rise up, organize and mobilize. S: You said you'd be his toughest critic once he stepped into office. It's been a year so far, what are your views of him now? CW: I've been a tough critic on him, very much so. I give him an A for changing the image of the country around the world, but I give him a C for the economy because he's got a team that's too tied to Wall Street and is not rooted to Main Street enough. Job creation is now an afterthought because the big banks are doing well now, the small banks not so much. I'll give him a B for green policy, which is very important. Foreign policy... I'm not too crazy about the war in Afghanistan. S: It's seems like people ignored his foreign policy. They viewed him as a peaceful guy that was going to bring this country back together. CW: In his campaign he did mention Afghanistan, but he downplayed it because the folks were in Iraq. S: The African American community was obviously ecstatic with Obama's election, but he doesn't seem to be focusing or helping those poor communities out. What's your opinion of Obama and lack of help in poor African American communities around America? CW: I think that he's kept the whole race at arm's length from the very beginning, because the only way he could win was to neutralize the anxieties of the white moderates who didn't know who he was. He kept the black supporters because they thought, ‘Oh my god if he could win, we'll be ok.' And he was certainly better than McCain. But my concern has to do with poor people in general. He has yet to speak to those people, no matter what color or where they're from. S: What is your message to those poor communities? Obviously we're in a tough recession right now and the money's not there. How do you get those people to rise up and try to succeed in this tough society? CW: They have to stay strong, hold together and stay disciplined. There has to be opportunities to reach out to each other and support each other. S: I'm going to go back in time a little bit: how old were you when Dr. King was assassinated? CW: I was 14 years old. S: That must have been a great shock. CW: It was devastating. I had just run a track meet in Sacramento. The news came out, and my heart broke. I'm sure every African American my age felt the same way. S: I found out that you weren't the most cooperative child. I've always compared you to Malcolm X, who wasn't the most stable and most law-abiding citizen as a child. What changed for you? CW: For me, it had to do with the power of love, the power of education, and the power of the church. All of these made me see that the lack of mind meant the lack of success. S: You were 17 where you traveled cross-country to attend Harvard. Talk about the experience as a kid traveling to a totally new surrounding. CW: It was like a whole new world. I meant a bunch of magnificent people. Black, white, all colors. Ever since then I've been along the east coast. New York, Princeton, Cambridge. I may be from the west coast but I love the east coast. S: Now I'm an old school hip-hop guy, and I know you're big on that stuff and have even been mentioned in Lupe Fiasco songs. I'm kind of skeptical of modern hip-hop, pop kind of stuff. What's your view of all of the stuff on the radio? CW: Guys like Talib Kweli and Lupe Fiasco rap messages and have something to say. Now Jay-Z is on the radio and he's talented, but he's just not at the level he use to be at on Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. The genius is still there, but there's no more motivation. S: Do you think those artists that are on the radio rap about limited messages are providing bad role models to young African Americans? CW: They're not spiritually deep. I'm a libertarian, people have the right to make noise, but there's a lack of diversity of voices on the radio. Every generation has some music that's questionable and not overly sophisticated. Unfortunately, the radio is so systematic. When I was making my album, they said if I made a catchy and booty-shaking single, they'd play it. But that's not what music should be about, especially the popular songs on the radio. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
Dr. Cornel West, professor of religion and African American studies at Princeton University, will be speaking at Center for the Arts on Friday as part of UB's 23rd annual Distinguished Speakers Series.
During every men's basketball home game, prominent members of UB's Athletic Department stand near Section 101. They watch with observant eyes as head coach Reggie Witherspoon attempts to bring his team closer to college basketball's promise land; the NCAA Tournament.
Last Thursday, Jeff Quinn hit obstacles on his way back to Buffalo from a recruiting visit in State College, Penn. An army of snowflakes attacked the new football head coach's windshield during the 200-mile trip, resulting in limited visibility throughout the drive. But Quinn could not let the limited view prevent him from hauling back to the home base. He was scheduled to meet with the faculty athletic representative on campus and was to meet with the football team's equipment staff afterwards. After the two meetings, Quinn met with every one of the team's 21 seniors, one-on-one. It was the first time that Quinn had the opportunity to meet with his upperclassmen for personal conversations. Quinn's exhausting Thursday was indicative of his first month on the job. A flurry of bad news, like quarterback Zach Maynard's departure, has made the future of the program unclear, but Quinn has surged forward with a heavy foot to strengthen the program. After 26 years of serving as an assistant, Quinn finally has earned the opportunity to run his own program and hasn't let bad news stop him from venturing out to strengthen the future of Buffalo football. He's living the dream and will work to succeed. 'When the opportunity presented itself to come to Buffalo and run my own team and be a head football coach, I had to take it,' Quinn said. 'There's only 120 of those jobs in the country. This has been my lifelong dream and goal, so this is what I was looking for, and Buffalo is a perfect fit for a guy like myself.' The new head coach, who was Cincinnati's offensive coordinator for the last three seasons, has been on the road nonstop since taking office in early January. With National Signing Day just days away, he's been racking up many frequent flyer miles by traveling to promote his system and philosophy to recruits. He failed to reel in some prospects, but he gained the confidence of many others. 'I've traveled thousands of miles on the air and thousands of miles on the ground, going in and out of homes,' Quinn said. 'It's been an unbelievable experience, but we've been well received and we're much further along than most people expected. Recruits wanted to know what I was about, and a majority of them loved everything they heard.' But Quinn couldn't convince one key player to be a part of his program. Maynard, who started 11 games at quarterback last season, left Buffalo and has created a huge void that Quinn must now fill. Maynard's decision didn't catch the 47-year-old coach by surprise, but Quinn's disappointment in Maynard was clear. 'Kids make decisions that they feel they think are best, whereas coaches feel differently sometimes,' Quinn said. 'He left without really knowing who I was, what our coaching staff was about and what we brought to the table.' The coach's travels have resulted in very little communication between him and his roster of players. Aside from a few group meetings and recent one-on-ones, the two parties haven't had many opportunities to discuss philosophies and express feelings to each other. When the players and coach met, Quinn sent strong messages. He told the group that every player has a chance to compete for a starting job. According to Quinn, whoever works the hardest and best fits the system will be on the field. 'The efficiency and effectiveness of what happens out [on the field] is dictated by those players,' Quinn said. 'I want each of them to understand that it's a competitive situation and they all have an opportunity.' The constant traveling has also left Quinn with little time to connect with his immediate family. Since coming to Buffalo, Quinn has only seen his family once and has been focused on strengthening his football family. His wife, a teacher, and their two children will relocate to Western New York at the end of the school year. For now, the split has affected both parties. 'It takes a big strain on my immediate family,' Quinn said. 'I always talked about two families, my Buffalo family and my immediate family, and a lot of the time, as a coach, your immediate family suffers. It's been tough on them and it'll continue to be tough on them and me.' When Athletic Director Warde Manuel introduced Quinn as Buffalo's new head coach on Dec. 22, Quinn knew his free time would be limited. This was especially true when Quinn had to pull quadruple-duty as Buffalo's head coach and Cincinnati's interim head coach, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for 11 days. Quinn stayed at Cincinnati until Jan. 1 to coach Cincinnati against the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. This duty put Quinn even further behind in his Buffalo transition, but to him, leaving the Bearcats without a head coach was not an option. 'I had an opportunity to say I'm the head coach at Buffalo… but I felt [staying in Cincinnati was] the right thing to do,' Quinn said. 'I asked [Buffalo], and we had an agreement that I'd stay there through the Sugar Bowl.' Manuel understood and respected Quinn's decision. 'He has a deep concern for student-athletes as people, and that was in full display when we talked about the transition here from Cincinnati,' Manuel said when he introduced Quinn. 'He was worried about those kids in Cincinnati, given all the things they have been through.' Quinn's decision to stay at Cincinnati meant more work for him once he arrived in Western New York, but it showed his true character. 'I'm about these young men; it was proven over the course of my career of 26 years, and to be able to stay at Cincinnati at the Sugar Bowl showed the kind of football coach and person I am. I want these young men to understand that's why I'm here.' Once Feb. 3 hits and recruits make their final decisions, Quinn can finally take a deep breath and get settled in Buffalo, where his office is still being organized and boxes still need to be unpacked. He may also begin to instill his spread offense, assess the talent, meet players on a more consistent basis and make changes where he sees fit. But the work never stops, and Quinn's first month on the job introduced him to the stresses that come with being a Division I head coach. E-mail: david.sanchirico@ubspectrum.com
Football head coach Jeff Quinn announced Thursday afternoon that sophomore quarterback Zach Maynard has left the Buffalo football program.
Every radio I've owned for the past 10 years has been broken; they all play the same songs over and over again. I bring each radio to every repair shop I know and ask why every FM radio I own has broken-record syndrome. The repairmen always ignore me and go back to listening to their iPods.
On two occasions last season, Keith Dambrot, head coach of the Akron men's basketball team, referred to Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon as 'his guy.'
Coming into Thursday's road game at Bowling Green, the men's basketball team had only won one game at Anderson Arena.
The semester is over, and though no Buffalo teams captured MAC championships, there were many thrills and surprises throughout the fall season. Here are the sports awards for the fall semester:
While Tiger Woods was stacking up endorsements and major championship victories, he was also stroking holes-in-one that weren't on the golf course.
According to Tony Barnhart of CBSSports.com, Buffalo football head coach Turner Gill interviewed for the head coaching vacancy at the University of Kansas on Sunday.
The men's basketball team out-scored fourth-ranked Purdue 20-14 in the first seven minutes and final two minutes of play combined.
Head coach Turner Gill addressed what his expectations were heading into the 2009 football season during Tuesday's 'State of the Bulls' address.
The volleyball team did not have much time to rejoice in its program's first-ever win in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Buffalo won its match against Kent State on Tuesday and had aspirations of extending its run against Western Michigan in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Last year, the football team thrived in games that didn't take place on the weekend. With a division title on the line, the Bulls went 3-1 in weekday games during the program's best season since moving to Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision.