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The Spectrum
OPINION

Despite controversial rhetoric, Milo Yiannopoulos has right to speak at UB

Free speech is a basic American principle that we have to respect. Whether or not we agree with Yiannopoulos’ ideas isn’t as important as whether or not he’s allowed to speak them. And sometimes, regardless of how different it may be from our own, it’s important to hear out others’ ideology because it’s how we learn about the other side of the political spectrum.


The Spectrum
OPINION

How lack of cooperation for a Supreme Court nomination is hurting the justice system

The confusion lies here – if the Senate is not actively looking to balance the Supreme Court, how is this doing their jobs? One job of the government is to enforce and apply justice, which is difficult to do with a split court. It is the Senate’s job to confirm Obama’s nominee and their avoidance of the topic means that they aren’t doing their jobs or abiding to their constitutional duty.


The Spectrum
OPINION

Diverse Spring Fest lineup the right choice for UB Student Association

This year’s Spring Fest will feature headliner The Chainsmokers, as well as Mac Miller, Icona Pop and Coleman Hell – a combination of electronic music and dance (EDM), hip-hip-hop and indie music and a clear effort to please as many students as possible. And for that effort we applaud the Student Association. Every undergraduate student helps shells out $104.75 a semester to help fund the concert, so although we’re sure there are some disappointed students out there, incorporating as many acts as possible is the right move.


OPINION

‘Yelp’ for people is a hotspot for bullies, judgment despite changes

A lot of changes were made to the app before it was brought to North America. You can’t post about someone who doesn’t have a profile and you can’t make a profile for someone else. Accounts can be deleted at any time so if you’re sick of the service, it’s easy to step away from it. These measures were taken to improve the experience and prevent bullying, but completely ignore the larger issue with creating an app like this.


OPINION

Awareness of our digital footprint

The days of posting every thought or whim on Facebook have passed and now the primary social media tools seem to be Snapchat and Instagram, both of which are image-based. There is still room for error here, but Snapchats disappear - in theory - and the only writing involved on Instagram is captions, comments and direct messaging. It's easier to control what we post, especially on Snapchat where we can choose who sees our pictures down to the person.


The Spectrum
OPINION

Arizona campus preacher walks line between freedom of speech and hate speech

Dean Saxton, or “Brother Dean” as he is known on campus, is a resident campus preacher at the University of Arizona, who for years has protested holding signs and voicing among other things that women deserve rape and are to blame for rape because of the way they dress. His antics resurfaced in the news cycle again last week after a student began a petition asking the university to no longer allow Saxton to protest on campus.


The Spectrum
OPINION

Why should it matter how many people you’ve slept with?

This stereotype seems to hold the most importance in the eyes of college students, as they are young and judgmental. Body count is simply a way to size up another person’s attractiveness. It’s another element of sex that can be easily discussed and spread quickly among groups, which makes it a common yet controversial topic.


The Spectrum
OPINION

Applications increase can only mean good things for UB

This can only be positive for UB – more students and students of a wider range are being drawn to the university. It’s a comment on the university’s success as a whole and how it works to cater the needs of its students. The increase in opportunities that have been presented to students, including the amount of clubs and majors available, can also be accountable for the increase in applications.


OPINION

Albany incident shows there’s still work to be done on campuses

Three black female students at SUNY Albany say they were assaulted and harassed on a city bus Friday night by about 10 to 12 white men and women. The students allege their attackers used racial slurs during the attack, which occurred after an argument. The Albany Police Department said it is looking into the incident as a possible hate crime and SUNY Albany President Robert Jones released a statement to the campus that he was “deeply concerned, saddened and angry about this incident and would return to the campus to address the issue.


The Spectrum
OPINION

#OscarsSoWhite – again

While there’s debate over whether any black actors deserved nominations, the outrage seems to be geared towards the Idris Elba snub. It appears there weren’t a slew of actors that were ignored for their award-winning performances, but rather there were less to choose from for the nomination. This could be a statement about Hollywood itself, and how fewer opportunities are presented to black actors therefore providing fewer opportunities to win awards.



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