News

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Veronica Ritter

The Living Wall' Project Encourages Student Creativity

From simple sketches to an intricate span of wooden modules, first-year School of Architecture students have taken their designs from paper to reality with "The Living Wall." "The Living Wall" is the culmination of a yearlong project in which 80 first-year architecture students have designed and built their own living modules.

Welp!

I guess I've been thinking of graduation as a major end point. My friends are moving away, I'm going to wander in foreign places for a bit, and I don't really know where we'll all end up.

"A Little Time, A Lot to Give"

Julia Perot stared at her computer screen, her mind running in overdrive as accounts of the devastation from the 2010 Haitian earthquake flashed across CNN's homepage. Perot, a senior mechanical engineering major, is a unique news consumer in that these stories, combined with her skill set and her personal faith, prompted her to take action. Joined by her twin sister Laura, a senior computer science major, Aaron Boucher, a junior health and human services major, Arthur Adams, a 2010 UB alumnus, her father, and her pastor, she will spend the first week of June in Port-au-Prince serving an orphanage in the still-struggling city. The main goal of the project will be to repair the water tower at the orphanage, which the approximately 100 residents and missionaries have no choice but to bathe in and drink from ? at the risk of infection.

Reaching New Heights

Every year, thousands of UB students risk their lives by renting homes that violate city and state building codes. In an eight-block radius within the University Heights, 75 landlords rent properties that total hundreds of violations. Since August, four houses rented by UB students caught fire.

Health Outcomes Linked to Religiosity and Spirituality

To some, the difference between the words "religious" and "spiritual" may not be apparent. But to the authors of a new study, the difference is more significant than ever before. Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, the University of Denver, and UB, found that religiosity and spirituality independently predict health outcomes after collective trauma, according to a study.

"Today in UB History: April 27, 1988"

After much deliberation, Student Association President Bob Tahara and SA Treasurer Joe Martello now believe UB should hold Spring Fest rather than cancel it. "We basically had two choices concerning Spring Fest: cancel, or incur a $30,000 debt.

The Facts Surrounding Drinking at UB

This year, one person will die every 50 minutes in an alcohol-related crash in the U.S. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 10,839 people will be killed as a result of drunk driving. At UB, many departments survey students on their habits, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding alcohol consumption.

From Parties to Playgrounds

That red cup from Friday night is going from the beer pong table to the playground as a result of a new initiative from Solo Cup Company. Solo Cup has joined forces with TerraCycle, Inc., an international upcycling company that takes difficult-to-recycle items and turns them into affordable, eco-friendly products. The "Solo Cup Brigade" is an initiative that takes the iconic red party cups and upcycles them into playground materials, park benches, and other outdoor furniture by converting the waste into new products of higher environmental value. "The partnership started with TerraCycle to create a recycling program for our square cups," said Kim Frankovich, vice president for sustainability for Solo Cup.

Dishonesty Strikes UB:Part 2

The story of Greg Mortenson and his alleged missteps continue to unfold and UB continues to experience the impact of his alleged transgressions. Mortenson, who has been accused of lying and misappropriating funds within the not-for-profit organization, Central Asia Institute (CAI), continues to grab headlines as the details of the story continue to surface. In Wednesday's issue of The Spectrum, Mortenson's behavior and potential wrongdoing was explored, but all the details in connection to UB were not clear at press time. Since then, The Spectrum has learned that Mortenson received $25,000 for his appearance to speak as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series last year.

Phishing Attempts Linked to Online Activity

Phishers are using your nonstop Internet usage to reel you in. Communication researchers at UB and three other major research universities have determined that the more visible your web persona, the more susceptible you are to email phishing scams.

Videos of the Week

<p> <strong>5. Ticklish Baby Penguin</strong></p> <p> We don't have a witty quip for this video.

News Briefs

Fighting in Libya Claims Lives of Reporters Fighting in Libya has claimed the life of a renowned British filmmaker and injured several other members of the press. Tim Hetherington, a British photojournalist, filmmaker, and director, died after Libyan military forces attacked a rebel group in the city of Misrata in northeastern Libya.

Tripathi Takes Office

Dishonesty Strikes UB: Part 1

Members of the UB community may have unassumingly tuned in to 60 Minutes on Sunday night only to witness the school's name sullied by connections to fraud, embezzlement and deceit. In the 60 Minutes feature, it was alleged that Central Asia Institute (CAI) Executive Director Greg Mortenson lied in his book of memoirs, Three Cups of Tea, on several accounts, and has been accused of using the not-for-profit organization as his own personal money tree. Mortenson, founder of the "Pennies for Peace" charity that uses its donations in order to build schools and improve educational systems in Pakistan and Afghanistan, allegedly embellished numerous accounts in his memoirs.

"Today in UB History: April 20, 1998"

Mother Nature played Benedict Arnold last Thursday. Offered help by motivated and environmentally conscious UB students, Mother Nature turned a cold shoulder and gave wet and miserable weather in return. The Dumpster Dive, an event organized by six environmental interns, was designed to remind the UB community that recycling on campus needs to be improved.

Developing Smarter Windows

Keeping the house cool on a warm day requires either the use of window coverings or expensive air conditioning.

UB Alumni Association Honors Achievements

It's no secret that the list of University at Buffalo alumni is impressive. Wolf Blitzer, CNN reporter and journalist, graduated with the class of 1970.

Donate to The Spectrum Fund!

Getting 'High'ered

Justin Lindh, a UB alumnus, is selling pot, legally. Lindh, who graduated in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in business, is now the co-owner and operator at Sensible Selections, a medical marijuana dispensary and lounge in San Diego, California. Lindh did not always picture a career in this industry; however, that changed after visiting a friend in California last year. "My friend had been in the works to open [a dispensary] but one of his partners backed out so I basically took his place," Lindh said.