News

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Debbie Smith

John Connelly

James Twigg

I started my career at The Spectrum in the Spring of '09, as a starry-eyed staff writer full of pep and potential, ready to tackle the world of journalism.

David Sanchirico

Jeannette Wiley

Clinton Hodnett

Riding Stress-Free

Students will now have the chance to explore Downtown Buffalo with new discounted rail passes. For $20 per year, students will be able to enjoy various activities downtown without the worry of purchasing a ticket for every ride. The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) and UB Parking and Transportation Services have established an agreement to allow students on the rail system with discounted passes. "We have been working for years to try to work together with the university for a university pass program, and this is of course a success," said Lawrence Meckler, executive director at the NFTA.

Helene Polley

Brian Josephs

As a New York City native, I thought I knew it all. The Big Apple is known for the bluntness of its individuals, diverse culture, and a larger-than-life ethos.

Vanessa Frith

I started writing for the Spectrum in the fall of 2008, mostly by accident. I always loved writing, mainly fiction, and I wanted to pursue it even though my major is history. After combing through the list of English courses, I found one that looked harmless enough despite the fact that it had no course description.

News Briefs for December 1st

WikiLeaks Heads an "Attack" on the American Government Julian Assange, founder of the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, revealed the contents of 241 U.S.

Armed Robbery on South Campus

Muggle Quidditch Takes Over Buffalo

The latest installment of the Harry Potter movie saga has had its fans forgetting about Muggle responsibilities and diving headfirst into Potter mania.

Police Blotter for December 1st

11/15?Dental equipment was stolen from Squire Hall by an unknown subject. 11/16?A subject was taken to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital from South Lake Village with severe abdominal pain. 11/16?An unattended laptop was taken from Lockwood Library by an unknown subject. 11/16?A vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle on White Road. 11/16?A subject fell from their bicycle and sought their own aid. 11/16?A subject was taken to ECMC from Squire Hall for having breathing problems. 11/16?A subject was taken to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital from Alumni Arena after having a seizure. 11/16?A subject was taken to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital from Knox Hall for chest pains. 11/16?A subject was taken to Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital from UB Stadium for concussion symptoms. 11/16?A vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle in a Red Jacket lot. 11/16?A subject was taken to ECMC from Clark Hall after suffering a rib injury. 11/16?A vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle at Sherman lot. 11/17?A subject was taken to ECMC from Richmond Quadrangle for an evaluation. 11/17?An unattended laptop was taken from the Student Union food court. 11/17?A subject received unwanted voicemails on their cell phone. 11/17?An unattended laptop was taken from Lockwood Library by an unknown subject. 11/17?A vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle in the Bookstore lot. 11/17?Two males attempted to steal a book bag from a subject in Jacobs A lot. 11/17?An unattended cell phone was taken from Knox Hall. 11/17?A vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle at the South Lake lot. 11/18?An unattended iPhone was taken from Jacobs Hall by an unknown subject. 11/18?An unattended iPod was taken from Knox Hall by an unknown subject. 11/18?Matthew Thomas Stadniak was charged with Driving While Intoxicated after being involved in an accident on Millersport Highway. 11/18?A vehicle was struck by an unknown vehicle at Sherman lot. 11/18?A subject received unwanted calls while in Capen Hall. 11/19?Copper flashing was stolen from the construction site at Kapoor Hall. 11/19?TVs were stolen off of a wall in Lehman Hall by an unknown subject. 11/19?A TV was taken from a Clement Hall Lounge by an unknown subject. 11/19?An unattended laptop was taken from Capen Undergraduate Library by an unknown subject. 11/20?A subject was taken to ECMC from South Lake Village for alcohol and other drugs. 11/20?Demetrice T.

Remembering the Legacy

Last Wednesday, the Association for a Buffalo Presidential Center (ABPC) held its inaugural fundraiser at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum at 220 North St.

Teaching Academic Integrity

Seventy percent of college students admit to some form of cheating. In a study conducted in 2006 by the Center for Academic Integrity, a survey of 50,000 college students on 60 different campuses showed that 70 percent of students admitted to cheating in some capacity, 50 percent admit to cheating on written assignments, and 25 percent admit to serious test cheating. With these staggeringly high national numbers, educators at UB are attempting to do whatever is necessary to prevent cheating on campus. A workshop held Thursday in the Teaching and Learning Center entitled "Plagiarism and Academic Integrity" featured James Gardner, vice dean for academic affairs in the School of Law, James Jensen, professor of engineering and faculty director of undergraduate studies, and Mike Ryan, professor of chemical and biological engineering and director of university accreditation. One topic that was discussed during the seminar was the professor's responsibility to create a learning environment that does not enable academic dishonesty. When allegations of cheating surrounded an exam in Professor David Murray's Introduction to Management Info Systems class, MGS 351, students came forward demanding that Murray, who allegedly gives the same exact exams each year, accept some responsibility. According to Jensen, it is a teacher's responsibility to actively work to minimize a student's opportunities and incentives to commit academic dishonesty. In order to create a fair and honest learning environment, teachers should be discouraged from using old exams, according to Jensen. "[Just as] students get into a panic the day before [they need to take] an exam, teachers get into a panic the day before the exam needs to be written," Jensen said. "Faculty should assume that [all students] have copies of past exams? and should be encouraged not to [re-use exams] because it encourages this attitude that you don't have to study or review material because the answers are out there in past years' exams." Ryan understands that while students, like those in Murray's management classes, might find old exams to be a useful studying resource, the teacher has a responsibility to prevent the tests from being exactly the same each year. "When I was a student in preparing for an exam I would want to know the nature of the questions asked on previous exams just to know what had been asked before," Ryan said.

"Tofu, Silk, Hummus, and Breast Cancer"

A chemical compound found in the greatest amounts in soy products might help to stave off breast cancer, according to the results of a recent UB and Roswell Park Cancer Institute collaborative study. The findings, based on the data of a survey collected over several years at Roswell, revealed that female diets rich in isoflavone corresponded to the lowest incidents of the disease. "People noticed that in countries where women tend to eat a lot of soy, such as China and Japan, they have very low breast cancer incidence rates," said Anne Weaver, a graduate student of epidemiology and the lead author of the study. Because isoflavones act chemically in a manner very similar to estrogens, researchers had long been interested in the effects they could have on breast cancer, since it is almost exclusively a female, estrogen-driven disease.

Student Leaders Meet to Discuss Presidential Search

The beginning of the semester is long gone but has not been forgotten. President John B. Simpson announced his retirement on the first day of classes and will officially be out of office come Jan.

News Briefs

Spanish Video Game Causes Outrage An online video game released by the conservative Popular Party of Spain has led to an uproar across the country.

Save The Statler

The Statler has been nominated by Preservation Buffalo Niagara to the list of America's 11 Most Endangered Places. There has been a lot of attention concerning the recent bid made by Mark Croce and his business partner James Eagan of the Statler City LLC to take ownership of the Statler Towers, which has been in a state of financial limbo for the last 26 years. The Statler Towers is an abandoned, 77-year-old, 800,000-square-foot, art-deco-style building in Niagara Square.