News

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Cinematic napalm

Toyota recalls create mixed feelings

Culture shocked

Open source news

We interrupt your usual program of Oh my god, I'm a middle class college student with a test to study for and there's blood in my mucus for something else, something slightly worthwhile.

Passing egregious judgments

To the editor,

Bulls finish fourth at MAC Championships

Expectations were exceeded and Bulls records were broken at the Mid-American Conference championship meet this past weekend. Both the men's and women's indoor track teams placed fourth at the MAC Championships at Central Michigan University, scoring 72 and 46 points, respectively.

Former UB researcher found dead

William Fals-Stewart, a former researcher in the UB Research Institute on Addictions, was found dead in his Eden home on Tuesday. He was 48 years old. Eden Police say Fals-Stewart's wife found him 'unresponsive' in their home. Police responded to her 911 call, and performed CPR, but were unable to revive him. 'We don't know what the cause of death was,' Eden Police Investigator Shawn Bishop said. Fals-Stewart made headlines recently after he was arrested and charged with attempted grand larceny, three counts of perjury, three counts of identity theft, two counts of offering a false instrument and three counts of falsifying a business record on Feb. 16. All charges are felonies. Fals-Stewart was accused of falsifying witnesses in a misconduct hearing. He allegedly hired actors to pose as research subjects, without their knowledge, to testify on his behalf, providing them with detailed scripts. The false testimonies caused Fals-Stewart to be exonerated, according to Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo. He then attempted to sue the state for $4 million for wrongful termination of his job at UB. He was let go from the university for academic misconduct for allegedly fabricating data in federally funded research projects. If convicted Fals-Stewart could have faced up to 15 years in prison. As it was considered an unattended death, an autopsy was performed Wednesday morning by Erie County Medical Examiners. Results have not yet been released. Police say the investigation is ongoing and they're waiting for toxicology results. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

"Free software, free society"

Richard Stallman spoke to an eager crowd of UB students Monday night, bringing to them his message about free software and explaining what he feels are the evils of copyright law. Stallman is well known for his position as the founder of the GNU Project and the Free Software Foundation. He is a long-term activist for free software and advocates against corporations who, he believes, stretch the copyright laws and software patents. He presented in Norton Hall on Monday about his first passion – free software. Free software, as defined by Stallman, is as equal a right as free speech, and deserves the same attention and advocacy. It is not 'free' as in without cost to the consumer, but as a matter of liberty. The GNU Web site states that 'to understand the concept, you should think of ‘free' as in ‘free speech,' not as in ‘free beer.' Stallman also states that free software has many layers to it and that four key freedoms should be applied to any software worth using. The first freedom, referred to as Freedom 0, is the freedom to run the program for any purpose. Freedom 1 is the freedom to study how the program works and adapt it to the user's needs. Access to the source code is a precondition for this. Freedom 2 is the freedom to redistribute copies so users can help their neighbors. The final freedom, Freedom 3, is the freedom for users to improve the program and release those improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. Stallman applies these 'freedoms' to software that students use every day and warns those who do not follow these guidelines that they are at risk. 'Windows is extremely malicious software and allows the owners of that corporation to spy on you,' Stallman said. 'Apple is almost just as evil.' He describes these evil features as Digital Restrictions Management and says that these products and corporations infringe on users' freedoms. His solution for this 'infringement' is to just not use the products at all. Justin Kimber, a freshman psychology major, disagrees with this statement. 'I think that is [greatly] over-exaggerated,' Kimber said. 'I understand that there may be a privacy issue, but I think that the consumer should be aware of what they are buying and getting into with the product. I have a Mac and have never had a security issue. I find the features easy.' Stallman told his audience that 'you should never touch any product that is designed to attack your freedom,' including any encrypted item, such as a DVD or CD, and to stay away from e-books and online bookstores such as Amazon. He says these Web sites and e-books have the power to record who accesses which books and to keep a record of personal purchases. This is problematic, according to Stallman, because it infringes on privacy and freedom. He says that he would 'never purchase or accept as a gift an encrypted DVD,' and tries to set an example for those following him. To give an example of companies that he feels are 'evil,' Stallman referred to Disney and its copyright extension on Mickey Mouse. He claims that this is a perfect example of a company bending copyright law to its own needs and ignoring the freedoms of the consumer. Daniel Krysak, a graduate student in planetary geology, has been following Stallman for a while. 'I support him entirely. I've been a free software advocate since I was a kid,' Krysak said. 'I think everyone should be educated on it, and because of the topic, it won't be covered in mainstream media.' 'It gave me a new perspective and his presentation was interesting,' said Alisha Armstrong, a graduate student in media studies and sociology. 'I learned stuff I wasn't aware of.' E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

The black and White Ribbon

Living in a black-and-white world is a terrible burden, especially for those who know it is black and white. The German film The White Ribbon, winner of the 2009 Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival, is a bleak moral painting set in a provincial German village on the eve of World War I. Filmed in black and white, the movie examines a broad array of characters who harbor suspicions and secrets toward one other. The narrator claims that the story could possibly explain the horrific events in the following 30 years of Germany's history. On a broader level, it shows what happens when repression and fear take over a human heart and what a group of afflicted people can do to each other. The movie follows an unnamed schoolteacher (Christian Friedel) in the small village of Eichwald. He narrates the movie as a much older man, describing, or at least postulating, events in the form of distant memories. The narrator becomes involved in a 15-month courtship with Eva (Leonie Benesch, Beautiful Bitch), a nanny for the local baron. Over the course of their relationship – the only romantic relationship that exists in the movie – strange and violent things happen. First, the local doctor (Rainer Bock, Inglourious Basterds) is injured when he trips over a hidden wire while horseback riding. A farmer's wife dies falling through rotten floorboards. The baron's son is found beaten and a midwife's mentally challenged son is found tortured. The townspeople don't know what to make of this. As panic ensues, the movie exposes some of the dark secrets of prominent citizens. The pastor (Burghart Klaussner, Alter und Schönheit), a stoic puritanical type, administers brutal punishments to his children. The doctor has an affair with the midwife and sexually abuses his daughter. The baron's wife abandons the village and returns months later, absolutely furious. The schoolteacher develops his suspicions, nearly coming to the point of acting on them. The White Ribbon has the mood of an Ingmar Bergman movie: bleak, cold, obsessive and unsmiling. There is not a single shot in the movie that doesn't contain elements of horror. While it is not terribly graphic, it shows events with such honesty that it makes one shudder. According to the esteemed writer and director Michael Haneke (Funny Games), the movie is about 'the origin of every type of terrorism, be it of political or religious nature.' His claim is not overtly obvious – at least to American viewers. Our view of terrorism is that of blown-up buildings, hijacked planes, suicide bombers, and AK-47s. Yet the film displays that there is a more subtle form of terrorism that is not unique to any particular race or nation – the terror of the heart. When the pastor forces two of his children to wear a white ribbon to symbolize the purity they have broken or when the doctor tells his mistress that he wishes her dead, the spirit crumbles and the holocaust of decency and charity begins. It is the children in the movie who suffer the most. All of the strange events either happen to children or directly affect them. Looking at their austere faces is enough to make the viewer understand where they come from, a belligerent drilling of purity in an environment in which sin is hidden or beaten out of them. The schoolteacher, one of the only truly decent people in the town, sympathizes with the children. But he also suspects some of them, especially the pastor's daughter Klara (Maria-Victoria Dragus, Du Bist Nicht Allein), whose behavior is the most brash of them all. Ultimately, though, the movie attempts no explanation of what happened. When the war starts, the denizens forget the crimes and move on. Even the schoolteacher seems more or less detached from what happened, leaving the town for good. The White Ribbon is an excellent examination of moral terror. Many movies try to depict the human condition, but few achieve this movie's vision and narrative scope. Clocking in at two-and-a-half hours, the movie is long and depressing. But then again, so is life. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

Ticket to the dance

With March looming over every college basketball team in the country, the pressure surely must be building in Alumni Arena as Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon prepares his team for another run at the NCAA Tournament. The first test for the Bulls (16-10, 8-6 Mid-American Conference) will be at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, where the team will compete in the annual MAC Tournament. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the big dance. After a crushing loss to rival Akron (21-8, 11-3 MAC) on Wednesday night, Buffalo has to tighten up numerous aspects of its game. I've compiled a list of five keys for the Bulls to make it to the tournament for the first time in school history. 1. The Bulls have to bring maximum intensity to every game they play the rest of the way. As was evident against the Zips, it's very difficult to go down big early and make your way back into the game. This falls on the shoulders of the players, as they ultimately have to find the motivation to go hard from the opening tip and sustain that effort throughout the game. 2. Sophomore forwards Mitchell Watt and Titus Robinson have to be at their best in every game. These two youngsters are so important for the Bulls, because their defense and offensive production helps take so much pressure off the seniors. Watt has shown signs of brilliance as of late and needs to continue to play with a chip on his shoulder. Robinson is so versatile on the offensive end, but he really needs to have more confidence in himself and his abilities. 3. Rodney Pierce has to shine. I've been hot and cold on Pierce since I first saw him play at the start of last season, but I have come around. He is a scoring assassin. In some games this year, he has put the Bulls on his back and led them to victory. He needs to be at his best and not only score the basketball, but get his teammates involved, too. The game against Akron showcased how dangerous Pierce can be. After being absolutely shut down for zero points in the first half, the senior came out in the second and took over. He finished with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field in the second half. If he can play at this level the rest of the way, the Bulls are going to be a tough team to handle. 4. Defense has to be a priority. This team has gone through its ups and downs this year on the defensive end of the floor. In order to succeed during postseason play, Buffalo has to play together on defense. The Bulls are 3-9 this season when they allow the opponent to score 70 points or more, and are 13-1 when they hold their opponent to 70 or less. 5. Finally, John Boyer and Calvin Betts have to provide senior leadership. Both players have been great this season for the Bulls, but they have to take it to the next level. This team will count on them in close games and Boyer needs to trust himself on offense. He is a dynamic threat for the Bulls and can fill up the stat line in a hurry. Betts needs to continue his hardnosed attack on the glass and on the defensive end of the floor. It's not going to be an easy road to the big dance, but if the Bulls buckle down and focus on these five key points, I'm convinced they'll reach the NCAA Tournament. E-mail: matt.parrino@ubspectrum.com

Lott crimes revealed

Sherrod Lott, a junior defensive back on the football team, was arrested on Feb. 14 at 8:30 p.m. for numerous crimes. Due to the nature of the crimes, details are still unavailable. 'It was a domestic related situation,' said Amherst Assistant Police Chief Timothy Green. 'But we really can't say anything more because of privacy terms.' There were several charges brought against Lott, who made bail and awaits a trial. He was arrested for unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, criminal trespass in the second degree, criminal mischief in the fourth degree, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment in the second degree. The APD confirmed the arrest and disclosed the charges, but would not reveal specifics about the crime. Lott finished the 2009 season with 53 tackles (33 solos), half a sack, four pass breakups and two fumble recoveries. It is unclear what repercussions he will face if and when he returns to the team. Stay with The Spectrum for coverage on the Lott arrest. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com

Exercise more scrutiny

To the editor,

Idolizing notes

Fourteen contestants battled it out for a cash prize and the title of UB's favorite singer in the third annual UB Idol competition Wednesday night. As the line of fans circled throughout the Student Union, many wondered if they would find a place in the crowded theater. Unfortunately, the Student Association staff had to turn some students away, which left many of them clamoring for a new location for next year. 'I think the event was successful, but we're at a point now where UB Idol is a more popular event,' said Di'Monique George, SA entertainment director. 'But next year, we'll look for a bigger space.' With three judges and a decibel meter measuring the audience's response, contestants were judged on their vocal performance and crowd reaction. Those with the six highest scores moved on to the second round, and the final three with the best scores fought for the first-place prize of $500. 'We have both judge and audience participation [to determine their scores],' said Lauren Skompinski, SA entertainment public relations manager. 'It's good for the audience to participate and support [the contestants], and we have the judges for people who don't have a lot of support in the crowd.' As the lights dimmed in the theater and fans held up neon-colored signs cheering on their friends, many contestants struggled to fight off their nerves and find the necessary confidence to command the stage. While the first three contestants weren't able to find support from the audience, Josh Tobias, a sophomore psychology major, took to the stage with his guitar and sang 'I Don't Need No Doctor' by Ray Charles, to the applause of many. Tobias was the night's first glimpse of talent and left the audience wanting more as he walked off the stage. Katie Bryant, a freshman vocal performance major, was another great talent of the competition. She sang the popular song 'Vegas' by Sarah Bareilles, bringing to the stage her keyboard and unique voice. Passing through the second round flawlessly with an R&B-themed performance of 'American Boy' by Estelle, Bryant made her way to the finals and took home third place and a cash prize of $100. Although she didn't win, the young performer had a number of fans in the audience who expressed the hope that she'll return for next year's competition. Last year's third place winner, Daniel Shaw, a sophomore psychology major, proved to be a crowd favorite after a few less-than-stellar performances by other contestants. Shaw was confident, soulful and appeared to be having a great time performing for the audience as he sang 'Come Together' by the Beatles. With the support of friends and family, the contestant had the audience on its feet and quickly progressed to the second and third rounds. 'I thought everybody in the second round was really good,' said Mike Huffman, a sophomore business major. 'I liked Dan Shaw and the version of the song was good. He's a great singer.' Shaw sang 'Ordinary People' by John Legend and 'Hallelujah' by Jeff Buckley to guitar accompaniment in the final round. Although a popular choice, Shaw simply wasn't able to do the song justice and took second place for $250. Avian Haviv, a senior communication major, followed Shaw's performance in the first round and demonstrated her range and talent with 'Superwoman' by Alicia Keys, making it to both the second and third rounds with overwhelming support from her fans. With a soulful performance of 'Don't Let Go' by En Vogue and a high-energy solo of 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' by Whitney Houston, Haviv deservedly took first place and the title of UB Idol. 'I'm extremely happy [with the event]. I didn't think we'd get a good turnout because we usually have it in March … but the entertainment staff did a good job of pulling it together,' Skompinski said. After three long hours of supporting the contestants, the audience dispersed. Many were pleased with the event and the talent that was showcased in the intimate setting of the theatre. 'There were a few people that I [didn't think were good] … but the final six were great,' said Jillian Dobson, a freshman pre-pharmacy major. 'I'm glad I came and I'll be back next year.' E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

Cell phone tracking

The cell phone is easily the past decade's most quickly changing innovation in day-to-day life. New phones come out every year and the American public can't wait to purchase them. But the law is behind on the fast-paced nature of cell phone technology. The Federal Appeals court in Philadelphia is currently hearing a case over the location information gathered by cell phones. The United States government wants unfettered access to this information, while many civil liberties organizations believe that the information should only be turned over in response to a search warrant. The court must rule that warrants are required. A decision to the contrary would bring to fruition a real-life 1984. The public honestly has no idea how much information their cell phones collect about them. For instance, mobile phones actually transmit back to their carriers on where the users are at any time, even when the phone is not use. Basically, whether you like it or not, a cell phone is, in fact, a GPS device. It shouldn't come as a surprise that law enforcement wants to tap this valuable information source. If given access, police could track the movements of a suspect in real time. It's a bit scary. The phrase 'Big Brother' really does come to mind. Privacy would essentially be lost. The main argument in the case is that cell phone companies keep such data on customers' movements for years. This is the information that the government is after. The Justice Department believes that obtaining cell data is essential 'because [a] suspect and his confederates can use a variety of vehicles and properties to conduct their legal activities, making physical surveillance difficult.' Lazy much? The burden of proof is called a burden for a reason – it should take effort to prove someone guilty. Remember, the American justice system believes that suspects are innocent until proven guilty. The Obama administration has argued that warrantless tracking is acceptable because Americans enjoy no 'reasonable expectation of privacy' in where their cell phones are, according to government documents. The ruling could be the first on what the legal standard is in regard to government requests for information based on location. The court should make clear that the Fourth Amendment requires the government to obtain a search warrant for such records after showing probable cause for connecting the phone's user to criminal activity. The information about people's movements is extremely private. Hopefully, the courts will rule in favor of privacy on this one.

A jolly good night

The UB Theater Department's production of Harold Pinter's 1959 play A Night Out was, as the program notes state, an 'exercise in realism.' It examines just how real things can get. Pinter, the iconoclastic, incredibly liberal Nobel laureate, creates an environment in which everything is not as it seems. There's an underbelly to Pinter's writing that creates a tension that would otherwise come across as cliché. Pinter's London is a playground for those in their 20s, but not everyone is up for it. The play's protagonist, Albert Stokes, finds out the hard way. Stokes (Ryan Cupello) is a typical young man in his late 20s who lives with his mother (Amanda McDowall), an overbearing, abusive widow who suffocates the young man's chances of living for himself. Viewers immediately find the two fighting each other to the depths of hell – all for a missing tie. Stokes wants to go out that night to his boss's party. Everyone will be there, he says. He has to go. His mother does everything she can to guilt Stokes into not leaving, but to no avail. Her powers in shaming can only go so far. When Stokes goes to the party, he encounters his brash coworkers, including three very pretty girls and his office arch-nemesis, Gidney (Shawn Smith). His shyness proves to be his weakness, and after an incident provoked by another coworker, he is tacitly expelled. A nasty fight with his mother and an encounter with a neurotic girl ensue, escalating the tension even further as Stokes slowly but surely becomes more confident. The production itself was performed expertly. Cupello played Stokes with an infuriating depression that rubbed off on all the other characters. McDowall was also a standout, incredibly annoying and totally convincing as a manipulative British nightmare. The other characters, particularly the unnamed girl (Genevieve Lerner), keep intact a gloomy milieu. None of Stokes's friends seem to like him, and the girl is so neurotic that she might just drive Stokes away from the opposite sex all together. The minimalist sets were accurate as well. They had just enough to convince the audience that they were witnessing scenes from London in 1959. The skinny ties, bourbon and, of course, cigarettes looked like they came straight from the set of Mad Men. However, despite the production's best attempts to bring Pinter's ideas alive, the play itself is seriously flawed. It might be taboo to criticize Pinter, who is considered one of the world's best playwrights of the past 50 years, but his play confuses the matters of life and death with trivial social errors. Everything boils down to Stokes's relationships with women. Pinter writes Stokes as if he knows absolutely nothing about women, yet Pinter seems to think that he knows everything about women himself. Stokes may be shy, but that doesn't mean he can't get along with girls. He has probably had enough experience with his mother to know that women – in men's eyes – can be somewhat of a mystery. Pinter's female characters, with the exception of the mother, don't come across as likable. It is a mystery why Stokes would want a relationship with any of these women. The author has stated that his plays focus on a man's entrance into the real world. In A Night Out, at least, the real world doesn't exist. It is replaced by jerks that argue over football and cheese sandwiches. The play itself is set with a one-kilometer radius, making London seem like a collection of old record players and gas-powered fireplaces. If Pinter was trying to predict the tumultuous '60s, he did so with a considerable amount of condescension. Stokes tries to break free, yet in real life that usually takes years, not one night. Overall, Pinter's take on a young man's maturity is sensationalist. Stokes' trip to maturity works better as a horror story rather than a drama. He shares much with Hitchcock's psychopathic shut-in, Norman Bates. The production did the best it could have with the material. The acting and resulting characterization were excellent, but like Stokes, the audience may not be up for it. A Night Out can be seen at the CFA's black box theater until Feb. 28. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com

Fat talk no more

Eating disorders and poor body image affect roughly 70 million people worldwide, and without proper treatment, can have life-threatening consequences. This week, University at Buffalo Counseling Services and Wellness Education Services are promoting National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Together, they are making it their mission to impact the lives of students on campus. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, approximately one in four women has avoided engaging in a sport or physical activity because she lacks confidence in her appearance. This attitude is no different among women on college campuses, according to Carissa Uschold, a licensed clinical social worker and the coordinator of UB's Eating Disorder Treatment Team. Uschold has made it her mission to provide an environment that focuses on health, rather than weight and size. 'The goal of this week is to make students appreciate and think positively about their body, while providing an education regarding the dangers of eating disorders,' Uschold said. 'We want students to have an increased awareness surrounding the need for education, activism and advocacy as well as increasing a healthy body image.' On Wednesday, Uschold and other staff members from WES held 'Celebrating Your Fabulous Frame,' an event in the Student Union that encouraged body appreciation. Students decorated picture frames to show what represents the framework of life, rather than the physical aspect of the body. Using inspirational quotes, bright colors and pictures of personal interests, many portrayed what is unique and great in their lives. Kayla Rizzo, a sophomore English and environmental studies major, felt the Student Wellness Team did a great job educating students and providing a safe, fun and informative atmosphere for learning and awareness. 'It's a really comforting feeling and release to be reconnected with your inner self, remembering there is more than just city life,' Rizzo said. 'I really love creating a frame that can remind me of what's truly important to me.' Rizzo is happy with how WES handles body image concerns, and appreciates how campus services help students to work through their problems. 'UB is creating one of the most open and accepting atmospheres possible where I can be me and be happy about it' Rizzo said. 'It is so refreshing that a school of this size can be so accepting of all body types and we can be educators to promote positive wellness habits.' Uschold and staff are also working to educate students about the Ending Fat Talk Campaign, an international campaign sponsored by the body image organization Delta Delta Delta. The campaign seeks to dispel the thin ideals of society. Along with the campaign, Uschold also represents the Body Image Project, a movement that urges body sensitive women to appreciate their inner beauty. 'If students can learn to focus on what makes them a great person such as being strong, intelligent, smart, and creative… rather than their size and shape, then this week will be a success,' Uschold said. 'We really just want to give students an outlet to feel empowered and really learn a foundation of positive thinking…these campaigns and support groups provide students a voice, and a powerful one at that.' Uschold's aspiration to make a change on UB's campus derives from Tri Delta's body image education and eating disorders prevention program. Tri Delta pushes students to make a personal promise to end 'fat talk,' like choosing a family or friend and discussing positive events, or keeping a journal about their body image. Eating Disorders Awareness week will continue until Friday. For more information, visit WES or any on-campus counseling service. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com

Basketball teams off the mark on Wednesday

Men's Basketball

Learning for life

Based on a new proposal from the university, general education requirements are currently being looked at in order to create a more well-rounded curriculum for all majors. Formed in March 2009 by UB's Provost and Faculty Senate, the General Education Task Force has made revamping the general education requirements at UB its goal, hoping to make them more interesting and beneficial to the student body as a whole. The task force was formed for the purpose of 'taking a holistic view of the general education program, focusing on its underlying philosophy, intellectual purposes, and educational mission; considering the opportunity to create a new signature program for the University at Buffalo while complying with the existing SUNY general education requirements; and defining the role of a new general education program within the mission of the University at Buffalo at large' according to a proposal. Andreas Daum, associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences, said the task force was formed to take a fresh look at the existing system set in place for general education requirements. 'The existing general education requirements are a heavy burden on the shoulders of students,' Daum said. 'We hope to fill the courses with meaning and make them more appealing.' In the proposal, the task force states that it hopes to make general education at UB more exciting, distinctive, and more responsive toward students' needs. The biggest challenge Daum says the task force faces is 'how … [to] prepare our students for the real world while still meeting the requirements set in place.' They hope to do so with input from the UB community. 'I think courses that apply to real life would be more beneficial,' said Nicole Yehezkel, a freshman international business major. 'I wouldn't mind taking more general education courses; some of the required ones are pretty interesting and I would have taken them on my own.' Other students feel that the general education requirements here at UB are too restrictive and don't apply to their major of study. Katie Leavitt, a doctoral candidate, expressed her aggravation about general education courses. 'I have to take a science class to meet my gen. ed., [so I chose] astrology. I'm working on my doctoral in child counseling and psychology and don't need the class,' said Leavitt. 'I feel like it is a waste of my money and time.' Joe Randel, a freshman civil engineering major, agrees. 'I don't want to take more gen. eds. I am an engineering major and all of my course time is full, so I don't have time in the four years to fit in more classes,' Randel said. The task force plans to rethink the purpose of general education courses and redirect them to the 21st century, not necessarily add any more courses to the curriculum. Some proposals stated in the 'UB Core Curriculum: Learning for Life' report include promoting basic skills and competencies such as math, science, English, technology and history. Instilling ethical reasoning, improving global perspectives and increasing the breadth of foreign language studies were also focuses. While this report lists proposals of what the task force hopes to achieve, nothing is final and all is open for debate and discussion. The task force hopes to use this semester as an opportunity to receive feedback from the campus community. 'This report is not the end point, it is the beginning,' Daum said. Anyone interested in contributing their ideas or input to the general education task force can contact the group at 716-645-6003 or ubgened@buffalo.edu. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com

Being bi in America

Yep, I'm bi. Bilingual, I mean. Well, technically. My enthusiasm for learning a foreign language quickly fizzled after high school. I took five years of Spanish in high school and one semester in college, and that is about as far as I have gotten. Some high schools have actually dropped their foreign language requirements for graduation and others are maintaining them, but students often lose interest in continuing their foreign language education after those requirements have been met, just as I had. Columnist and author Susan Jacoby calls us a 'Know-As-Little-As-You Can-Get-Away-With' Nation. According to Jacoby, 'Only 9 percent of Americans, compared with 44 percent of Europeans, speak a foreign language. The Web has only reinforced the smug American conviction that everyone worth talking to in the world speaks English.' It does seem like most of us are simply satisfied with knowing enough to get by, but I think some schools are trying to make an effort to change this, and they're doing it in a novel way. The New York Times recently published an article on the rise of Chinese language instruction in American schools. U.S. schools are implementing new foreign language programs with the help of the Chinese government, which sends instructors to countries all over the world and pays for part of their salaries. Approximately 27,500 middle and high schools in the U.S. offer at least one foreign language, and of these, 1,600 are now teaching Chinese. The number of elementary school students learning Mandarin has also increased. Now I really feel like a slacker. Little kids will soon be able to make business deals with the Chinese, and I can't even say a sentence in Spanish without second guessing myself first. Jumping from high school level to college level was a large leap for me. I lost confidence in my ability to comprehend the material, and I got frustrated with the fact that I wasn't catching on as quickly as I hoped. I convinced myself that being proficient in Spanish, rather than fluent, was still an accomplishment, yet I still don't identify myself as being bilingual, because I could never really hold up my end of a conversation with a native-Spanish speaker. So I suppose I'm still confused. Sometimes I wish that the importance of learning another language was instilled in me when I was younger. If I was taught a foreign language in elementary school over a consistent period of time, I think that interest would have stuck with me throughout my entire schooling career. That natural curiosity that most children develop so early in life is what motivates them to seek further knowledge when they are older. And this knowledge doesn't have to be sought only in a classroom. There are books, programs, and resources that are available to those who are willing to learn another tongue on their own. We talk so much about the value of English, but Americans often fail to see the importance of learning another language other than their own. It takes patience, but the rewards are well worth it. So many more doors will open for those who do stick with the process. Spanish is the number one minority language in the U.S. and Mandarin can give students an edge in business and government. Besides that, learning a language just makes you more culturally aware. It feeds the intellectual soul. Although I'm not a kid anymore, I'm starting to realize that it's never too late to learn something new. Thinking about the possibilities overwhelms me. There are so many unique languages I would love to learn—Italian, Latin, Russian, German, and even American Sign Language. But for right now, I might just start by revisiting some of my old Spanish textbooks and brushing up a bit on that before I decide to take on the world. E-mail: jessica.brant@ubspectrum.com

Weekend split hands Buffalo first loss

The women's tennis team got off to a blazing start when the season began, and they looked to continue its dominance in West Point and New York City over the weekend. While the matches started off promising with a win against Army, Columbia halted the Bulls in its tracks. On Friday, Buffalo got off to a strong start as the Bulls (3-1) downed Army (4-4), 4-3. The Bulls' No. 1 doubles team of senior Denise Harijanto and junior Aleksandra Petrova got the ball rolling with an 8-3 victory over the Black Knights' Annie Houghton and Kristin Beehler. Buffalo then clinched the doubles point as senior Diana Toia and junior Diana Popescu made easy work of Army's Michael Tollerton and Robie Verano, 8-1. With doubles play victory behind them, the Bulls focused on singles play to clinch the win over the Black Knights. Both Popescu and Petrova carried over momentum from doubles competition and got wins in their singles matches. Playing at the No. 2 position, Popescu defeated Erin Colston in the first two sets, 6-7 (4), 6-2, before Colston retired early in the third set down 1-0. Petrova then downed Beehler for a second time with a straight set decision, 6-2, 6-3. Freshman Tamara Markovic clinched the match for Buffalo in the No. 5 position with a straight set victory over Tollerton, 7-6 (3), 6-3. Head coach Kathy Twist was happy with her team's performance on Friday. 'Army is a tough opponent,' Twist said. 'I thought our girls played very well.' The Bulls' three-match streak came to an abrupt end on Saturday, however, with a tight loss to Columbia (3-5), 4-3. Once again the Bulls started off strong in doubles matches. At the No, 3 spot, Toia and Popescu started the evening with a convincing win over Natalia Christenson and Eliza Matache, 8-5. The No. 1 team of Harijanto and Petrova defeated Nicole Bartnik and Carling Donovan, 8-4, while the freshman duo Kira Golenko and Markovic completed the doubles sweep with an 8-7 victory over the Lions' Natasha Makarova and Chelsea Davis. Buffalo has earned doubles points in all four of their dual meets this season. Coach Twist attributed the success to the unselfishness of her players. 'The team that takes the doubles point wins a high percentage of the matches,' Twist said. 'Last year, we had [Harijanto] and Popescu paired together and they ended up ranked number seven in the East, but we struggled as a team in doubles play. I went to them and asked if they would break up for the good of team and they did with no problem. In the fall we worked heavily on doubles play and now it's paying off.' Despite sweeping doubles play, Columbia took four of six singles matches to clinch the victory. The only players that managed to pull out singles wins for Buffalo were Golenko and Toia. Golenko won the No. 4 match over Donovan in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (1), while Toia overcame Diana Shapoval in the No. 6 position, 6-4, 7-5. 'I thought the team fought well,' Twist said. 'We could've pulled this one out. We just have to do a better job of playing certain points better.' While Twist said she expects to win every match, a loss to a good opponent can only pay dividends for the Bulls before they begin conference play next month. 'We scheduled some very difficult matches early this season to help prepare us to win the Mid-American Conference,' Twist said. 'Tough matches help to expose strengths and weaknesses. We have to learn from this loss. I'm confident in the team's chances to win the MAC championship, but we're not taking things lightly. We're going to keep working hard to reach the next level.' The Bulls return home for a match against Syracuse on Saturday at the Miller Tennis Center. Start time is scheduled for 11 a.m. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com