News
NEWS
Handling a crisis
By Editorial | Feb. 19, 2010At 4:05 p.m. on Tuesday, the University Police Department received a call from a student in Lockwood Library, where there was a possible sighting of a man with either a rifle or shotgun hidden beneath a pea coat. The police inspected the video and sprang into action. The library was evacuated and police sealed all entrances and exits to the building. The university alerted students through the alert system as well as eventually shutting down activity on North Campus for the night. The police concluded the search of the building and deemed the campus safe. No injuries, no deaths – a definite success. The police deserve to be credited with a hasty response to handle the situation. Many students have stated that such procedures took too long or that different tactics were in order. It is uncalled for; hindsight is always 20/20. According to Webster's Dictionary, the definition of crisis is 'a condition of instability or danger leading to a decisive change.' There can always be improvement in handling such situations as the one this past Tuesday. For example, in the early stages of the incident, many students were still able to walk to areas in Lockwood Library, ignorant of the events taking place. The UB alert system had sent out a text message to students that Lockwood had been evacuated. Now, the alert system is a fantastic idea in theory. But many students aren't even signed up for it. In fact, it should be mandatory. Another issue with it is that in many of the lecture halls, there is no cell phone reception, so the alert messages can't be received. This can lead to confusion, causing students and faculty to enter the danger zone. A more effective way to notify people here on campus should be conceived. Not every student has access to cell reception or the Internet when trekking through the halls of North Campus. Perhaps a public address system or phone system should be installed in the halls if another such incident ever arises. Perhaps another improvement that university leaders might want to look into is a better security camera system. Grainy footage isn't acceptable. An updated system with more cameras to provide general overall security should be a priority. There is no reason to suggest cameras covering every inch of campus. It is impossible to accomplish from a cost standpoint. However, adding cameras could aid the police in fighting crime here on campus and give the campus more security overall. Under the current procedures for an 'incident' such as this on campus, the university and the UB police get passing grades. But that doesn't mean the plan shouldn't be looked at and improved. Resting on our laurels is a dangerous thing. It can breed complacency. The events of Tuesday turned out to be nothing, but that doesn't mean the same will be true down the road. The world is a crazy place. Incidents at college campuses have begun occurring more often – look at the Virginia Tech and Binghamton incidents. Campus safety can always be improved, even by something as simple as students being more aware and looking out for one another. It was amazing to hear that large groups of students were hanging around outside of the library. If there's a potential threat of a weapon, there is no reason that anyone is occupying the police's time by forcing them to keep students away from the building instead of searching for the suspect. It doesn't help matters. Hopefully, an improvement from both ends of this situation will come.
NEWS
Questions remain unanswered
By Jennifer Good AND Caitlin Tremblay | Feb. 19, 2010In the aftermath of the incident at Lockwood Library on Tuesday, the University Police Department, officials, faculty and students are left re-examining the situation. Much uncertainty plagues the minds of many when analyzing the situation. Uncovering the facts Tuesday's events began to unfold at about 4:05 p.m., when the University Police Department received a call from a student at Lockwood Library. The student claimed there was a possible sighting of a man with either a rifle or a shotgun under a navy pea coat. According to Chief of Police Gerald W. Schoenle Jr., an officer was on the scene within one minute of the phone call and others were on their way. The first officer who reached the scene was already in Baldy Hall when the call came in. 'We went to a [security] video and we immediately saw someone walking into the library that was right at the location where the [student] said there was a person that they thought 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.' These images have not yet been released to the media or the public. As The Spectrum reported on Tuesday, the library was evacuated at 4:40 p.m. and the campus was alerted via text messages and e-mails that students, faculty and staff received at various times throughout the afternoon and evening. By 6:30 p.m. Amherst Police, who had arrived as backup, left the scene. Nearly two hours later, the announcement was made that the search had been completed. 'Police have determined that there is no threat to campus and that it will be safe to resume activities, so classes will resume,' said Joe Brennan, vice president for University Communications. Now, three days later, the situation remains unclear. What actually happened? When did events unfold? And how was it discovered? Safe technology? Police allude to a security video from a camera that rests inside of Lockwood Library, but not much other information currently exists about the footage. Between the leaked footage from the Cybrary and UPD comments, it's still unclear as to exactly what was captured on camera and how well it was documented. Schoenle himself said the footage was 'grainy.' Spol Pollaor, a junior exercise science major who works at the CIT Help Desk, isn't even sure if the cameras are regularly monitored or in working order. University response No one seems to know exactly what went on Tuesday evening. Police evacuated Lockwood Library, but there is no certain figure on how long that took. Michelle Lafica, a sophomore environmental engineering major who was working in Lockwood at the time of the evacuation, said that the police really didn't make a scene of the evacuation. 'A cop came in and said, ‘You guys need to leave,' Lafica said. 'That was around [4 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.]' Lafica said that after she was asked to leave the library, she and others were left standing in the hallway between the Cybrary and Lockwood. Only after waiting for approximately 20 minutes were they asked to leave the building entirely. '[The police] were definitely unprepared,' Lafica said. Despite uneasy feelings from some members of the UB community, others felt the situation was handled as well as possible. 'The University Police have received countless positive e-mails from students, faculty and staff regarding the handing of [Tuesday's] incident,' Schoenle said in an e-mail to The Spectrum. Schoenle shared some of the comments pleased members of the community in the e-mail. 'The rapid physical response … leaves me very impressed with the overall safety services that the force is able to provide. After the events of Tuesday, I feel much safer on campus,' said one student. Another comment in the e-mail said, 'Given the fact that UPD was responding to a very nebulous threat, I think the actions taken, and the manner of which they were, were appropriate. It seems to me that the way that the university communicated with the public was fair. I did not feel unsafe and I was not worried. Has there been a substantiated gunman in the building, it would have been considered the absolute right approach to take.' From speaking with university officials, it's clear that many in power during the incident on Tuesday did not see a direct or legitimate threat to anyone on North Campus. Barbara J. Ricotta, associate vice president for Campus Life, was coordinating the efforts in the university's response. It was she and the provost who ultimately made the decision to cancel classes but not to evacuate the whole North Campus. 'At the time, we felt it was wrong to encourage people to come to campus during the situation, so we decided to cancel classes,' Ricotta said. 'We never felt that there was a security threat. We felt that the best way to diffuse the situation was to have less people on campus.' Ricotta also felt that university response was satisfactory. 'I'm very satisfied with the response from everyone. We took time to evaluate the situation and act accordingly. We received new information every 10 minutes or so, but our main focus was to evacuate and secure Lockwood before anything else,' Ricotta said. However, while officials from the university are proud of their efforts, some students are still looking for answers and remain confused about the situation. Perspectives from students, faculty and staff Student Association President Ernesto Alvarado has the unique ability to see the situation from both a student and administrative perspective. 'I think the police are getting a lot of criticism from across campus, but UB did a good job overall,' Alvarado said. 'I think [police] did the best they could in the situation they were in. I don't think there has ever been a situation where protocol didn't go without some sort of a glitch. There are obviously kinks in the system of texts and e-mails.' Alvarado feels that the abundance of rumors that circulated campus on Tuesday could have been prevented had university e-mails been more descriptive. 'I think it would have been better to get a little more information and description from texts and e-mails, but on the other side, I understand why they didn't give information about a gunman to prevent chaos. I do think [the police] sending out a descriptive message would have helped, but to be quite honest, I bet they didn't even know what was going on themselves,' Alvarado said. 'People don't read ‘unconfirmed gunman' — they read ‘gunman.' People have a tendency to skip over details and see only what they want to see.' While Alvarado feels that the UPD took appropriate action, he's a bit disappointed they didn't additionally evacuate all connecting buildings. Alvarado is also disappointed in the way some students reacted to the incident. Some students flooded social networking sites to spread their speculations and seemingly make light of the situation. Groups like 'I Survived the UB Gunman of 2010' popped up almost as soon as the university's e-mails appeared in inboxes. 'I think that students kind of forget that we have a responsibility when we're using social media networks because people honestly do read this stuff,' Alvarado said. 'It's a double-edged sword. In one way it was a good way to contact family and friends to reassure them that everything is fine … on the other hand, you have a group of people who just want to make light of any situation and make radical things up, which makes a situation into a bigger thing than it should be.' Despite praise from many students, faculty and staff, there are some on campus who are dissatisfied with not only the UPD response, but some faculty responses, too. A student who was in her sociology of gender class when the news broke learned of the situation from a classmate who checked her e-mail during class. She wished to remain anonymous so she wouldn't face academic repercussions from her professor. The student said that her professor, Dr. Mary Nell Trautner, was more concerned and annoyed about a student checking e-mail during class than with the students' safety. Trautner declined comment. 'Naturally, students are going to look for answers as to what happened, especially when you start to hear other students saying things about someone carrying a gun. Everybody was uneasy and curious to say the least,' the student said. She was fearful when her professor did not seem to take the notifications as seriously as the students were. 'When there's a situation like that, of course students are going to be checking their cell phones and e-mail so that they might find out what's going on. When our safety is concerned, that should be out first priority,' she said. 'Not every teacher or student even knew what was going on, but hearing all the buzz about it should have been enough to at least make teachers feel less offended if their students were checking their e-mail every few minutes to find out what was going on.' Another student in the same class felt similarly and also wished to remain anonymous. She felt the police did not disclose enough information and that their teacher was not sensitive to the potential severity of the situation. 'Knox had no cell phone reception, which is horrible, considering the only way for UB to get a hold of anyone is through text or e-mail. What if we didn't bring our computer? How were we to know? As an instructor, her responsibility was to stop class and make sure we all exited safely,' she said. 'Instead, she reprimanded the girl for checking her e-mail in class when there was a possible shooter on campus.' The student believes that worry of what could be happening outside the doors of their classroom caused more panic. 'Of course we wanted to know more information on what was taking place, so it was natural to check the warnings, especially since [the Virginia Tech shooting] happened. It wouldn't surprise me if the supposed gunman was simply casing out the place and seeing how UB reacted,' the student said. 'I don't think this will be the last of it.' Other faculty and staff reacted differently but still saw the situation as confusing and potentially dangerous. Michael Bozarth, an associate professor in the Psychology Department whose academic interest is terrorism, was teaching when he heard the news. He felt that there 'could be a real incident meriting serious attention and prompt, judicious action.' 'I found the University's Emergency Warning System to be woefully inadequate. Bluntly, the person in charge should be fired and someone hired to replace them that can handle the job,' Bozarth said. 'If I have the temporal order of events correct … we received the first warning around half an hour after the incident began.' Bozarth said he sent two students from his class to assess the situation. These students were told by UPD to stay away from Lockwood. 'They were told to ‘get the f*** out of here' [by police],' Bozarth said. 'From this, I surmised that the threat was not well contained and immediately dismissed my class, considering the possibility that there might be a shooter roaming the campus. I wanted my students dispersed and out of the potential target area.' Bozarth then went to survey the area himself and concluded that, 'the university needs to disseminate information more rapidly and to provide at least minimal details of the potential threat so that individuals can assess the situation and take appropriate action.' 'No excuses, UB administration, just fix it,' Bozarth said. 'My students' safety is at risk.' Investigating further Whether or not a suspicious person or a weapon was present on campus on Tuesday, students, faculty and staff have strong and differing opinions about how the situation was handled. Details are limited, but police say the investigation is still ongoing. Additional reporting by Lauren Nostro, Asst. City Editor E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
All they've got
By JAMESON BUTLER | Feb. 19, 2010Two bands that have gathered cult followings came to Niagara Falls Tuesday night, and luckily they did destroy the recently re-opened Rapids Theater. The Used and Atreyu, both heavyweights in their own right, brought some West Coast sunshine to gloomy western New York. Opening the evening was Drive A. This punk quartet may not have had the most original material – sounding like many other punk bands – but they made up for it with its enthusiasm. Lead singer and guitarist Bruno Mascolo may have been singing generic punk lyrics, but his voice and love for the music shined through during Drive A's set. In order to get the crowd moving, he dropped his axe and did a balancing act on the barricade to get closer to the fans. After literally performing 'on the edge' for half a song, Mascolo fully emerged himself into the crowd and joined the mosh pit, which resulted in much more crowd involvement. As Drive A's night ran out of gas, the first of the two legends already had the crowd simmering with anticipation. California-born Atreyu teased the crowd as an epic intro played for a minute before the band walked on stage. After playing a song off their latest release, Congregation of the Damned, the band dove right into its old stuff. Dan Jacobs, the lead guitarist, stole the spotlight by performing face melting guitar solos with his six-string. Lead singer Alex Varkatzas accompanied stellar guitar player, and his glass-shattering scream was near perfection. As the quintet played fan favorites 'The Crimson' and 'Bleeding Mascara,' Varkatzas hit the high screams and the low grunts as perfectly as he does on the album. Even with the dynamic Jacobs and Varkatzas showed off their talent, the liveliest member of Atreyu was drummer Brandon Saller. The drum kit Saller performed with did not have just one kick drum; it had three. Saller not only rocked out on the drums, he also did some serious singing for the band. When the band left momentarily, Saller showcased his dominance on the drums. Atreyu performed a great variety of its music, sticking to a lot of classics, but also throwing in some great new songs. To end out the set, Atreyu performed one of its earliest and hardest singles, 'Lip Gloss and Black,' resulting in one of the biggest mosh pits of the night. Atreyu left everything it had on the stage and the crowd was finally warmed up for the main act of the night. The band that helped form a scene that many bands followed into today was ready to show Niagara Falls why it has been around for almost a decade. When main singer Bert McCracken took control of the mic, it was clear what band the majority of the crowd came there to see. The Used took no time to get to the point, coming out and jumping right into the first track off their new album, 'Blood on My Hands.' Clearly not one for small talk, McCracken flowed through songs without much delay and moved right into 'Take It Away.' McCracken got the crowd two stepping as he sang the first song off the band's well-received 2004 release, In Love and Death. The band members cruised through some of their most beloved songs like 'I Caught Fire' and 'Let It Bleed,' but the best song was a mash up of its two biggest songs. The Used started to play 'The Taste of Ink,' the song that threw the band into the spotlight, but halfway through switched to 'All That I've Got.' The transition between the two songs was beautifully done. While the band performed this masterpiece, McCracken was almost inaudible as the whole crowd screamed the lyrics, showing the musicians how much of an impact their music has had on an entire generation. Before the band left the stage for the first time, the crowd separated into two sides. As 'Pretty Handsome Awkward' erupted, so did the mob of people participating in the wall of death. When The Used came back out for the encore, fans got to hear two of the band's songs off the self-titled debut album. The band first played the heartfelt 'On My Own,' which made almost every person in the theater tear up. But the group didn't want to leave on a lighter note as one of the hardest songs in the band's repertoire, 'Box Full of Sharp Objects,' was delivered next. With everyone in the audience dripping in sweat and gasping for air, it was clear that The Used is better live than most bands are on CD. If you are kicking yourself for missing the show, don't fret: The Used promised that the band would be back very soon. E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
Investment in Tonawanda GM plant brings new generation
By Jessica Bennett | Feb. 19, 2010A multimillion dollar investment into the General Motors Powertrain Plant in Tonawanda was made public this week. GM announced that it would invest hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade the facility so it can produce the next generation engine used in Chevrolet models. This news will breathe new life into the Tonawanda plant. This will also make it possible for workers that were let go in the past to come back. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), chairwoman of the House Committee on Rules, congratulated GM on its plans to upgrade. 'This is great news for Tonawanda and great news for GM,' Slaughter said. 'Over a year ago, Congress was deciding if we would step in to help GM and to me, it was a no-brainer. Our investment to keep an American icon afloat wasn't about Detroit, it was about Tonawanda. The men and women of this plant have proven their value time and time again and today's announcement is another testament to our local workforce. I applaud GM for recognizing your great work and look forward to the growth of this incredible facility.' The announcement affirms the competitiveness of the Western New York plant and ensures it will have new work well into the future as it manufactures this new engine. GM is upgrading in order to produce the next generation, fuel-efficient, four-cylinder Ecotec engine. Currently, GM makes four-cylinder L850 engines, which are used in the Chevrolet Cobalt, certain versions of the Chevrolet Malibu and certain Pontiac models. GM also makes four and five cylinder engines for other vehicles. In December 2008, Congress debated the auto bailout, which was signed by President Obama later that month. During this time, Slaughter debated the rule on the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act. 'The U.S. automobile industry is one of the largest sectors of our economy,' Slaughter said. 'Auto companies directly or indirectly support over four million American jobs and provide nearly one million retirees with pensions and health care benefits. In Western New York alone, the auto industry supports over 12,000 workers, and 13,000 retirees.' According to the United Auto Workers officials, the Tonawanda Plant currently employs 600 hourly workers. About 375 workers are on indefinite layoff and available to be called back to work. With the new investment, it may be possible to bring employees who were let go back to work. In 2007, GM invested $100 million into the plant to produce a 4.5-liter diesel engine as a premium option in Chevy Silverado and also in GMC Sierra pickup trucks. GM rolled the last V-8 engines off the line that December, which resulted in 150 layoffs. 'It can bring back all these people that would be let go,' said Victoria Dillon, Slaughter's press secretary. 'This is certainly good news for Tonawanda [and] for the area.' Even though the auto industry has been hit hard by the economy, things are beginning to look up for GM. '[GM] is such a great piece of pride for the area,' Dillon said. Dillon added that that this shows 'the hard work ethic [this area] has.' E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
Bulls bowl over Falcons
By Luke Hammill | Feb. 19, 2010The men's basketball team is hitting its stride at the perfect time. The Bulls (15-9, 8-5 Mid-American Conference) extended their current winning streak to four games on Wednesday night when they defeated the Bowling Green Falcons (13-12, 6-7 MAC), 64-51. Senior guard Rodney Pierce, who was honored before the game for topping 1,000 points in his career, led the way with 18 points and six assists. The Bulls victory was an important one, as they came into Wednesday night's contest just one game ahead of Bowling Green in the MAC East standings. They are now tied at 8-5 with Miami (OH) and just two games behind division leaders Akron and Kent State, who both sit at 10-3 with three games to left in the MAC schedule. Three-point shooting proved to be the difference in the game. The Bulls connected on 10-of-25 shots (40 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Falcons went just 1-9 (11 percent). The long range proficiency was especially important for Buffalo in breaking Bowling Green's 2-3 zone defense, a strategy that favors defending the areas around the basket over guarding the perimeter. Bulls head coach Reggie Witherspoon had his players well prepared for Bowling Green's defensive strategy going into the game. 'There were a number of different ways that we wanted to attack [the zone],' Witherspoon said. 'They're very good at their zone and they've confused a lot of teams… We wanted to move the ball in an efficient enough manner [so] that they had to chase it.' Pierce and fellow senior guard Sean Smiley were Buffalo's top zone-killers, as each hit four 3-pointers, including a string of crucial shots that saved the Bulls from a Bowling Green comeback early in the second half. The Falcons went on a 14-2 run to open the second period, cutting Buffalo's 15-point halftime lead down to just three. However, Buffalo responded with 3-pointers from Pierce, Smiley and senior guard John Boyer on its next four possessions to increase the lead to 49-38 with 10:29 remaining. 'We started the second half in a funk,' Witherspoon said. 'I thought we responded well to them making a run at us.' According to Pierce, the Bulls weathered the Bowling Green storm by increasing their intensity and getting back to their first-half strategy. 'Our mindset was just to stay locked in and do the things that we were doing in the first half,' Pierce said. 'We had to get our determination level back up to where it was. Once we did that, things turned out how they were supposed to turn out for us.' Buffalo's first-half success was due in part to contributions from the bench. Senior forward Max Boudreau, junior forward Jawaan Alston, and senior forward Adekambi Laleye provided key minutes for the Bulls after starting sophomore forward Mitchell Watt picked up two quick fouls to open the game. Despite recording only four minutes, Laleye provided solid bench play and what was arguably the highlight of the game: a huge dunk over a Bowling Green defender off of an assist from senior guard Calvin Betts with 7:03 remaining in the first half. '[Laleye] was big because he just played four minutes, and usually when a guy only plays four minutes he spends three of those four minutes trying not to make a mistake, which means he's going to make mistakes,' Witherspoon said. '[Laleye] knew – because he was active vocally on the bench – where he should be … He was able to contribute in a short period of time [which] was huge for us because Max [Boudreau] got tired and Mitchell [Watt] had two fouls.' As Buffalo moved up in the rankings, Bowling Green fell. The Falcons' loss dropped them to four games out of the division lead. 'You have to have a blue collar mentality when you come up here [to Buffalo],' said Falcons head coach Louis Orr. 'We were on our heels in the first half, and you can't come here and be on your heels – Buffalo is too aggressive at home.' While Witherspoon is enjoying the late-season momentum that his team has gathered, he isn't taking the success for granted. 'We've learned from the past that nothing we've already done qualifies us to be at less than our best in what we have in front of us,' Witherspoon said. 'We still have to use every opportunity to get better.' The players aren't satisfied, either. 'I think we have another notch we can take it to,' Pierce said. Buffalo takes a break from the MAC East grind this Saturday as it participates in ESPNU BracketBusters weekend. The Bulls will face off against the St. Peter's Peacocks (15-11). Tip-off is 2:00 p.m. at the Yanitelli Center in Jersey City, N.J. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
Bulls look for fifth-straight win in match against Peacocks
By Andrew Wiktor | Feb. 19, 2010Opponent: Saint Peter's PeacocksRecord: 15-11, 10-6 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. The Peacocks have now recorded 10 MAAC wins for the first time since the 2004-05 season.
NEWS
Dear Athletics
By Andrew Wiktor | Feb. 19, 2010To the people high up at UB who probably aren't reading this,
NEWS
CHAOS ON NORTH CAMPUS
By Matt Mosher AND David Sanchirico AND Stephen Marth | Feb. 17, 2010Members 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
NEWS
Watching two worlds collide
By JENNIFER LOMBARDO | Feb. 17, 2010Someone passing by the Student Union Theater on Feb. 6 might have assumed from the sounds of scattered, sporadic applause that a small, unenthusiastic group was gathered inside. However, this could not be further from the truth. ASL comedian Keith Wann took the stage last Friday to Deaf applause, which entails waving both hands silently in the air. From beginning to end, he had both hearing and deaf viewers in stitches. Francisco Olivera, a Peruvian ASL comedian and Taylor Lautner lookalike, opened the show, with Wann providing a translation. 'I know what you're thinking,' he began. 'How did UB afford Jacob Black from the new Twilight movie?' Olivera signed about his experiences becoming an interpreter and the difficulties he had in making his sign language look authentic. Olivera has been performing with Wann for one and a half years. 'I love it; I wish I could do it full time,' he said. When he's not performing, Olivera works as a video relay interpreter – someone who translates telephone conversations between deaf and hearing people. 'I'm also a writer. I'm working on my epic poem – ‘Ode to Cookie Monster,' Olivera said. Wann took the stage next, to both Deaf and audible applause. With Olivera acting as his interpreter, Wann signed about the differences between hearing and Deaf families, peppering the show with hilarious anecdotes about how his mischief-making got him in trouble over the years. One of his best tales was about the incident that got him banned from Deaf church. He explained that Children of Deaf Adults are called upon to interpret so much that they tend to shorten most messages. When his father asked him to translate a lengthy explanation of how sinners will be condemned to hell, Wann's response to the hearing student was, 'My father says, ‘Go to hell.' Wann also incorporated music into his show by illustrating the difficulties involved in translating songs such as 'Baby Got Back' and 'Ice, Ice Baby.' To prove this point, he asked for two student volunteers to come up and be taught how to sign 'That's the Way I Like It.' Deirdre Carter, a sophomore accounting major and one of the volunteers, found the experience to be enjoyable rather than embarrassing. 'It was a welcoming atmosphere … Keith did a great job of setting the crowd's mood and I felt comfortable being engaged with the performance,' Carter said. 'I felt a little nervous about my signing, but I looked out into the audience and saw that the Deaf community was jut glad to see that we were having fun on stage. After a few seconds, I was having a whole lot of fun.' Wann has been performing his comedy show for 10 years and can't imagine doing anything else. 'It's what I do for a living,' he said. 'I've done lots of shows; I love hearing the laughter, I love hearing people relate. I do it for other CODAs, but there are things everyone can relate to.' Both Wann and Olivera agree that Buffalo is a wonderful city to visit and that the Anchor Bar chicken wings are the best part. Olivera, who lives in Florida, also enjoyed seeing snow for the first time. The audience, both hearing and deaf, was extremely enthusiastic throughout the whole show. 'They're super. [I loved] everything – they made me laugh [through] the whole show,' said member of the Deaf community Debbie Salruto, 47, of Williamsville. Ryan Julius, a 14-year-old CODA from Buffalo, let it be known before the show that it was his birthday and was publicly congratulated by Wann. Julius enjoyed the show and felt that it was very relatable. 'I loved the deaf driver part – it was very true,' he said, referring to Wann's bit about deaf drivers using their knees to steer so their hands would be free to talk. 'I would go back [to one of Wann's shows].' Julius's friend Elizabeth Laubenthal, 13, enjoyed the show as well, despite having no ties to the Deaf community other than Julius. 'It was good; I liked the songs,' she said. Despite not being able to relate personally to the jokes, Laubenthal felt that the show was 'funny; I would go see it again.' Emily Glenn-Smith, a professor of ASL who helped the ASL Club organize the show, was very pleased with the way the event turned out. 'CODAs, students – everyone loved it. It was about half and half [deaf and hearing]. One man said, ‘We need to have this kind of thing more often; we need to educate people in a fun way,' Glenn-Smith said. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
Ex-UB researcher faces jail time after falsifying testimonies
By Caitlin Tremblay | Feb. 17, 2010William Fals-Stewart, a former researcher for the UB Research Institute on Addictions, faces criminal charges for allegedly hiring actors to act as witnesses on his behalf at a misconduct hearing. Fals-Stewart was arrested on Tuesday 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, class C, D and E felonies, respectively. The maximum permissible sentence is 15 years in prison. According to representatives from Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo's office, Fals-Stewart 'was exonerated of the misconduct because of the false testimonies, then attempted to seek $4 million from the state by suing UB for monetary damages.' Fals-Stewart sued UB for damages to his reputation. In response, Cuomo's office began investigating this claim. It was during this time that officials discovered the alleged fraud, which initiated a criminal investigation and forced Fals-Stewart to withdraw his lawsuit. Allegedly, Fals-Stewart hired professional actors to play real people who were familiar with his research practices. The actors were told by Fals-Stewart that they were partaking in a mock trial. The actors had no idea they were at a real hearing or even that they were impersonating real people. Fals-Stewart paid them and provided them with scripts, which were full of inaccuracies in regard to his research. In September 2004, Fals-Stewart, 48, of Eden, was accused of scientific misconduct while working at UB. Fals-Stewart allegedly fabricated data in federally funded research projects. There were discrepancies between the number of volunteers he reported to the National Institute for Drug Addiction for grants and the actual number of volunteers. Fals-Stewart was also the reason that SUNY found itself under investigation for the misuse of federal research funds. Last September, the university found itself under federal scrutiny after Fals-Stewart complained that the institution was mishandling research money. He filed these complaints after he had been removed from his job at UB and after his misconduct trial. 'The charges in this case allege a pattern of lies and deceit that a public employee used to attempt to defraud New York's taxpayers of millions of dollars,' Cuomo said. 'The brazen crimes allegedly committed by this individual outline a series of frauds that could have damaged our outstanding SUNY system.' Cuomo also thanked SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher and her staff for assisting in the investigation. Russell T. Ippolito, Jr., assistant state attorney general of the Buffalo office, is prosecuting the case. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
How safe are you?
By Caitlin Tremblay AND Jennifer Good | Feb. 17, 2010At 4:40 p.m., the phones in The Spectrum office began ringing off the hook. 'Have you heard? Lockwood Library has been evacuated!' said the callers. A million different scenarios ran through our heads. Bomb threat? Fire? Another college campus shooting? Was UB destined to be the next Virginia Tech? We didn't know. Rumors spread like wildfire around campus. Assumptions and rumors exploded from social networking sites as a result of silence from police and UB. Even Generation Magazine's Twitter account was reporting unsubstantiated information. There were talks of a gunman, a student with a knife, student hostages, missing faculty and staff, and even potential evacuation of the entire campus. We didn't know what to think. The University Police Department, which was clearly occupied, wouldn't confirm anything and the chaos surrounding the scene in front of Lockwood didn't leave much substantial information to work with. It's frightening that we were updated sooner by social media than by the university and police, who are supposed to inform and protect us. No one knew what was going on. Some students were panicking, while others brushed the incident aside. No one seemed to know quite how seriously to take the situation because no information was being released and no questions were being answered. Simply put, police and UB personnel did not properly inform students as to what was going on. The Spectrum received countless phone calls from students asking about the situation and whether they were safe. UB did send out alerts through e-mails via various university listserv accounts, but that led to confusion. The problem was that everyone seemed to receive these alerts either at different times or not at all. One of us received the first alert e-mail at 5:16 p.m., while the other didn't get it until 5:45. Why the lapse? Even more so, why did it take almost an hour to tell students? The police were called to Lockwood at 4:05 p.m. Shouldn't students have been notified much sooner? If there's an alleged deadly weapon on this campus, we'd like immediate notice. Forty-five minutes is a lot of time for an armed person to mobilize, even if police are on the way. We'd like to have the time and the opportunity to save our lives. UB Provost Satish Tripathi said in a university-wide e-mail (that hopefully all of our readers received) that 'the safety of our students, faculty and staff is always our primary concern.' Really? We're pretty sure we saw students frolicking about campus within shooting range of Lockwood long after police allegedly secured the building. Our Editor-In-Chief was inches away from walking into the building. Students were being told to leave Lockwood, but that's it. Clemens Hall wasn't evacuated, nor was Baldy Hall – and they both directly link to Lockwood with sky-bridges. Why? We'd like to know. If the building was under lockdown, why were students still walking right through Lockwood without any knowledge that they were within feet of potential danger? Put plain and simply, this alert system has huge flaws. E-mail and Web site updates are not enough. Not every student has Internet access every second of every day, and not every student is signed up for text alerts. When racing from Alumni to NSC for their next class, how are students supposed to stay updated on campus emergencies? Public address systems were invented long before the Internet; sometimes it's okay to rest on your laurels. If the university can make an announcement canceling class, why can't it announce an important safety concern? We get that police and UB officials don't want to spark rumors, riots and chaos, but some form of universal notification is imperative to everyone's safety. There's a difference between keeping students safe and keeping the university's image safe. There's a way for information to be released safely and efficiently. UB is a school with endless resources. It can afford to figure something out. Luckily, this situation turned out to be non-life threatening, but honestly, from what we saw today, it was a criminal's field day. Despite several press briefings throughout the evening, many questions remain unanswered. UB is on the spot. It's do or die time – literally. With more and more students coming in every semester, UB needs to seriously reevaluate its security system and protocol. Many of UB's buildings were built 40 to 50 years ago and were designed specifically to quell riots, but it's not 1970 anymore. We need a new system. We need an upgrade. Students deserve to feel safe and, more importantly, be safe. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
Bulls slammed by Chippewas
By Brian Josephs | Feb. 17, 2010It's difficult to face a team that is in the top ten in the nation, especially when you're missing your best wrestler. After honoring the team's seniors in conjunction with UB Senior Day, Buffalo (8-7-1, 1-3 Mid-American Conference) faced off against No. 6 Central Michigan (15-2, 3-0 MAC). The day began much like it ended and the Bulls fell 35-3 at home Sunday afternoon. The dual match started with senior Dan Bishop's final match at Alumni Arena. The opener was a close match with many takedowns and illegal maneuvers throughout, but in the end, Bishop lost 6-3 to Matt Steintrager despite his late surge in the third period. Unfortunately, the day did not get any better for the Bulls. Central Michigan went on to win seven more consecutive matches, including two technical falls. 'Well, anytime we lose we feel horrible,' said head coach Jim Beichner. 'If you train hard and you get beat hard, it's hard to lose no matter what the score is.' The Bulls sole win came in the eighth match after losing in a 16-0 technical fall. In the 184-pound bout, redshirt freshman Josh Peters sealed a 4-1 victory against Central Michigan's Dillon Kern with a takedown in the third period. Junior Jimmy Hamel came close to following this up at the 194-pound bout, however, an escape by Central Michigan's Eric Simaz in the final minutes resulted in a 5-4 Bulls lost. By taking eight out of the 10 matches, Central Michigan demonstrated why they are nationally ranked. 'Year after year they are a top five, six or seven team in the country,' Beichner said. 'And if their full lineup is in as it was today, they are [definitely] one of the top five in the country, and they looked like it.' Beichner believes that the highlight of the match was the team's hardnosed wrestling. One such display came from senior Andrew Stella's battle against Central Michigan's Steve Brown, who is ranked 14th in the nation. Stella scored the first two points with a takedown, however, two takedowns and two escapes later gave Brown a 6-3 win. Stella's aggressiveness did show that the Bulls were not out of the contest yet. 'I thought our guys wrestled very disciplined,' Beichner said. 'In some weight classes we were just a little outmanned and in other weight classes we battled extremely hard and fought hard. There were a lot of good efforts there, just not enough to beat that team.' Unfortunately, there were also some questionable maneuvers in some of the matches. This was particularly apparent in Bishop's opening match. '[Bishop] I thought was getting cheap shotted,' Beichner said. '[Steintrager] was doing some things that I thought were potentially illegal or dangerous. [Bishop] didn't take it and he fought back. We lost a hard fought close match.' Biechner stated that sophomore Kevin Smith and Hamel both displayed effort in their matches despite not winning. He also felt that Stella had a legitimate shot at beating his opponent had he really given 100 percent throughout the match. The coach explained that his team would make adjustments in order to face an opponent such as Central Michigan in the MAC Championships. Beichner also believes that the return of currently injured sophomore Desi Green will help them a lot. '[Green] wasn't in the lineup,' Beichner said. 'He'll be in the MAC Championships. When he gets back, we'll be even better in the [149-pound] weight class.' Until then, the wrestling team has to contend with the bitter taste of defeat handed to them by one of the top teams in the nation. 'The team feels lousy right now,' Beichner said. 'You can't feel good when you lose. I don't care who you are or what the situation is [but] if you feel good when you lose, there's something wrong.' The wrestling team travels west to face MAC-rival Northern Illinois next weekend at 2 p.m. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
Bring Division I hockey to UB
By Luke Hammill | Feb. 17, 2010Buffalo is a hockey town. As a Buffalonian, it took me a long time to accept this fact. I have always been in denial because basketball is my first love, but Buffalo does not field a professional team in the NBA. If I were to be a Buffalo sports fan, I knew I would have to jump on the hockey bandwagon. Buffalo is a city swarmed by the most dedicated hockey fans. But putting fanatics aside, it is also home to some of the countries' most talented youth hockey players. Western New York has a vast network of hockey programs, from mini-mites to junior divisions, which have produced a handful of professional talents through the years. Buffalo area natives currently playing in the NHL include Olympians Patrick Kane and Brooks Orpik, as well as Nick Foligno, and Lee Stempniak. Tim Kennedy and Angola's own Patrick Kaleta were fortunate enough to land on the roster of their hometown Sabres. Buffalo can arguably boast more homegrown talent in hockey than it can in any other major professional sport. Which leads to me to ask – why does the University at Buffalo not have a Division I hockey program of its own? I acknowledge that it wouldn't be an easy task to acquire a hockey team. Building a Division I program from scratch requires a lot of investment and support. Financially, a men's hockey program could demand nearly as much money as our football program currently costs. A hockey program would also need to enroll in a different athletic conference, as the Mid-American Conference does not currently support hockey. While it would be costly, it can be done. Niagara and Canisius athletics compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, but their hockey programs play in the College Hockey America and Atlantic Hockey conferences. Adding to the financial burden is the necessity for a Division I hockey program to make an arena of their own. With no rink on campus, the university would be required to construct an entirely new arena. Playing at the nearby Amherst Ice Rink (formerly known as the Amherst Pepsi Center) is unfortunately out of the question because it isn't on campus. Finding the space for a second arena would be difficult enough, let alone the cost of building and maintaining one. Cost aside, however, I believe the pros outweigh the cons. Some programs might have to be cut or forced to spend less, but so what? Would you rather have an array of mediocre teams or a smaller number of competitive programs that have the potential to consistently win on a regular basis? Buffalo athletics has just two total MAC Championships since joining the conference in 1998. With a recruiting gold mine in our own backyard, a hockey program would certainly be in contention for a national championship with a few years of work. In 2005, Gene Corrigan, whose worked as Athletic Director at Notre Dame University and President of the NCAA, published a report after conducting an assessment of UB's athletic program. A portion of Corrigan's report is as follows: 'UB needs to consider a reduction in the number of its intercollegiate sports, focusing on sports with the best opportunities for success. The University should also consider adding sports that have a potential for success due to location, facilities, or expertise, such as hockey or lacrosse.' While the report recognizes UB's lack of a campus hockey rink as the main financial obstacle, I propose the use of Alumni Arena. Why not convert our current athletic facility into a hockey rink? Arenas across the country – including Buffalo's own HSBC Arena – support multiple sporting events under one roof. While it would also be costly, converting Alumni is quite possible. For now, I'll stick to watching the Sabres, but the idea of a Division I hockey program at UB needs to be seriously considered. E-mail: luke.hammill@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
The great divide
By Rachel Lamb | Feb. 17, 2010As I near the front counter at CVS Pharmacy, I can't help but make a face when something always involuntarily catches my eye: loud neon covers with photo-shopped actresses and obnoxious headlines such as, 'Best SEX ever,' 'How to turn him on' and 'Romp your way to a new weight!'
NEWS
On the hunt
By JENNIFER HARB | Feb. 17, 2010After completing their grueling undergraduate career, many students still lack the necessary networking, conversing and planning skills needed to land the perfect career away from campus. The Black Student Union hosted the BSU Distinguished Speaker Series on Wednesday, designed to inform students entering the workforce about skills that employers are looking for in potential employees. Adia Jordan, a UB graduate and former BSU member, came to speak about professionalism and ways to land a desired job using the skills learned in college. 'There are a lot of different things you can do with your major,' Jordan said. 'You just have to ask … a question equals growth.' Jordan graduated from UB in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in communication and currently serves as the communications associate for New York State Assemblywoman Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes in Buffalo, NY. In addition to owning First Lady Enterprises, an event planning and public relations consulting firm, Jordan also serves on the Minority Women Business Enterprise, Labor, Cultural Tourism, Health, and Criminal Justice committees. The development of First Lady Enterprises stemmed from Jordan's involvement with BSU while at UB. Jordan served as the activities coordinator for the club, where she identified event planning as one of her passions. 'Learning a transferrable skill is important,' Jordan said. 'You never know [if it could become] a job opportunity.' While some believe Buffalo lacks the opportunities for work after college, Jordan argues that with proper networking skills and a degree of proficiency, there are many opportunities. 'Make your own business card,' Jordan said. 'It's important to be memorable. It takes more than reciting a resume to a future employer. Set yourself up for professionalism.' As a former BSU e-board member and Delta Sigma Theta sorority member, Jordan explains that the connections she made while in college helped her find a position in the field she was interested in. 'Never say that the people you meet in your lifetime are not able to help you,' Jordan said. 'People in BSU really helped me because we worked as a team. Just because you have a relationship with someone in college, doesn't mean that the relationship can't grow and it doesn't mean that you won't need it later in life.' Jordan recommends reading Business First and also suggests the 2010 Book of Lists. She believes it's necessary to target those companies destined for success and know about the major competitors in the area. 'You are only as good as what you research,' Jordan said. 'There are companies that are really making it happen here. There are resources.' Jordan emphasized the importance of community activism, club involvement, and internships. These experiences tend to prepare applicants for the workforce, she said. The next Distinguished Speaker event will feature Antwan Diggs on money management and will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 17. For more information, visit the BSU's office in 307 Student Union. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
Students react to alleged gunman
By Christopher DiMatteo | Feb. 17, 2010Students surrounded Lockwood Library on Tuesday, curious about the rumors that they had heard. Once word of an alleged gunman in the library got out, students hit the social networking sites, cell phones and e-mail looking for answers. Many stories circulated, but no one knew what was truly going on in the six-story library. Joe Brennan, vice president for University Communications, stated in a press conference that police became aware of the situation and evacuated the building around 4:30 p.m. Students began spreading word about the evacuation and alleged gunman via social networking Web sites around the same time. There were few police securing the area in the early stages of the incident, as many were evacuating the building and investigating the situation. Students easily walked up the Lockwood Library stairs or through the building's courtyard, but those aware of the situation were worried. 'I walked up in there and asked a cop what was going on. He said that someone [had] a shotgun. There are cops everywhere with M5 rifles,' said Ahmed Attoh, a senior electrical engineering major. Ann Marie Awad, a senior English major, was working in Lockwood's Cybrary at the time of the event. 'One of the pubsite managers came into our office and said, ‘The cops said we got to get out,' ' Awad said. 'We looked outside and everyone was getting their stuff and leaving. They evacuated us into the hallway and then we stood in the hallway for a little bit, and they locked up the Cybrary. Then they told us we had to get out of the building.' Awad was just one of many students sitting in the Baldy walkway near Lockwood with little information about what was going on. A number of the students in the area were waiting to find out when they could get back into the library, while others seemed to be drawn to the area because of the story. The UB alert system sent out a text to students, notifying them that Lockwood was being evacuated at approximately 4:45 p.m. Jennifer Kane, a senior psychology major, was in a class in Clemens Hall when she received that text. 'My teacher didn't know what was happening. We saw the police going to Lockwood and we kind of figured it out,' Kane said. 'We told the teacher and he continued on with class until after everyone knew classes were cancelled. He let us out around 6 p.m.' Although Kane was happy with the action taken to secure the library, she was dissatisfied with how security on the rest of the campus was treated. 'It was good that the police evacuated Lockwood so fast, but it was disconcerting that they didn't come to our class to let us know what was going on,' Kane said. 'We didn't know if we should be evacuated, considering Lockwood is attached to Clemens. No one really knew if we should be let go or if we should be on lockdown, too.' After she became aware of the entire situation, Kane was worried about her safety. 'You never know with something like that,' Kane said. Charles Anzalone of University Communications believed that the regular protocol was followed to alert teachers of the incident. 'I think that the normal emergency alert system went out, so that is probably how they were notified,' Anzalone said. An e-mail was sent to UB employees from the University Communications Division of External Affairs at 4:54 p.m., giving them the same information as the text that was sent out. Students received that same e-mail at 5:16 p.m. The perimeter of Lockwood was tightly secured around 5 p.m., and students outside were told to go indoors or clear the area. Police armed with assault rifles told students they could not leave through the eastern doors of Alfiero Center, as they were holding a position. Inside Alfiero, students' emotions ranged from joking to scared as heaps of students crammed together and waited to see something take place through the second story windows of the library, directly across Putnam Way. At 5:45 p.m., students were informed through an e-mail that classes were canceled. Though the situation and the safety of the area were unknown even to the police at that point, some students thought they should have been told earlier. 'I don't really like the way it was handled. I mean, I get a text from them saying Lockwood is under police lockdown, but they don't explain why. Then I find out there is a possible gunman on campus, but still have to wait a couple more hours before they decide to be done with classes,' said Daniel Kimble, a senior business administration major. Daniel Dimillo, a senior architecture major, was in the Health Sciences Library on South Campus at 6:20 p.m. when someone came over a loudspeaker alerting students to stay away from the North Campus. That same person came back on about 10 minutes later saying that the South Campus library was closing at 7 p.m., as opposed to the regular closing time of midnight. Dimillo arrived on North Campus around 7 p.m. and saw that police were still patrolling the area. 'From what I saw, cops seemed to have it pretty secure, but I saw some people just walking around other buildings,' Dimillo said. 'They had plenty of support there, like Amherst cops and Buffalo cops, but I think I could have walked into any building if I wanted to.' Although Dimillo thought the officers' security was not as strong later in the evening,g he did think that the university successfully alerted students. 'They were pretty vague in their statements, but they did send two e-mails as soon as I started hearing about it,' Dimillo said. 'They were pretty informative.' While the UPD's search of the building determined that the area was secure, it increased patrol and kept Lockwood closed for the remainder of the evening. UB's alert system was tested and students were affected, but ultimately, the school can use this as an opportunity to see where its safety measures can be improved. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
NEWS
Spectrum Playlist
Feb. 17, 2010With the Winter Olympics now underway in Vancouver, it is so easy to see why the United States of America is the best country in the world.
