Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Logo of The Spectrum
Submit a Tip
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Monday, February 09, 2026
The independent student publication of The University at Buffalo, since 1950

News

Image of plans for the Student Wellness and Recreation Center.
NEWS

Wellness and Recreation Center planned for 2026

By ELIZABETH NAPOLITANO | Feb. 27, 2020

By 2026, a four-story wellness and recreation facility featuring pools, basketball courts and artificial turf fields will likely stand where The Commons and the University Bookstore are now located. Representatives from CannonDesign, an integrated design firm working on the project, unveiled project boards and 3D models of the proposed Wellness and Recreation Center at the Student Union Wednesday.

Plastic bags at Putnam's before the plastic bag ban is put in effect on March 1.
NEWS

UB introducing paper bags to comply with plastic bag ban

By ALEXANDRA MOYEN and JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA | Feb. 27, 2020

Campus Dining and Shops and other businesses around campus will stop offering single-use plastic bags as part of the state-wide plastic bag ban beginning March 1.  New York State created the law to reduce waste and other negative environmental impacts. All businesses required to collect NYS sales tax will be banned from distributing plastic bags, even during tax-exempt sales. Businesses are not required to provide alternative bags, like paper bags, so NYS encourages consumers to carry reusable bags with them.

Rodney Pierce played for the Bulls men’s basketball team from 2007-2010, averaging 18.4 points during his senior year. 
NEWS

Former UB basketball player arrested in drug bust

By JUSTIN WEISS | Feb. 26, 2020

Former UB basketball player Rodney Pierce was one of four people arrested Tuesday in a Buffalo drug-trafficking bust. Pierce, 32, was arrested and charged with conspiring to distribute 500 grams “or more” of cocaine. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and maximum of 40 years in prison.

Industrial and systems engineering major Josh Hulburt (left)and mechanical engineering major Troy Kilian make repairs to their robot after winning in the arena during the previous round.
NEWS

Mechanical smackdown

By REILLY MULLEN | Feb. 23, 2020

UB hosts an annual fight club.  But it isn’t an underground ring pitting students against each other for Dining Dollar prizes.

Squire Hall on South Campus.
NEWS

Suspect connected to South Campus thefts to face charges

By KATHERINE THOMAS | Feb. 19, 2020

A woman banned from UB property on Jan. 14 is facing charges after University Police found her to be connected to five thefts reported on several of UB’s South Campus buildings. UPD is currently working with the Erie County District Attorney’s office to indict Wright, covering all the thefts into one plea agreement in the coming months.

SA President Yousouf Amolegbe having a conversation with the Board of Directors during a recess period at the meeting Tuesday.
NEWS

Student Association president’s fate in limbo after six-hour meeting, board of directors planning meeting to further discuss

By JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA and BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 13, 2020

The Student Association Board of Directors spent six hours Tuesday night discussing the suspension of SA President Yousouf Amolegbe and voted against lifting his suspension. Close to 80 students –– many of whom came in support of Amolegbe –– watched, spoke and shared their thoughts during and after the meeting, which lasted from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 12 a.m. Wednesday.

The site of Friday night's collision where UB students and an Amherst Police vehicle collided.
NEWS

UB students, Amherst police officer in car crash identified

By ALEXANDRA MOYEN | Feb. 10, 2020

Amherst police released the names of the five UB students and the Amherst police officer involved in the Jan. 31 Sheridan Drive car crash on Friday.  APD identified the officer involved as John Rusch and the five UB students as driver Brenna Sullivan, passengers Cara Wojtach, Mary Devaney, Savanna Hinten and Sophia Calleo. 

  SA President Yousouf Amolegbe addresses students during an SA town hall meeting in November.  
NEWS

SA president suspended due to deal with rapper, according to board of directors member

By JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA | Feb. 10, 2020

A member of the Student Association Board of Directors (BOD) told The Spectrum, on the condition of anonymity, the primary reason for SA President Yousouf Amolegbe’s suspension is that Amolegbe planned to host rapper Fivio Foreign at SA’s Trap Fest on the same night he planned to host the rapper for an event hosted by RAGE Boyz Entertainment, a company he is co-CEO of.  Under Amolegbe’s deal, SA would have paid Fivio Foreign $9,500, which would cover his transportation to Buffalo and enable RAGE Boyz to book him for “much cheaper,” according to the BOD member. The deal was stopped before it was finalized. The BOD member said SA and university professional staff stopped the deal, while other officials said Amolegbe stopped the deal.

Yousouf Amolegbe (center) after winning the SA election last year. Amolegbe has been indefinitely suspended by the Board of Directors on Friday night.
NEWS

Student Association president indefinitely suspended for alleged conflict-of-interest violations

By ALEXANDRA MOYEN and JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA | Feb. 9, 2020

The Student Association’s Board of Directors voted to suspend SA President Yousouf Amolegbe on Friday.  The vote came after SA’s Rules, Administration and Government Oversight Committee (RAGO) found Amolegbe guilty of nine SA policy violations, including alleged conflict-of-interest violations concerning his role as co-CEO of entertainment company RAGE Boyz, according to Amolegbe. 

Students using computers at the Lockwood Cybrary.
NEWS

UBIT explains Friday’s campus-wide network outage

By ALEXANDRA MOYEN | Feb. 2, 2020

Last Friday, UB experienced a campus-wide network outage which caused either a steady or complete loss of connection, according to UB Information and Technology.  The campus-wide outage was caused by the network’s core primary router hardware failing and rebooting, according to UBIT, then a “few seconds later” the same thing happened to its backup router.

The site of Friday night's collision where UB students and an Amherst Police vehicle collided.
NEWS

Friday crash leaves five students injured, two critically injured, as of Saturday

By JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA and BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 2, 2020

Five students were injured, two critically injured, as of Saturday morning following a Friday night car accident on Sheridan Drive near Sweet Home Road, according to Amherst Police.  A 20-year-old student from Centereach, NY was driving a 2012 Chevrolet when the vehicle and Amherst Police vehicle collided shortly before midnight, according to the Amherst Police. UB spokesperson Cory Nealon says Amherst Police is investigating the collision.

The International Student Services office is located on the second floor of Talbert Hall.
NEWS

Iranian students fear immigration hardships may amplify during political tension

By JULIAN ROBERTS-GRMELA | Jan. 30, 2020

Graduate student Gheysar Jebelli* tries to avoid news stories about his home country, Iran. They upset him and distract him from his academic studies.    But when his friend texted him on Jan. 8 that Iran had fired missiles at an Iraqi airbase housing U.S. troops in retaliation for the U.S.’ assassination of General Qasem Soleimani, Jebelli became distressed. He kept his eyes glued to the headlines.

Popular
View this profile on Instagram

The Spectrum (@ubspectrum) • Instagram photos and videos

Powered by SNworks Solutions by The State News
All Content © 2026 The Spectrum