News

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The week ahead: 3.27.06

Take a breather with Needtobreathe

If you frantically start ripping out your hair while listening to the same 10 songs on Kiss 98.5 and Wild 101, you're not alone.

Putting the ire in 'vampire'

Because American film studios produce an ample number of sci-fi and fantasy films, there isn't much reason to begin importing more of the genre from overseas.

Arts Clips

UB art in TonawandaTwo art exhibitions, "I'm in the wrong film" by Hans Gindlesberger and "Memory of November" by Soyeon Jung, premiered this Saturday at the Carnegie Arts Center.

Scoreboard

Nothing to Report

Making ghosts of mysteries

Just as its name proclaims, the Center for Inquiry is a place for rationality and critical questions.

Activists unite to find common ground

Various student groups actively campaigning for causes across campus put their efforts together Saturday at the first Progressive Student Conference, an event designed to increase awareness and help train student leadership.With presentations from members of Muslim SA, the UN Student Alliance, UB Students Against Sweatshops and others, the all-day event offered lectures and discussions to highlight the causes different on-campus groups fight for.The conference was run under the banner of Students United for Progress, a new coalition of UB groups looking to initiate change on campus for a variety of issues."I really liked Mike Niman from ArtVoice," said Jenn Testa, vice president of the Vegetarian Collective.When she wasn't helping with her own group's presentation, Testa was one of about 50 people who attended the sessions, which ranged from a panel on Hurricane Katrina to a talk about the profiling of Muslims.The conference also touched the subjects of pesticides on campus, civil rights, police brutality, the women's students department cutting its adjunct professors, and the salary situation facing UB's janitors.Niman, a Buffalo State College professor and partner of the Niagara Independent Media, focused on the use of the media as a resource for Buffalo activists.Creighton Randall, a member of UB's Engineers for a Sustainable World, said that he was impressed with Niman and with the Niagara radio station he works with, AM 1270."He talked about essentially how a group of the Buffalo community can get together (to form a) community radio station," Randall said.

Spring break leaves students tired and broke

After the beer, the sun block and - for some - the 8-hour shifts at jobs back home, readjusting to busy school schedules have left some students still in a daze, even after a week back in class.Many are finding themselves either still exhausted from their expeditions, broke or in debt from hotel and dinner expenses and far behind on their mountains of schoolwork.Sophomore David Orenstein, a business and psychology major, said he goes on break to get away from school, so even though he didn't do much partying over the weeklong vacation, Orenstein didn't do much schoolwork either."I did bring home books thinking I would do something with them," he said.

One cartoon may be worth a thousand syllogisms

In an editorial, "Too Late to the Party," (March 10), Free Inquiry magazine is castigated for publishing controversial Muhammad cartoons.

Off-campus study spots swap silence for sweets

Spring may have officially arrived this week, but for students who still have a month and a half of class left and chilly weather to put up with, it doesn't mean much.

Ben Sargent Cartoon: 3.24.06

Stan stays undefeated in Florida

Every once in a while, even Goliath falls.Women's tennis lost over the break for the second time this year, bowing in a marathon five-hour match to Central Florida, but not before thrashing Manhattan College and Hillsborough Community College to raise its record to 8-2.Highlighting the week was the play of Smaranda Stan who, after claiming three victories during the road trip, is now 5-0.

Brakeless beats

E-40 needs to see a brake specialist. His "slanguage" may be cute, but his beats are unrelenting.

Beating the best

With the winter sports schedule now officially over, it has become obvious that some teams have to change their mindsets and toughen their schedules in order to obtain their ultimate goals of becoming Mid-American Conference champions and national contenders.

'Manderlay' questions right to freedom

It's a movie about one of the most irreparable mistakes of mankind, and it resembles a fairytale."Manderlay," an eight-chaptered contrivance of America's trial with slavery, is playing at the Market Arcade through March 28.

Educated and spiritual people are not ruled by violence

I have not gone out of my way to see the Mohammad cartoons, nor will I, but I don't agree with The Spectrum's editorial point-of-view about Professor Paul Kurtz and his decision to publish the cartoons ("Too late to the party," March 10). I am more fearful of living in a world that does not permit freedom of speech.

"Protest drew attention to civil rights, environment"

Your interesting story March 8 ("UBSAS talks trash in the Student Union") about the trash picked up by UB Students against Sweatshops prompts several reflections:

Catching the rising tide

After a strong fall season where the rowing team saw multiple first- and second-place finishes, the squads spent spring break racing in a series of exhibitions to prepare for the upcoming season.The result?

"Euro newspapers, not countries, warrant support"

I am 60 years old, am I "Too late to the party" (March 10)? In stating that the decision by Paul Kurtz to publish the Muhammad cartoons is wrong, the Spectrum is missing the point.

Fusion jazz makes a comeback

Classic fusion jazz studio band Steely Dan is back, but this time it's under a different name. Steely Dan co-leader Donald Fagen released his self-produced third solo album "Morph the Cat" last week."Morph the Cat" is a sexy, soulful album that sounds almost exactly like a Steely Dan record.