News

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A step in the right direction

Say what you will about Ariel Sharon, but Israel's prime minister is at this moment one of the most honest and gutsy politicians in the world.I know there are those who would see Sharon brought up on war crimes rather than let him finish his term as prime minister, but even if you do hold him accountable for war crime accusations, there is no denying that his total reversal of policy towards the settlements in Gaza is nothing less than a political miracle these days.For those who don't know Sharon's background, as a right-wing politician he's made a career out of policies that called for Israeli expansion and new settlements in both Gaza and the West Bank, which both encroached on Palestinian land and escalated the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.But now, along with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Sharon is coordinating a complete disengagement from Gaza and a partial withdrawal from the West Bank, which hopefully will lead to a complete withdrawal from the West Bank in the future after border negotiations and the creation of a Palestinian state.Seven years ago when Sharon was the Israeli foreign minister, he said on Israeli radio that everyone should run to the territories to "grab more hills, expand the territory." "Everything that's grabbed will be in our hands," he said.

Students inspired by surge of interest in documentaries

While many reality television shows provide more of an escape from reality for viewers than an actual immersion in it, documentaries - the thoughtful side of the reality business - have been booming.Recent documentaries like "Fahrenheit 9/11," "Outfoxed," and "Super Size Me" have received a considerable amount of recognition for their subject matter and film styles.Many university students are trying their hand at the business of documentary filming.Gregory Tedesco, a senior film major, said documentaries often paint a picture for their viewers, giving them a choice of which angle to pay attention to."It's good for students to understand why they believe certain things," he said.

Budd nips competitors on the mat for the Bulls

If you walk up to 133-pound sophomore Mark Budd with a problem, no matter what the situation is, you're likely to get the same three words of advice."Just work hard."As a struggling high school wrestler, Budd adopted those three simple words as his mantra and they have served him well ever since.Budd's wrestling career started in the small town of Orville, Ohio when his father took him to his first tournament at the age of six."I got into wrestling with my dad because he wrestled in high school.

Sidelines

Bracket buster broadcastThe UB Bulls are making their way back onto television sets, except this time it's across the region rather than the nation.

Event to help custodian's sick grandson

To make her four-year-old grandson's "yuckies" go away, UB custodian Sally Ann Hunt is asking her family at work to help her family at home.Rather than stand by while her grandson, Lawson Slaugenhoupt, fights leukemia, Hunt hopes to give Lawson a helping hand on Feb.

Painting a blank canvas

This is the second story in a series that takes a closer look at the history and impact of the Center for the Arts, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.When architects set out in 1983 to design a building for the arts at UB, the "big white box" that would eventually hug the shore of Lake LaSalle was still just a glimmer in the eyes of many UB students and faculty.Eleven years later, when the Center for the Arts opened its doors, the UB community quickly realized its glimmer had become a gem."The design of the Center for the Arts definitely broke the mold of the brown brick of every other building on campus," said Tyrone Georgiou, associate dean of the art department.

Women's basketball blindsided by Flashes

With nowhere to go but up, the UB women's basketball team hit rock bottom on Wednesday night, falling to the Kent State Golden Flashes 76-34 at Alumni Arena.

Ben Sargent Cartoon: 2.18.05

How to Make a Mix Tape

Music is a funny thing. It has the power to shape your day, define a relationship, or serve as the soundtrack for an entire era of your life.

Down-Wright quirky

Steven Wright is insane. Either that, or he's a post-apocalyptic android, beamed down to our society like Schwarzenegger in "Terminator 2," except with a softer physique, a haircut that unappealingly combines a mullet and an Afro, and a preternatural sense of humor that defies conventionality.It's difficult to imagine that he's from the same world as the rest of the human race.

"After first report, UB2020 seeks feedback"

The development of President John Simpson's long-term plan for UB has recently moved into "phase two," and for the first time, UB2020 will hold open forums on both campuses to discuss the group's initial report.Both information and feedback sessions will go over the data collected during the summer in "phase one," according to officials.

Depraved indifference

The clear, crisp morning of Sept. 11, 2001 saw a cruel kind of devastation visited on New York City.

Scoreboard

M. BasketballTuesday:Buffalo77Kent State66

Students go above and beyond with community service

As New York State's second largest city, Buffalo is known as the "City of Good Neighbors." Many of UB's 27,000 students are perpetuating this spirit by volunteering their service to the community.Cuthbert A.

Women's team prepares for Golden Flash

You don't need a statistician to tell you that so far this season, the combination of Wednesday night games and the UB women's basketball team have mixed like oil and water.The Bulls are 1-5 when they play on Wednesdays this season, a trend Buffalo hopes to reverse tonight when the Bulls host Kent State."I'm not concerned about what days of the week we're playing," said UB head coach Cheryl Dozier.

Lighting up the Flash

It was a tale of two halves on Tuesday night in Alumni Arena, as the UB men's basketball team overcame a slow and sloppy start to score a convincing 77-66 victory over the visiting Kent State Golden Flashes in an important Mid-American Conference match-up."This was a hard fought Mid-American Conference game against a great nationally respected opponent," said head coach Reggie Witherspoon.

Not a done deal

This is part two of a two-part series that looks at the medical school's tuition hike plan.Although a proposal to single out medical students for a tuition increase has many UB students in an uproar, both UB and New York State officials say students shouldn't worry so much over a bill that might not even be passed.Ryan McPherson, the assistant vice president for government affairs at UB, said he stresses the importance of the wording in the budget article.The article itself says the SUNY trustees "may establish differing rates of tuition" in different academic programs where the current market or the program costs "support a higher rate of tuition in accordance with guidelines established by the chancellor."The key word in the article is "may," McPherson said.

Good performances wasted in swim team loss

Winning five out of the 16 events in last week's meet at Cornell was not enough for the women's swimming and diving team.

From coach to cage fighter

Reality show fever has once again swept UB, but this time around there won't be any sorority drama or fraternity panty raids.

On the front lines

At 20 years of age, Jimmy Inthanongsak found himself in the position of having to write out a will.A short while later, he was living on a tank fighting hostile Iraqi forces, thousands of miles away from a college life of classes, parties and exams.