News

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Ben Sargent Cartoon: 12.10.04

Men's Team to Face MAC Foes Over Break

While most of the UB student body is away over winter break in some place warm, eating home-cooked meals and celebrating after final exams, the men's basketball team will be hard at work.The Bulls (4-2 overall, 0-1 Mid-American Conference) have five games scheduled against conference opponents, including a home game against the Toledo Rockets, the team that eliminated the Bulls from the Mid-American Conference playoffs last March.The game against Toledo is the Bulls' first opportunity to exact revenge on the team that ended UB's best season since joining the MAC.Bulls' head coach Reggie Witherspoon isn't thrilled about the Toledo game falling during break."I would much rather play them during the school year, when the Maniacs are here," Witherspoon said.

New Plan Bans Residents from Lots

The Student Association Assembly rejected Tuesday night a proposal from UB officials to ban freshmen from parking along the Academic Spine next semester.By a 17-2 vote, the Assembly called the plan unfair and used the rest of the meeting to draft a counter-proposal that was signed by Assembly Chair Hassan Shibly and SA Senate Chair Mazin Kased.The results of the meeting were reported incorrectly in Wednesday's issue of The Spectrum.The new Assembly proposal asks that all commuters have Spine parking privileges year-round, that on-campus residents be banned from those lots from 9 a.m.

Bulls Prepare for Purple Eagles

After bouncing back from a disappointing Mid-American Conference opener with an overtime victory against the Elon Phoenix, the UB men's basketball team will return to the friendly confines of Alumni Arena to take on local rival, the Niagara Purple Eagles, on Saturday at 7 p.m.The Bulls stayed over the .500 mark by battling Tuesday en route to their second overtime victory of the young season by defeating the Phoenix 70-63, thus improving their record to 4-2 overall on the season.Though the Bulls' record doesn't reflect a poor start to the season, UB head coach Reggie Witherspoon isn't thrilled with the play of the team in their most recent games."We're kind of fighting and struggling through a struggle period for us, but these are normal at this point in the year," Witherspoon said.

Corrections

The man in the picture that went with the story "Haiti Gets a Helping Hand from UB Minister" in Monday's issue is Joel Payton, not Rev.

"Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, Oh My!"

America is the only industrial and democratic nation that does not have universal health care. To top it off, while our gentle Northern neighbor enjoys the security of price-controlled medicines, we are left to swallow an increasingly bitter pill.

Colleges Rethink Best Way to Reach Troubled Students

Staring out a tenth floor window of Clemens Hall into the dark September night, David considered his options and decided exactly what he was going to do: smash the window with a fire extinguisher, slit his wrists with scissors, and jump.But after a long gaze at the sidewalk, David stepped away, walked back to the dorms, and never said a word about it.

Upcoming Games

M. BasketballSaturday: vs. Niagara, 7 p.m.W. BasketballSaturday: vs. Niagara, 5 p.m.WrestlingSaturday: at Edinboro, 1 p.m.

"For Filmmaker, Teaching Is a Long-Distance Affair"

Elliot Caplan, an award-winning filmmaker, has spent a dozen years visiting family in Buffalo without stepping foot onto UB property.

"At First Press Event, SA Praises Fall Progress"

With the semester coming to a close, the Student Association is preparing to allocate the extra funds it won in September and is heavily advertising its events for next semester, SA officials said at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.The press conference was taped and will be aired on SATV's Channel 46 during finals week.

"Over Break, Keeping Burglars at Bay"

As students make plans to return home, those living on campus don't have to worry about their dorm rooms or apartments being burglarized during the break.

Students Pay the Price to Get Home

Students feeling the heat of final exams are finding in the semester's closing weeks that getting home cheaply is easier said than done.For many students, the decision whether to fly, take the train, or catch the bus is based on cost more than comfort, even if it takes extra hours to get home.Adam Palmer, a senior geology and psychology major, said because he doesn't work during the semester, it leaves him with less money to find a way home."I live in Jamestown, so finding a way to get home that is inexpensive is difficult," he said.

Women's Team to Face Streaking Niagara

This Saturday, the UB women's basketball team will take on a local rival, the Niagara University Purple Eagles in non-league action at Alumni Arena this Saturday.Buffalo will have its work cut out for itself, as Niagara is coming off of a three-game winning streak after putting away Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference opponents St.

Exorcising a Bible Cyst

As Southern folklore goes, a group of young and angry carnies once decided to try their hand at Southern rebel blues.

A Sacrifice Dishonored

Seven months ago Spc. Pat Tillman was shot dead in a firefight on an Afghan ridge.The young Army Ranger was tough and brave, like so many other Americans who have given their lives in these past two wars.

Club Sports Weather Financial Burden

Despite steps taken to alleviate financial problems, many Student Association club sports say their available funding is still lacking after many teams struggled to stay afloat and competitive last year.Unlike varsity teams, which are funded by the Division of Athletics, club sports rely entirely on the money allocated to them by the Student Association.Each team's allocation is determined by the extent to which they meet SA requirements, such as participating in SA events and community service.While many, if not all, sports clubs' budgets have been increased this year, many team members say funding is still an issue."Funding always has been and always will be a problem," said Robert Mercurio, men's rugby club president and sophomore business major.

Still Rocking After All These Years

U2's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" is not in any way a surprising record. The rock god known as Bono has reached his 40s, and he has passed the age for drastic experimentalism.After their failed experiments in the mid-'90s like "Zooropa" and "Pop," it seemed Bono and the boys prefer the better reviews and higher sales they received from their more straightforward rock albums of the '80s.This could be seen on the band's 2001 release, "All That You Can't Leave Behind." Note the title.

Pimp My Disc

It's a good thing that people can pirate music. Listening to music before deciding whether to buy or not can prevent the purchase of serious garbage.

New Rules to Make Fee Votes More Frequent

A set of new SUNY guidelines that were put into immediate effect several weeks ago make a number of changes that will directly affect the Student Association and UB's undergraduate population.Under the new guidelines, the vote on mandatory student activity fees has been changed from every four years to every two, effective next fall.

"A Semester Off Might Mean Renewed Vigor For Some Students, Experts Say"

While many students are able to plow through the stress and time demands of college all in one session, some students are choosing to take a semester or two off to work, travel or simply grow up.Brian Waldrop, an advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences, said taking a step back from school for a short period could be a beneficial decision."There are times when particular students just need a break," he said.