News

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The Streak Is On

A super sized rally with a side of 3-bombs rocketed the UB men's basketball team to victory on Sunday afternoon against the Ball State Cardinals.Jason Bird and Turner Battle helped turn things around for the Bulls (8-9, 4-5 Mid-American Conference), who trailed by double digits not once, but twice during the first half.Sunday's 84-73 win marked the first victory in 24 years for Buffalo over the Cardinals, as well as their first three-game conference winning streak since joining the MAC six years ago."To win against a program like that is a good feeling," said UB head coach Reggie Witherspoon.

"Aging Gracefully, Baryshnikov Sells Out UB"

Women wore their finest minks, and students wore their Sunday best. The patrons at the Center for the Arts Friday and Saturday nights were dressed to the nines for two rare appearances by dance legend Mikhail Baryshnikov.The CFA presented two sold-out performances of "Solos with Piano or not ... An Evening of Music and Dance." Pianist Pedja Muzijevic accompanied Baryshnikov for the first act of the evening.The entire program consisted of entirely new choreography, including Eliot Feld's "Yazoo," which premiered two nights before Baryshnikov's Friday performance in Holyoke, Mass.In Baryshnikov's first piece, Cesc Gelabert's "In a Landscape," Baryshnikov utilized unusual movements with his arms and legs, outstretching his limbs to emphasize John Cage's melancholic music.

Hubble Trouble

The Hubble telescope is scheduled to end operations when a new telescope will be shuttled into space in 2010, but unless it receives servicing, it will stop working around 2006.

Scoreboard

BuffaloM. BasketballWednesday:Buffalo89Akron83

Capaldi Leaves for Albany

As Elizabeth D. Capaldi's official final week as provost draws to a close, her colleagues in Capen Hall praised the accomplishments of her 3 1/2 year term."Provost Capaldi's contributions to our university community and her dedication to helping UB achieve excellence in everything we do will have a lasting impact at UB," said President John B.

Spring Breaking Traditions

The guy with the dirty diaper is going to Daytona.Wednesday afternoon, the Student Association held its second annual Diaper Competition in the Student Union, offering a free spring break trip to Florida with Break Away Tours for the male and female who received the loudest applause.

Clarification

The editorial "Union Dispute Unfair to Workers" in the Jan. 28 issue contained the line, "Director of Public Safety John Grela says there are no increases of crime due to the unchecked staff, but it is a problem that should be dealt with to avoid future issues." The statement should have read "Director of Public Safety John Grela says there have been no increases in crime due to the unchecked staff.

Palestinians Want Peace

I do not support terrorism. I do not encourage the intentional murder of innocent civilians. However, I do support the Palestinian fight for basic human rights as defined by the United Nations.

Russell Takes Charge

Even in the complicated world of Buffalo politics, some might say Bonnie Russell is stepping into a quagmire.Life in the University District - for which Russell was recently elected to represent on the Buffalo Common Council - has always been a delicate balance between homeowners, renters and students.In an interview with The Spectrum, Russell said while she recognizes the challenges facing the Heights, she is optimistic she can increase the area's quality of life.Russell criticized Betty Jean Grant, whom she defeated in the November 2002 election, and pledged to work closely with students and UB officials to solve problems ranging from crime to absentee landlords."The university had been trying very hard with some initiatives and they didn't get the cooperation that they should have received (from Grant)," Russell said.

Punk Wisdom: Sage Against the Machine

Take equal parts punk rock and working class values, add a splash of traditional Irish folklore and the resulting musical blend describes the Boston-based Dropkick Murphys.On Feb.

Campus Response to Snowy Conditions

Snow in Buffalo is hardly newsworthy. For some, snow is a chance to stay home, drink hot chocolate, go sledding and maybe even build a snowman.

Snow Days

Here's how UB celebrates a 20-degree day on the last Monday of January: By waking up for a 9:00 class at 8:55;By running to the bus stop only to miss the door as it closes and the bus pulls away;By bumping into a good friend unexpectedly and feeling like the day, if only for a moment, is actually a little bit brighter because of it;By having breakfast at Amy's Place or J.J.'s and thanking God for the 99-cent two egg deal;By throwing on headphones and turning up the volume on the way to your next class;By watching the clock on the wall move seemingly slower with every passing minute;By holding the hand of a loved one while also holding onto a coffee from Starbucks as if they both were the last sources of warmth on earth;By dodging traffic to cross Main Street and riding the bus to North campus (uncomfortably hot on it and uncomfortably cold off it);By walking along Lake LaSalle from the CFA and wondering if there has ever been a more beautiful sight than the frozen snow-covered water or a more ugly set of buildings than Ellicott;By wishing you had worn that knit hat while fighting off the wind as it slaps you across the face;By wondering if a hot shower has ever felt this good and if any inventions have been more ingenious than Easy Mac and Ramen; By curling up and falling asleep in the library then dozing off during class; By tying to figure out where all your dining dollars went in only three weeks;By maneuvering through hallway traffic and cramming before a class;By cursing the winter and praying for spring; By knowing that after four years here it is nearly impossible to walk through a building without seeing at least two faces you know and wondering whether anybody recognizes you too;By taking the ice scraper out of the trunk and brushing snow off the car;By planning spring-break (it just has to be warmer in Florida!);By working out at Alumni and feeling good afterwards;By sprinting across the Spine and thinking that if you run fast enough the cold might not catch up; By appreciating the big old wooden table on the fourth floor of Lockwood and smiling back at the guy with the ever-present real big smile at Bert's who restocks the silverware; By skipping class and blowing away the steam rising off the miso soup at the Korean restaurant in the Commons;By handing in a paper that your pessimism tells you will surely get an F;By trading smiles with a cute girl passing by and arriving at class early and enjoying the easy quiet before the professor walks in;By bundling up while watching the snow fall and swirl and butterfly just above the pavement before it gently sits down and evaporates;By looking for that nonexistent parking spot and listening to the snow under your feet;By trekking across tundra-like parking lots and noticing how everywhere seems to take twice as long to get to outside in the cold; By eating dinner in the Student Union and laughing with friends and shivering when someone opens the door and an icy wind slips inside where it runs wild before quietly disappearing;By waltzing with stray cats and stepping over red cups left in the snow from the weekend's festivities in order to leave out a few bottles and cans for the scruffy homeless-looking man that's been living in the Heights since before you were born; By taking off boots and wincing when you step in the cold puddle (in your socks) that the boots have just poured out on the floor;By digging through the closet for extra socks and sweaters and turning up the heat and going to Wegmans to buy more rock salt and antifreeze; By wondering if in all of UB's history there has ever been a day so awful, so wonderful, so cold and gray and good and exciting and dull all at once, and concluding that there hasn't and realizing either happily or miserably, that after tonight's run to Mighty Taco, tonight's movie, tonight's girls' night in/guys' night out, tonight's date, tonight's hangover, after tonight's one to three inches of snow, tonight's homework, tonight's poker game, tonight's 1 a.m.

Sidelines

UB Women's SwimmingJennefer Brankovsky was named the Mid-American Conference Woman Scholar Athlete of the Week.

Upcoming Games

UBW. BasketballSaturday: at Bowling Green, 1 p.m.M. BasketballSunday: at Ball State, 2 p.m.WrestlingSunday: vs.

"Battlin' Bulls Ax Akron, 89-83"

After an electrifying road victory against Northern Illinois on Sunday, the Buffalo Bulls (7-9, 3-5 Mid-American Conference) looked to tack on another conference victory against the Akron Zips (9-7, 3-5 MAC) Wednesday night in Alumni Arena.What stood in their way was Zips swingman, and defending MAC player of the week, Derrick Tarver, who averaged 30 points in his two previous games.But UB's biggest star, Turner Battle, turned up the defensive juice and limited Tarver to just 20 points while going for a career-high 26 points with six assists off an awe-inspiring 9-12 (4-4 from downtown) shooting performance in the 89-83 UB win."I don't know if that was his best game," said Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon of Battle.

The Sharpest Point: Super Bowl Forecasts

We've entered the third week of The Spectrum's 16-man (and woman) Sharpest Point tournament, and things are bound to get even spicier from here on out.Nick Mendola and Ben Cady have advanced, and now it's up to the rest of the competitors to escape the perils of the first round and survive to see another day.Being the Super Bowl week, this week's question is who will win, by what score, and who, or what, will be the "X factor."Michael Monahan (Creative Director): This Super Bowl has all the ear-markings of a classic defensive struggle.

Absence From Overachievement

Stepping into the Alumni Arena Natatorium, there is a certain resonance in the air.Gigantic banners line the walls, filled with school-best records that have been shattered, titles that have been won and successes that have been enjoyed.This natatorium is home to a group of young men that combine to form arguably one of the most successful programs that UB has ever had the pleasure of supporting.While there have been very few instances since becoming a Division I institution in which the University at Buffalo has garnered a team that has been able to produce consistent athletic excellence, the UB men's swimming and diving team has been a general exception to that rule.With the entire core of a solid 2002-2003 team intact, it was almost implied that the excellence would continue.

Melodies and Harmonies Face Off A Capella

A cappella singing groups are often thought to be as much of a standard on college campuses as Greek life and sleeping students in the back of lecture halls.

Better Than Stick Figures 1.30.04

Sidelines

Spectrum Athlete of the WeekRoderick Middleton, of the men's basketball team is this week's Spectrum Athlete of the Week.