News - The Spectrum

NEWS

Blackboard Erases Obstacles to Online Course Materials

By KEVIN PURDY | Oct. 26, 2001

This spring, UB will make course-management software available to all its professors, putting them one click away from putting supplemental course material online.Starting next semester, the software, distributed by Blackboard Inc., will allow professors in every department to set up Web pages for their courses with course content, discussion boards, e-mail access and electronic assignment submission.Richard Lesniak, director of academic services at UB and project manager for Blackboard's implementation, said that after investigating other options over the course of several years, an Educational Technology Center taskforce chose Blackboard because "this is the one that's being used everywhere.

NEWS

Bottomless Pit

By STEFANIE ALAIMO | Oct. 26, 2001

Although excited and optimistic about moving in to the luxurious apartment-style student housing of glorious Hadley Village, I did have some fears: My two stunning friends and I would have a fourth roommate we had never met, we had to decide who would bring what kitchen- and living-room accessories and none of us had ever been forced to endure one other's boyfriends for extended periods of time.

NEWS

Bulls Love Broncos for First MAC Win

By MATT ALBERT | Oct. 26, 2001

Their effort has been evident in every on-field encounter the Bulls have had this year. Unfortunately, victors are not determined by the amount of energy expended or the blood lost in battle.Vince Lombardi once said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing," and to this point, UB has a deficiency of W's and an excess of L's.

NEWS

Bulls Report Card

By MICHAEL GOLDBERG | Oct. 26, 2001

Passing OffenseFor the second straight game the offensive line had a solid performance in giving Quarterback Joe Freedy the time he needed to find the open man.

NEWS

Buffalo's Priorities

By Editorial | Oct. 26, 2001

The state of Buffalo: a city with a weak economy, a shrinking population, a declining tax pool, an outmoded industrial base and an educational system on the edge of calamity.Facing a $28-million budget gap, the Buffalo Board of Education voted Wednesday night to lay off 557 employees, 433 of which are teachers.

NEWS

A Little Cul-chah

Oct. 26, 2001

The Ukrainian Student Association has 30 members of Ukrainian, Russian, Bulgarian and Slovakian descent who "try to adapt and learn about each culture," said Maria Larisa Godenciuc, treasurer of the Ukrainian SA.Traditions:Wedding traditions are especially reflective of the Ukraine's struggle for freedom.

NEWS

Anthrax Letter

By EMILY DALTON SMITH | Oct. 26, 2001

A letter possibly bearing anthrax was opened in The Buffalo News' downtown office Thursday morning.The envelope, postmarked in Glasgow, Scotland, contained a piece of paper with the word "jihad" written on it and "about a handful" of a powdery substance, said Robert Cassell, an executive vice president of The News.The letter was opened at about 10 a.m.

NEWS

Too Much Is Enough

By SARA PAULSON | Oct. 26, 2001

"Thanksgiving is a typically American holiday ... The lavish meal is a symbol of the fact that abundant consumption is the result and reward of production."- Ayn Rand.Every year, when the time comes for me to move all my stuff out of my room at home and up to Buffalo or from my room at UB back home, I'm amazed at the sheer quantity of what I own.It doesn't look like much, especially when it somehow gets squeezed into my cereal box of a dorm room, and yet it takes me two or three car trips to lug everything to where it's supposed to be.Why do I have so much stuff?

NEWS

"Shiels Makes Select Six By Killing 1,000 Marks in Bulls Victory"

By SUNG CHO | Oct. 26, 2001

The University at Buffalo women's volleyball team broke out of a four-match slump with its win over Binghamton Wednesday night.After dropping the first game 28-30 to the Bearcats, the Bulls came charging back to take games two through four 30-15, 32-30 and 30-25.

NEWS

Feet First

By MICHAEL LUCINSKI | Oct. 24, 2001

"Honk if you love justice!"- The TickIn a typical week The Spectrum receives, and I can say this without fear of contradiction because nobody fact checks this column, two or three letters to the editor.

NEWS

Stranger Neighbors

By BRENDAN MCGARRY | Oct. 24, 2001

When I was in high school, I read Jack Kerouac's "On the Road" and daydreamed about hitchhiking west, getting to know fellow Americans through long road trips into the night and seeing all the little crevices of this great country.Then my friends helped me to realize times have changed.

NEWS

Just One More Puff

By MARY MORGAN | Oct. 24, 2001

The highly-publicized health risks and the obvious effects on a person's appearance have done nothing to deter the many college students who crowd outside the university buildings from smoking daily and littering the ground with cigarette butts.A 1999 study conducted by Nancy Rigotti, M.D., Jae Eun Lee, Ph.D.

NEWS

Those Elusive Eight Hours

By BRAD TERMINI | Oct. 24, 2001

The recent midterm crunch has left many students suffering the aftereffects of sleep deprivation and an unhealthy nocturnal schedule.

NEWS

Bin Laden on CNN

By Editorial | Oct. 24, 2001

Osama bin Laden would like some airtime. In response to the offer of a man identifying himself as a representative of al Qaeda, CNN sent six questions to bin Laden and is currently awaiting his response.

NEWS

Herded Out To Pasture

By DARCI GNOISKI | Oct. 24, 2001

Over the weekend the Thundering Herd played two of their best games this season against third-ranked Eastern Michigan, last year's league champion.

NEWS

Foster Outlines The Feminist Case Against Abortion

By STEFANIE ALAIMO | Oct. 24, 2001

Serrin Foster offered a unique spin on the age-old abortion debate Tuesday evening at UB's law school, speaking from a self-dubbed "feminist" and "pro-life" perspective - what is viewed as an often contradictory combination.The president of Feminists for Life of America delivered a powerful and straightforward lecture titled "The Feminist Case Against Abortion" in which she advocated providing emotional, financial and educational support to women as alternatives to abortion.Feminism, according to Foster, embraces the rights of all human beings without exception.

NEWS

Letter To The Editor

By F. STRICKER | Oct. 24, 2001

In the Oct. 19 issue of The Spectrum, Fabio M. Albertin defended himself against accusations of favoring censorship and opposing religious freedom.

NEWS

Bulls Split Weekend Games

By TAI KHANDAKER | Oct. 24, 2001

The UB men's soccer team played their final home game of the season Friday night, falling 1-0 to Canisius College, but won 2-1 over Bucknell Sunday in the first leg of a three-game road trip.

NEWS

Rockets Grounded By Ball State

By NICHOLAS PEZZINO | Oct. 24, 2001

Ball State 24, Toledo 20Freshman wide receiver Corey Parchman may never wear his contact lenses again.

NEWS

E-Texts Threaten to Make College Bookstores Obsolete

By BRENDAN MCGARRY | Oct. 24, 2001

As publishing companies increase distribution of learning materials online and through computer software, the demise of the middleman bookstore is becoming a realistic - albeit still remote - possibility.Downloadable materials students access online using PIN codes and digital video disks distributed through schools are two of the fastest emerging trends many publishers are hoping will eliminate the hassles and expenses of printing, packaging and delivering printed textbooks.UB's School of Dental Medicine is currently making the transition to digital content; it sells a DVD "e-book" to its students at cost that contains all required textbooks, videos and imagery.