Opinions - The Spectrum

OPINION

Life without sports

By ALEX LENNEBERG | Mar. 27, 2020

My life revolves around sports, so it’s becoming more and more difficult to find things to keep myself occupied. The only TV I watch is sports, the only conversations I have with my dad and my brother are sports (to my mom’s disdain), the only Twitter accounts I follow are sports-related, the only pictures I have in my room are sports memorabilia and I want to pursue a career in sports journalism, so without sports I’m lost.

OPINION

EDITORIAL: Why we are not endorsing 2020-21 SA e-board candidates

By Editorial Board | Mar. 23, 2020

While the platforms we’re reading about seem incredibly encouraging and a large number of students are hoping to take part in our student government next year, we’ve decided to not endorse candidates for SA president, vice president or treasurer.

OPINION

A letter from Student Association President Yousouf Amolegbe

Mar. 23, 2020

"We’re currently facing a situation that was completely unexpected and quite frankly, tremendously disheartening."

OPINION

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out

By ISABELLA FORTUNATO | Mar. 20, 2020

Over the last week, the world that we live in has changed considerably from what it was when we started this semester. But I don’t have to tell you that.

OPINION

Letter to the editor: Graduate research

Mar. 19, 2020

Editor's Note: This letter remains in the condition it was sent and has not been edited.

OPINION

Letter from the editor: We’re still reporting

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Mar. 16, 2020

I never anticipated writing this one. Last week, as Gov. Cuomo moved SUNY schools to a “distance-learning” model for the remainder of the semester in response to the coronavirus, our staff had to make a decision.

OPINION

Don’t f--king wink at me

By REILLY MULLEN | Mar. 8, 2020

My friends call me “the mayor.” When they walk around campus with me I stop and say hi to everyone. I get it from my dad: A blind confidence that makes a person feel comfortable so that 10 minutes later, we’re laughing like old friends. It’s what makes me a good journalist, and I like being well known. But I don’t just do it because I’m friendly. It’s also a defense mechanism.

OPINION

College athletics: A system of silent suffering

By FINESS DICKSON | Mar. 8, 2020

We don’t typically associate rape culture with college athletics. But maybe we should. Harvey Weinstein. Larry Nassar. R. Kelly. Bill Cosby. We have finally turned our ears to the cries of their countless victims. But the #MeToo movement is bigger than the individuals. We ignore the system that allowed these men to commit countless sexual offenses, vandalize the lives of their victims and leave countless people damaged, scarred and traumatized. This same system serves as the foundation of college athletics.

OPINION

Freedom to feel beautiful

By ISABELLA FORTUNATO | Mar. 5, 2020

I was kept prisoner by a three-digit number for years. Every morning, the first thing I would do when I got out of bed was step on the scale and allow whatever arbitrary number appeared to dictate my day.

OPINION

Please direct your fantasies to Pornhub

By TAYLOR AJITSINGH | Mar. 1, 2020

When I walk down the street with my significant other, I know people look at us. Some of them catcall. Some whistle. And I know why. It’s because I’m holding hands with a woman.

OPINION

Deplorable defense

By JACKLYN WALTERS | Feb. 28, 2020

*This column contains sensitive content about sexual assault which may be triggering. Harvey Weinstein is sitting in Rikers Island jail right now, awaiting a March 11 sentencing for two felony sex crimes.

OPINION

It’s not easy being green

By ISABELLA FORTUNATO | Feb. 23, 2020

Every kid grows up waiting for those big milestone birthdays that define their path to adulthood. Many idolize turning 16 because they can’t wait to get behind the wheel of a car. Others look forward to 21 so they can have their first legal drink. But I always looked forward to 18 so I could finally fulfill my civic duty to vote.

OPINION

Give me healthcare or give me death

By REILLY MULLEN | Feb. 23, 2020

My insurance company hates me. In the last six months, I’ve had two visits with my primary care physician, three with my gastroenterologist, I’ve filled three prescriptions, had two rounds of bloodwork and one surgical procedure.

OPINION

Letter to the editor

Feb. 19, 2020

EDITOR’S NOTE: The UB Foundation has not released its list of current investments and, when asked Wednesday, did not comment on if it is investing in fossil fuels. UBF Executive Director Ed Schneider wrote in a statement that UBF does not comment on “specific investments in its portfolio.” This letter was not edited for grammar.

OPINION

Surviving the centipede

By SAMANTHA VARGAS | Feb. 19, 2020

Let’s just get this out of the way. This is the column where I come out in support of “The Human Centipede.” After studying film for four years, I support its right to exist, people’s right to view it, to be critical of it, but most of all I support how director Tom Six was able to cross the line of the type of content that succeeds in the horror genre.

OPINION

Hell hath no fury like a pink tape measurer scorned

By SAMANTHA VARGAS | Feb. 16, 2020

For some women across the U.S., clothes shopping is a cathartic, fun experience. For others, it’s a nightmare. Every day, women across the country find themselves facing off against an invisible assailant; one that slowly eats away at their body image and self-confidence.

OPINION

Stop asking women to take precautions

By VINDHYA BURUGUPALLI | Feb. 13, 2020

We’re told to carry pepper spray, to check the child lock while getting into Ubers and not to leave our drinks unattended at parties. I’m extra cautious while traveling alone. I look back twice while walking down empty streets in the dark.

OPINION

More millennials should participate in the voting process

By AYANNA ARMSTRONG | Feb. 13, 2020

I didn’t start actively voting in elections until 2019, when I voted in the mayoral election in Mount Vernon, NY. Some know the small town for its corruption with public officials. Corruption can affect not only the residents living within the community but also the younger generations, too.

OPINION

Pretty girl

By REILLY MULLEN | Feb. 9, 2020

I am a hopeless romantic. And I’ve never had a difficult time finding a boyfriend. As a conventionally attractive woman, I know that I draw stares. I notice when men glance at me 11 times in Bert’s and I count each time they offer me drinks at parties or joke that I’m not finishing them fast enough.

OPINION

Paint me like one of your French boys

By ISABELLA FORTUNATO | Feb. 9, 2020

Most people would consider the infamous line, “paint me like one of your French girls,” between Jack and Rose in the 1997 film “Titanic” one of the most romantic scenes ever portrayed between two young people on the big screen. It’s practically common knowledge that, in this scene, Rose poses completely nude, while she is respectfully drawn by her love interest. The dynamic between these two characters carries sweetness and innocence that resonates strongly with most fans, despite the overt sexual overtones coming from Rose.