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Friday, May 03, 2024
The independent student publication of The University at Buffalo, since 1950

Opinions

OPINION

How a car accident changed my perspective on driving near South Campus

By BRIAN EVANS | Feb. 19, 2018

My first week of the spring semester consisted of 9 a.m. classes, rushed lunches and a totaled car. The first Tuesday of classes had many snow flurries. Road conditions were awful and I skidded out several times on my way to class, so I was driving slowly and cautiously the entire day. Despite my efforts to be cautious, the events of the day were out of my control.

OPINION

For Randi and Billy

By BRENTON J. BLANCHET | Feb. 19, 2018

When I first stepped foot on campus in August 2016, I made a promise to myself: I wouldn’t get a haircut. But I recently rediscovered a cause I believed in and broke that promise Saturday. No matter how much my friends advised me not to, I knew that getting a cut and donating my hair to a wig-providing charity would mean more than any compliment I could ever get.

OPINION

Coming out (again) and coming to terms with who I really am

By MADDY FOWLER | Feb. 12, 2018

When I first came out at 18, I told a few close friends I was a lesbian. Some were supportive, others were confused because I’d talked to them about liking boys before — so surely I must be bisexual, they insisted. Shortly after coming out, I met a boy. He came into my life right after I had been rejected romantically by a girl who had been my best friend. I was vulnerable and lonely. No one, boy or girl, had ever given me a second glance.

OPINION

Come as you are

By BRETT ASHLEY | Feb. 12, 2018

Editorial note: The author’s name has been changed to maintain her anonymity. In a country where only 24 states mandate sex education in public schools, it's no wonder so many kids get their info from their friends.

OPINION

Being asexual in a sexual world

By DAN MCKEON | Feb. 12, 2018

I fully realized I was asexual –– having little or no sexual appetite –– the first time I went to a strip club. My friends decided we should all go to this strip club in North Buffalo one night –– an idea I sighed and went along with. We went in and I nursed a beer for a couple hours while they got lap dances and dropped bills in places you could probably guess. But as I sat there, sipping a room temperature Labatt and taking in the shrine to American sexual desire, it hit me: eh, this whole thing probably isn’t for me.

OPINION

Learning white privilege

By WANLY CHEN | Feb. 5, 2018

At the 2017 Winter Gala, my date and I were standing in line to have our photos drawn as a caricature. It was a crowded room and there wasn’t a clear cut line for each caricature artist. As our turn approached, we stood next to a couple who also thought it was their turn. After a quick conversation between my date and the couple, my date sat down to have his portrait drawn.

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OPINION

Letter to the editor: White crime, white time

Feb. 5, 2018

In a recent Spectrum story, “Students and Community React to Black’s Sentencing,” we read that former UB Vice President and convicted embezzler Dennis R. Black was sentenced to five years of probation and community service, with no jail time. State Supreme Court Judge John Michalski felt it would be too harsh to send him to state prison. 

OPINION

How dinner in the dark helped me overcome insecurity

By MADDY FOWLER | Feb. 1, 2018

Nocti Vagus is a pitch black restaurant staffed by blind waiters. It’s a disorienting experience that heightens your other senses and helps you understand what it is like to be blind. I knew it would be a cool experience that would put me out of my comfort zone in the best possible way. What I didn’t expect was how profoundly it would impact me.

OPINION

Dennis Black should go to prison

By Editorial Board | Feb. 1, 2018

Dennis Black got an insultingly light sentence — a mere $5,000 fine and five years probation although the former vice president admitted to stealing more than $300,000 from UB student and faculty funds. State Supreme Court Justice John Michalski’s Jan.

OPINION

It's hard to be a Jew on Christmas

By MAX KALNITZ | Dec. 7, 2017

Growing up, the holiday season awkwardly revolved around Christianity. My siblings and I were some of the only Jewish kids in our school, while the majority of my fellow students celebrated Christmas. During the holiday season, there were Christmas concerts, photos with Santa Claus, Christmas-themed activities and movies in class. It made sense that my classes emphasized having holiday spirit, but it always bothered me that I never really had a voice to share my own holiday celebrations.  

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OPINION

Is secrecy and corruption UB's new normal?

By Editorial Board | Dec. 7, 2017

For our final paper of 2017, we at The Spectrum want to reflect on our stories –– the stories we kept thinking about weeks after they left the shelf. As student journalists, we look for trends. We try to understand the way the university works. And we cannot ignore the recent trend of obfuscation and unanswered questions.

OPINION

Code blue

By MAGGIE WILHELM | Dec. 4, 2017

As a nursing student, I’ve seen patients at every stage in their lives. I’ve witnessed a mother bring a baby into the world and I’ve taken care of a hospice patient. I’ve taken care of pediatric patients from ages three to 20, and many elderly patients. I also learned –– very quickly –– that no one is out of death’s reach.

OPINION

No respect

By DANIEL PETRUCCELLI | Nov. 30, 2017

The Bulls pulled off an incredible upset when they took down the Ohio Bobcats, 31-24 the day after Thanksgiving. The Bobcats were seven-point favorites and I didn’t think the Bulls had a chance against them. But they pulled out the win, collecting their sixth of the season. The Bulls are now in consideration for their first bowl appearance since 2013.

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OPINION

UB Foundation's investment in fossil fuel is unethical and hypocritical

By Editorial Board | Nov. 30, 2017

Students from the Fossil Free UB campaign have worked tirelessly to call for the foundation’s divestment from fossil fuels. The group passed a resolution in May through the Faculty Senate calling for the foundation to re-invest in clean energy, only to find out two weeks ago an undisclosed portion of the foundation’s more than $1 billion in assets is going directly to fossil fuels.

"Animal Crossing: Wild World" introduced kids to their future: debt, fledgling friendships and endless menial jobs. But it also revealed having fun despite these adult hardships.
OPINION

Hear Me Out: 'Animal Crossing' prepared us for a cruel world

By DAN MCKEON | Nov. 30, 2017

“Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp” has accomplished an overnight bloodless coup d’état of phones worldwide. Suddenly, everyone is building campers, making friends with needy dogs and frogs and putting together a campsite in their own image. Friend codes are being thrown out on social media, allowing people to quickly connect and visit other campsites. “Pocket Camp” memes are already a thing and the game’s only been out in the U.S. for just over a week.

Apple’s new iPhone X comes with a beautiful design and operating system, but a hefty price tag. After a week of use, my initial thoughts on the device are mostly positive, but Apple still hasn’t perfected what they’re calling “the future.”
OPINION

10 years in the making

By MAX KALNITZ | Nov. 20, 2017

Two weeks ago, I eagerly woke up at 3:00 a.m. along with thousands of other people around the world to order what Apple is calling “the future.” When Apple released the first iPhone 10 years ago, it revolutionized the cellphone industry. The original handset played a large role in the development of the tech industry and has influenced how we communicate today.

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