Spectrum File Photo When we go shopping, we usually are attracted to things that we feel will look good on us and we things we like. Now, imagine every time you went shopping, you were assigned a random stranger.
Spectrum File Photo ?I could never date a guy with a small dick.? That?s what some girls are saying around campus.
Spectrum File Photo Saturday will be my first Valentine?s Day being single in three years. I?ve done my fair share of the whole ?be a good boyfriend and make Valentine?s Day special for the girlfriend even though you could care less? routine: planning out the day and spending more money than you have on flowers, jewelry and dinner. All of the things a disorganized, poor, 20-year-old male college student doesn?t like to do. But not this year. Saturday is going be the first Valentine?s Day I spend alone since Feb.
Illustration by Harumo Sato Subverting the law for the sake of equality is ultimately a worthwhile endeavor. Lora and Julie, the first same-sex couple to marry in Etowah County, Alabama on Monday would certainly agree. So, too, would Olanda and Dianah, Cooper and Jessie and all the same-sex couples in Alabama who finally saw their relationships recognized and legalized after the Supreme Court declined to block a January federal court order that made states begin issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples. Voters in Alabama approved a statewide ban on gay marriage in 2006 by a 4-to-1 margin. But this January, U.S.
Bills Head Coach Rex Ryan made it known that he wants to ?build a bully? with his new team. With the signing of Richie Incognito, it?s clear that Ryan means business.
Buffalo has taken swift action against electronic cigarettes, becoming the first community in Erie County to impose laws that ban the smoking of e-cigarettes wherever traditional cigarettes are disallowed. The new measure, passed by the Buffalo Common Council last week, aims to protect the public from the potential secondhand effects of e-cigarettes. Vaping has fewer health risks than smoking a tobacco cigarette, but e-cigarettes do contain varying levels of nicotine and the vapors emitted contain other substances as well, including formaldehyde and heavy metals. Clearly regulation is still necessary, although e-cigarettes can help smokers kick their tobacco habit. It?s certainly important to ensure that non-smokers aren?t exposed to cigarette smoke, but e-cigarettes are still new and their potential health risks not fully explored. But e-cigarettes offer potential benefits as well. They?re frequently marketed as a tool that can be used to quit smoking traditional cigarettes.
The Buffalo Public School District can?t seem to catch a break. Perhaps that?s because they keep hiring ineffective ? and in this case corrupt ? individuals to lead the district and manage its money. Before Debbie Buckley?s firing seven months ago, the high-level administrator for the district was tasked with managing more than $100 million in federal grants the district received for its students living in poverty. Buffalo?s public schools are filled with impoverished children.
The Village of Kenmore has decided to ?just say no? ? to pawnshops. After local business owners became suspicious that a loan broker was quietly attempting to open a shop in the area, town officials acted rapidly and severely by placing a six-month ban on the businesses. This temporary ruling culminated in the recent decision to disallow pawnshops and loan brokers entirely. The ban stems from concern that pawnshops could attract criminal activity and allow for the trafficking of stolen goods, though no reports of crime stemming from such shops have surfaced. Instead, the move appears to be preemptive ? and perhaps presumptive. In a copy of the law proposing the original six-month moratorium, the Village Board cited ?several communities across the country? that noticed pawn shops causing ?certain negative effects.? The details justifying Kenmore?s decision are scarce to say the least. There was no uptick in crime in Kenmore due to pawnshops, and even the national examples the Board cites are lacking specificity. This is not to say that Kenmore is entirely wrong in their decision or that there is no detailed evidence supporting the village?s choice.
Even with the same endgame ? an improved education system for New York State ? it appears impossible for Gov.
It?s a problem The Spectrum has discussed time and time again ? an issue which students bemoan and commuters fear: UB?s refusal to accommodate its students during inclement weather, or even recognize the challenges being faced by the community. During November?s snowstorm, UB drew enough ire from the public and the media that the administration caved in, canceling classes after refusing to do so during the initial days of the storm. Monday?s snow event certainly wasn?t as dramatic as November?s blizzard.
Spectrum File Photo The transfer window in professional soccer can be one of the most exciting or heart-wrenching times of the year for fans around the world. The joy of one?s favorite team signing the next young superstar can cause pleasure like none other.
Illustration by Harumo Sato In 2000, the United States declared that measles had been eradicated from the country. Now, misinformation and fallacious reasoning have brought it back. Last year, there were 644 confirmed cases of measles across the United States, according to the Center of Disease Control.
Fans gather in M
Spectrum File Photo The following column is a satire piece and should be taken as such.
Harumo Sato, The Spectrum As an Ivy League college, Dartmouth has long maintained a reputation for academic excellence and top-tier students.
?Delayed gratification? will have to serve as the motto for students using North Campus libraries this year, as ?Club Capen? shuts down in order to undergo a dramatic remodel. Longer lines and louder study spaces in Lockwood and Silverman libraries may cause some headaches, but the carefully planned and much-needed improvements to the third floor of the Silverman Library will be worth it ? eventually. As part of UB?s Heart of the Campus project, a UB 2020 initiative involving renovations on all three campuses, the Silverman Library is getting a facelift. Up until its closing in December, Club Capen served as a popular 24-hour study space.
Spectrum File Photo We?ve all done it: Walked seamlessly down the crowded spine with our eyes glued to our phones.
With barely recognizable opponents like Wheeling Jesuit and Montana State, it?s no surprise students aren?t turning out in droves to watch UB?s basketball team compete ? even though the Bulls have been winning. Because the excitement factor doesn?t seem sufficient, UB Athletics is upping its own game and offering financial incentives to students, but it won?t work. UB is raffling off not only GoPros and Beats headphones, but also ?tuition for the fall 2015 semester? in its latest attempt to lure students to athletic events ? particularly those broadcast by ESPN. It sounds a little like bribery, but even more so, this promotion reeks of desperation. Athletic director Danny White appears determined ? even desperate ? to revamp UB Athletics? image, to make the program a true ?big time? competitor. And to achieve that, UB needs to keep up with fellow Division-I schools like Ohio State and Duke, whose games are regularly broadcast on ESPN and feature shots of stands packed with screaming fans having the time of their lives. Although UB?s basketball team is doing well this season, boasting a 13-6 record, students just aren?t flocking to the games. That?s a problem, and Athletics is right to address it, but there are simpler ? and cheaper ? solutions than a master plan involving free tuition and expensive tech devices.
Illustration by Lauren Goetzmann
Spectrum File Photo Syllabus week is just about over, which means the lines at Tim Hortons and Starbucks will only get longer.
Solutions by The State News
