Opinions - The Spectrum

OPINION

A second chance ' and a reality check

Nov. 6, 2014

?Lackluster? is probably too generous of a term to characterize Western New Yorkers? show of support for Governor Andrew Cuomo. Though he was re-elected Tuesday, winning 54 percent of the vote overall, compared to Republican candidate Rob Astorino?s 40.6 percent, that victory is diminished by a multitude of losses in Western counties. Cuomo lost seven of the eight counties that he failed to win over four years ago. The governor had focused his attention in the area, making campaign stops, touting the Buffalo Billion and selecting Kathy Hochul, who is from Buffalo, as his lieutenant. And in Erie County, Cuomo?s one WNY victory, the governor only eked out a win, getting 52 percent of the vote. As Cuomo enters his second term, he faces a more skeptical New York.

OPINION

"Sometimes, you don't need to see it to believe it"

By OWEN O'BRIEN | Nov. 6, 2014

I?ll admit it. I didn?t watch Buffalo?s entire 37-14 loss to Ohio Wednesday night. No, it wasn?t because I turned the game off.

OPINION

Get back to yourself

By EMMA JANICKI | Nov. 4, 2014

When I think about it really hard, I think I?m pretty awesome. I hope you feel that way, too, sometimes. When I think about it really hard, I love all the quirky things that make me, me. I hope you present your individual interests, passions and experiences to the world in a style that shows off who you are. Personal style is crafted by recognizing and flaunting through appearance what exactly makes you an individual.

OPINION

Let Damon Janes make a difference

Nov. 4, 2014

Sixteen-year-old Damon Janes never regained consciousness after suffering a helmet-to-helmet hit and collapsing on the sidelines last September.

OPINION

An abundance of riches ' with nowhere to go

Nov. 4, 2014

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is home to an impressive collection of about 6,740 works of art, and yet, museum visitors only get to see 200 of those. The gallery?s vast and diverse assortment of art, featuring renowned works from artists ranging from Picasso to Renoir, to Warhol and Pollock, is stymied by A simple but stubborn problem ? the museum just isn?t big enough. Fortunately, the individuals running the show at the Knox agree.

OPINION

" Statue of Tim Horton is an advertisement, not art"

By Editorial Board | Nov. 2, 2014

Art by Amber Sliter

OPINION

Impersonation of Associated Press by FBI violates public trust

By Editorial Board | Nov. 2, 2014

From pop-up ads to Trojan horses, there are already far too many annoyances and threats posed to innocent Internet surfers. Now, the FBI is joining the ranks of Internet predators. In 2007, the Federal Bureau of Investigation?s Seattle branch obtained a warrant to send a suspect a link to a false Associated Press story, which contained software to reveal the suspect?s location. The suspect in question was a 15-year-old who had been making repeated bomb threats to a high school near Olympia, Washington.

OPINION

Don't Ask Anne: Sudoku puzzles and boundry-breaking roommates

By ANNE FORTMAN | Nov. 2, 2014

Spectrum File Photo The following article is satire and should be taken as such. Dear Anne: My roommate has been completely ignoring my boundaries.

OPINION

Political pandering in the guise of protection

Oct. 30, 2014

Kaci Hickox risked her life to help fight the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, but she returned home not to praise and commendation but to solitary confinement in a plastic tent. Despite testing negative for Ebola, Hickox spent a weekend in an isolation tent in a Newark hospital. Ebola is, of course, a serious illness and a serious threat.

OPINION

A $30 million mistake

Oct. 30, 2014

Despite an already strained budget and campuses in desperate need of upkeep and renovation, Erie Community College (ECC)

OPINION

At last: no-nonsense nutrition labels

Oct. 28, 2014

Art by Amber Sliter Has anybody, ever, eaten only a half cup of ice cream? It?s a fairly safe assumption that the answer to that question is no.

OPINION

Unintentional victim blaming reveals more about society than the speaker

Oct. 28, 2014

Sometimes, when political officials claim to have simply misspoken, they?re not just covering their tracks, but just telling the truth. Nonetheless, Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda?s comments about last week?s murder-suicide in Buffalo?s Allentown neighborhood reveal the deeply rooted and problematic nature of societal discourse surrounding domestic violence. When asked about the events surrounding the crime, in which a man killed his wife and then himself, Derenda referenced the couple?s long history of domestic violence.

OPINION

Don't Ask Anne: Fall Break and Geese

By ANNE FORTMAN | Oct. 26, 2014

Spectrum File Photo Editor?s note: This article is a satire piece and should be taken as such. Dear Anne: It?s halfway through the semester and I feel like I?ve hit a wall.

OPINION

Long Island must accept that education is a universal right

Oct. 26, 2014

After managing to illegally cross the border into the United States, undocumented immigrants on Long Island face an equally daunting task: enrolling their children in school. Both legally and ethically, the schools preventing students from signing up for classes on Long Island ? where Suffolk and Nassau Counties rank third and fifth respectively in numbers of arriving unaccompanied minors ? are wholeheartedly and reprehensibly wrong. Legally, public schools in the United States are required to provide an education for non-citizen children of illegal immigrants.

OPINION

"After 15 years of silence, the Ralph makes welcome return to the concert scene"

Oct. 26, 2014

Tweenage fans across Western New York are convulsing with excitement at the prospect of seeing One Direction in Buffalo, and although the news of the popular boy band?s pending arrival at the Ralph Wilson Stadium may not excite too many UB students, the opportunities that this development presents should be cause for celebration. Despite the Ralph?s impressive history ? the venue has been host to performers like Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones and Michael Jackson over the years ? the stadium hasn?t held a concert since the summer of 2001, when *NSYNC and the Dave Matthews Band came to Buffalo. This long, silent interlude at the Ralph is understandable.

OPINION

Don't judge the Bulls' 20-14 loss to Central Michigan by the score

By OWEN O'BRIEN | Oct. 25, 2014

When the Central Michigan football team was driving down the field with the opportunity to take a three-score lead, I knew this drive would dictate not only this game, but the remaining four of the season. The series could have gone one of two ways.

OPINION

Give 'em a reason

By OWEN O'BRIEN | Oct. 23, 2014

Spectrum File Photo Rule number one in business: The customer is always right. There?s a reason the student section looked more barren in Buffalo?s homecoming game against Miami Ohio than it did against Baylor. More than 7,000 students attended the Bulls? Friday night ESPN game against nationally ranked Baylor Sept.

OPINION

Letter to the editor

Oct. 23, 2014

Dear Editor, We are writing in response to The Spectrum?s editorial ?Texas?s misogyny is an undue burden on us all: State?s attempts to limit abortion are deceptive, backwards and fortunately illegal ? for now? published on Oct.

OPINION

Cheaters never prosper - but at UNC they won championships

Oct. 23, 2014

The equilibrium between academics and athletics has long been dogged by uncertainty for the NCAA and its Division I schools, but at the University of North Carolina, the scales balancing school and sports didn?t just tip ? they fell over, collapsing in a cloud of dust and disarray. UNC, a well-known Division I powerhouse with a reputation for academic excellence, has been plagued by allegations of academic deception, with scandalous revelations about fake classes and inflated grades for student athletes. Now, the details of the widespread deception, which occurred from 1993 to 2011, intentionally designed to help student athletes remain academically eligible at all costs have come to light.

OPINION

"Buffalo's homeless need assistance, not analysis"

Oct. 23, 2014

Don Warfe, a resident of downtown Buffalo worries that the presence of the homeless ?gives tourists a bad impression.? Let?s hope it does. In their recent article and newscast on Buffalo?s ?homeless problem,? WIVB News presents a cynical, coldhearted perspective on the issue of homelessness downtown. Despite publishing a solemn discussion of the poverty levels in Buffalo and the challenges faced by food banks and soup kitchens just under six months ago, WIVB News seems to have forgotten that ?eye-opening? report. In light of the many exciting developments downtown, including the just-opened high rise hotel sure to attract tourists ready to enjoy what Buffalo has to offer, the struggles of the city?s most impoverished residents have become nothing more than an unfortunate distraction to business owners, as WIVB News makes clear. As the fourth poorest city in the United States, with more than a quarter of its residents living in poverty, it?s not surprising that there are many homeless people in the area.