Opinions - The Spectrum

OPINION

Please don’t call me ‘Oreo’

By REILLY MULLEN | Sep. 7, 2021

The notion that I “act white” has haunted me my entire life, as if to say wearing sundresses, reading as a hobby and playing tennis are racially determined characteristics. Growing up in a predominantly white town with two well-educated parents taught me the importance of being respectful, kind and carrying myself intelligently, traits that are often incorrectly associated with whiteness.

OPINION

Letter from the editor

By REILLY MULLEN | Aug. 24, 2021

I am so excited to get back to doing what we all love, which is working tirelessly to bring you the news. And we have a ton of news to bring you.

OPINION

A Gen-Zer’s take on skinny jeans

By REILLY MULLEN | May 24, 2021

For weeks, I’ve chuckled as the Washington Post and overzealous TikTokers have warned me to prepare for battle.

OPINION

UB’s COVID-19 response could have made me a superspreader

By GRANT ASHLEY | May 12, 2021

UB reported 1,060 on-campus cases of COVID-19 this academic year. That number could have been lower. I would know. I was one of the positive cases.

OPINION

The Student Association is a disaster, but the student activity fee isn’t

By REILLY MULLEN | Apr. 20, 2021

I will be voting “mandatory” in Wednesday’s referendum. Not because SA told me to, but for the future Bulls who will find their friends at trips to NorthTown with the Ice Skating Club or go apple picking with the UB Advocates for Girl’s Education.

OPINION

The art of potty training a kitten

By Delme Fernandes | Apr. 19, 2021

Raising a kitten is definitely not as easy as it seems — not even close.

OPINION

‘Shut up, you’re a woman’

By KAYLA STERNER | Apr. 13, 2021

Feminism is wanting equality amongst genders, so it is time we take a serious approach toward equalizing the sports industry, whether that be through more female representation in sports media or empowering female athletes.

UB deserves an opportunity to continue its season, and nobody — certainly not a bunch of people in an air-conditioned room in Cleveland — should be able to take that opportunity away from them.

OPINION

#letthemplay

By JUSTIN WEISS and HUNTER SKOCZYLAS | Apr. 13, 2021

UB will watch Bowling Green, a team they beat during the regular season, play in the conference title game Saturday, all because MAC leadership is too stubborn, or cowardly, to right its wrongs.

OPINION

Charles Barkley is saying the things America needs to hear, whether you like it or not

By ANTHONY DECICCO | Apr. 9, 2021

Since becoming a TV personality in 2000, Basketball Hall of Famer and current NBA on TNT analyst Charles Barkley has never been afraid to speak his mind.

OPINION

‘Keep the faith’

By RICHARD LOUIS | Apr. 9, 2021

I truly don’t know if I could have made it to this point — final semester of college, graduation hanging in the distance, a job in the near-future — without my father still being here with me.

OPINION

A Buffalonian Commute

By Lily Smith | Apr. 8, 2021

There’s no experience like riding a Buffalo city bus at 7 a.m.

OPINION

My weaving road to self-love and acceptance

By ANUSHKA SHARMA | Apr. 6, 2021

Self-love and acceptance doesn’t happen overnight. It can take days, months or even years to find the courage to be kind to yourself.

OPINION

Why legalization matters to me

By JACK PORCARI | Mar. 31, 2021

After witnessing the benefits of cannabis firsthand, I felt a moral obligation to make cannabis more accessible and affordable for patients like myself and end the racist enforcement of cannabis laws in our city.

OPINION

Why are non-Black people still saying the n-word?

By ALEXANDRA MOYEN | Mar. 30, 2021

If you read my first column questioning the necessity of the n-word, then you already know how I feel: The word is toxic.

OPINION

How effective is ‘cancel culture?’

By Kiana Hodge | Mar. 30, 2021

But what about the equally problematic artists who are still obtaining record deals, contracts and sponsorships despite old tweets or videos that confirm their racist or homophobic views?

OPINION

Please don’t post your vaccination card on social media

By DAN EASTMAN | Mar. 28, 2021

Over the course of the pandemic, droves of COVID-19 denialists have found every reason to break the rules. From anti-mask protests to vaccine skepticism, rallying Americans to comply with COVID-19 guidelines has not been easy.

OPINION

We need access to the outdoors, so why is UB restricting it?

By JULIE FREY | Mar. 22, 2021

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I relented to going to the gym with a friend last September — lifting weights, running on the treadmill and doing crunches and pull-ups was not my definition of fun.

OPINION

Streaming services are a disservice to our health and wallets

By ALEX FALTER | Mar. 18, 2021

Many of our childhood memories are filled with nostalgia-packed episodes of our favorite cartoons. And we mainly found them in one place: cable TV. But times have changed.

OPINION

UB’s ‘breakless’ spring calendar reeks of irresponsibility

By JUSTIN WEISS | Mar. 16, 2021

Prioritizing our physical health over our mental health isn’t doing us or anyone else a service. If anything, it is reckless and irresponsible.

OPINION

Am I dressed like a lesbian?

By KARA ANDERSON | Mar. 14, 2021

I didn’t ever actually have to confront what my fashion meant to me until I came out as lesbian.