The Spectrum VOL 59 ISS 39

h t t p : / / w w w . u b s p e c t r u m . c o mh t

SThe pectrum

Inside:Arts and Life ........... 5

Classifieds ............ 11

Opinion .................. 3

Sports ................... 12

Friday, December 11, 2009 Volume 59 Issue 39An independent student publication of the University at Buffalo

see SOLDIERS page 7

See 2See Page 5

P I E R C I N G T H E P U R P L ESenior guard Rodney Pierce scored 25 points against Niagara.

Suicide rates increasing among soldiers

A M A N O F M A R R O W Peter Jackson returns to the

screen with a lovely new film.

Courtesy of the US Army

Suicide has been responsible for an overwhelming amount of deaths for American troops.

By GIGI RUBINStaff Writer

In October, the Student Association made the idea of a 24-hour bus service between North and South Campus a reality. Before 24-hour bus-ing went into effect, the UB Stampede did not run between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. on weekdays, and 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. on weekends. “During our initial cam-paign, we promised to have 24-hour busing because a large number of students expressed their concern over their inability to travel between campuses late into

the night,” said SA President Ernesto Alvarado. “We pur-sued this cause and were able to find the financial backing to support it for a semester.” The financial backing came from SA, the Graduate Student Association and Sub-Board I, Inc. “I think [24-hour busing is] a really good thing for the school to have to ensure the safety of the students. If they did not run [the buses 24 hours a day], then kids would have to get taxis and that could get expensive,” said Molly Neuhauser, a freshman communication major. The new busing has been cost effective, according to

SA Treasurer Jordan Fried. “Since the program did not start until halfway through the semester, [we] only paid for [the months] of October, November and December,” he said. “However, because it was successful, the university will be picking up the costs for next semester and at least until next fall.” This semester was an experiment to see if stu-dents would use the service, Alvarado said. He expects 24-hour busing to continue next semester, as well as the following fall semester. “We took the financial responsibility for the 24-hour busing for the fall semes-

ter with the hopes that the administration would see it as a worthwhile invest-ment,” Alvarado said. “The students responded well and the volume of student users was high enough so that the administration saw the 24-hour busing as essential to students, so we’ve decided

to continue the service.” Alvarado said SA would continue to address student safety, including possible town hall style meetings with UB Police to discuss students’ safety concerns. “We will continue to fund the Anti Rape Task Force vans that drop students off

throughout the University Heights or any location [up to] 1.5 miles away from South Campus,” Alvarado said. “We will continue to work with UB police to enable all the new cameras set up within South Campus.”

E-mail: [email protected]

24-hour busing will continue next semester

By CAMILLE TOARMINOStaff Writer

Two different worlds – that’s what American soldiers live in. One is their home, America, and the cities or towns they live in. Another is their temporary resi-dence overseas. National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Niemiec knows the feeling of having two separate homes – he spent January 2008 to December 2008 in Afghanistan on his second tour of duty. He left behind his friends, fian-cée and four children to serve America. During his time in Afghanistan, he gained insight into the differences between life in the two countries. “While I was in Afghanistan, my fiancée was complaining to me one day about how loud the roadwork was outside our house,” Niemiec said. “She said that every time a car rode pass [the roadwork], a ‘boom’ sound was made. I told her that every time I heard a ‘boom’ sound, I ran for cover.” Aside from the differences

of noisy roadwork versus a life-threatening situation, Niemiec and other soldiers throughout the military have seen an unfortunate decision that some soldiers come to – taking their own lives. Military suicide rates have been steadily rising. The rates increased 13 percent from 2006 to 2007, bringing the total number of sui-cides to 115. This is expected to increase. “I see suicides mostly with the younger crowds. It’s different for different ages,” Niemiec said. Soldiers tend to marry and start families earlier than civilians, according to Niemiec. Leaving behind a family is not easy and sometimes, problems can accom-pany a soldier’s departure. “My kids sometimes resented me for leaving because I missed out on a lot,” Niemiec said. With the holiday season approaching, it is especially hard for soldiers to be away from home. While holiday cheer spreads throughout America, an over-

To our readers:This will be our last issue for Fall 2009. Publication will resume on Wednesday, January 13.

Check out our Web site http://ubspectrum.com for weekly updates.

By ASHLEY HIRTAsst. News Editor

In times when science can advance the nation, and job creation is embraced, Sen. John McCain bashed stimu-lus projects across America. A project conducted by the University at Buffalo’s Research Institute on Addic-tions made McCain’s list of the 100 Most Wasteful Stim-ulus Projects. The study looks at young adults’ use of alcohol, in particular malt liquor and marijuana use, according to Dr. R. Lorraine Collins, the project’s principal investi-gator and associate dean for

research at the School of Pub-lic Health and Health Profes-sions. “The combination of the words ‘malt liquor’ and ‘mar-ijuana’ might explain why it was selected for this list,” Collins said. “Including my study on this list used politi-cal theatrics to undermine peer reviewed substance use research that focuses on an issue that is important to society.” McCain’s spokesperson Brooke Buchanan comment-ed on why this research proj-ect made the list. “The stimulus bill was designed to create jobs ... this particular project did not

do this, which is why it was highlighted,” Buchanan said. However, Collins said the stimulus money used in UB’s study not only created jobs, but maintained jobs as well. “There are three other researchers who were paid partly through the funding, and would otherwise be out of work,” Collins said. “Most of the money was used to employ the staff and to run the study, such as personnel costs to pay the salaries of a highly educated research staff.” Each participant will also be paid $45 out of the $389,357 stimulus package to acknowledge the time

and effort spent providing researchers with the infor-mation they are looking for, Collins explained. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said it was impor-tant to understand substance use, according to WGRZ-TV. UB’s Vice President for Research, Dr. Jorge V. Jose, thought the study was impor-tant and that the research was misunderstood. “Often, when a person is not a person involved in the research, they feel that the money being given is not well utilized,” Jose said. “However, no one can deny

Senator John McCain labels UB study wasteful

see MCCAIN page 7

Courtesy of the Office of Sen. John McCainSenator John McCain is sniffing out possible questionable use of stimulus funds.

Spencer Ngo / The SpectrumTwenty-four hour busing may become a permanent fixture at UB.

2 The Spectrum December 11, 2009

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Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it. Do it.

OPINIONSo much for my parade See, we’re no different. That first walk across campus was overwhelm-ing and alone, peaking in a power-walk through the Student Union. Full of noise and intimidation, the union burst with the in-crowd showing off their friends and dates that were anything but ours. It’s like we were window-shopping for company. As we broke through the gathering, buds in ears and eyes firmly planted on the floor, we dreamt

about being one of the crowd and not the shy loner brushing through it. And hopefully, we did. We found that class (ENG 102),

that friend (Geece), that girl (Katieface), that man on the

Internet (snowangel87) that made us feel special and helped us open

up. Maybe we had miles to go, but the smile that

cracked our faces open was genuine, and hopefully permanent. For me, this office was home. Every day I’d come here on my downtime, just to see a familiar face and pass the time with someone with the same intentions. Over my three years at this publication, I watched some of my favorite faces grow into my best friends. Mrm, Zaj, Meccs, Ari, Shannon, Joann, Les and later Callie became brothers, sisters… and ghosts. As I sat and wrote, edited and, most importantly, wasted time with friends, all I had were memories of those people to look back on and smile at, regardless of what I was doing. And this funny little feeling that I’d join them in the afterlife of the party. The loudest voice in the office, sans maybe Steve by sheer volume, I always tried to make someone laugh and hopefully open up. My sweet little Finch, who was intimidated beyond belief when she first found her wings, now sings louder than any of us could have, well, wanted. And God bless Shane,

Taking a break from the climate debate in Copenhagen, the President of the United States made a slight detour in Oslo, Norway to pick up the Nobel Prize. The award has been given out since 1901 in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and perhaps the best known, peace.

Obama is somewhat of a controversial choice, given the president’s short tenure in office. His lack of accomplishments caused many to question the decision. Even he acknowledged the sense of prematurity during his speech.

“I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your gener-ous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage,” Obama said. “Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize such as [Albert] Sch-weitzer and [Martin Luther] King [Jr.], [George Catlett] Marshall and [Nelson] Mandela, my accomplishments are slight.”

Even in light of the youthful experience, it would seem strange to give Obama such a prize. The guiding factor of the Nobel Peace Prize, according to the Web site, is a person who, “during the preceding year … shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for holding and promo-tion of peace congresses,” yet this recipient is currently waging two international wars.

Obama displayed great insight for a presi-dent who is so new to the job, recognizing the reality that nations may never be dissuaded from armed conflict, but in those times armed

conflict is the last resort and should be morally justified.

The speech, a little under an hour in length, also touched on those principles that nations fight to defend.

“We lose ourselves when we compromise the very ideals that we fight to defend,” Obama said. “And we honor those ideals by upholding them not when it is easy, but when it is hard.”

Although these may seem like obvious state-ments, they’re largely ignored in today’s world.

No other American president has even faced odds like the ones facing this president. Take a look at issues that are in play: two international conflicts, a global economic recession, a polar-ized America locked into heated debates on health care, climate change and every issue in between.

There is very little sense of ego when hearing the charismatic president. Even Nobel chair-man Thorbjorn Jagland opened the ceremony by elaborating on how the committee came to its decision on Obama – that his leadership would provide a call to action to all people across all nations.

But to put the award in context - it has gar-nered international interest, but many Ameri-cans, including those here in Buffalo, are more concerned with double digit unemployment and how this administration will create new jobs.

The sadder fact is the prize should be some-thing that is celebrated, but in times like these it’s nothing more than a gold star because there is so much more to be done.

Accepting peaceObama accepts Nobel Prize

John RanicSenior Arts Editor

DECEMBER 11, 2009VOLUME 59 NUMBER 39CIRCULATION: 10,000

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Editorial Board

Editor in Chief Stephen Marth

Executive Editor Keeley Sheehan

Managing Editors Ren LaForme, seniorDavid Jarka Jennifer Lombardo

News Editors Jennifer Good Caitlin Tremblay Chelsie Hinckley, asst. Ashley Hirt, asst. Amanda Woods, asst.

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Arts Editors John Ranic, senior Christopher DiMatteo Jameson Butler, asst. Eric Hilliker, asst. James Twigg, asst.

Life Editors Adrian Finch Matt Mosher Shane Fallon, asst. Rachel Lamb, asst.

Sports Editors David Sanchirico, senior Andrew Wiktor Matt Parrino, asst. Joe Paterno, asst.

Photo Editors Katie Carlett, senior Samantha Hicks Tim Ho Clinton Hodnett, asst.

Copy Editors Meghan FarrellAbbi Meade

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The holiday season is important this year. Regardless of which holiday Americans cel-ebrate, the winter holidays hold special mean-ing. With the passage of time, the holiday lights get brighter, the shopping gets crazier, and the holiday music gets more familiar – if that can even happen.

The winter months are cold and snowy and it’s not hard to feel like Scrooge a little more each year. The holiday message of being thank-ful is usually overplayed by this point – but this year is different.

Times are tougher, not just for a select few but for everyone. However, it’s easy to appreci-ate the important people in your life, to gather and spend time together. This year, in light of war, the economic crisis and constant heated debate, appreciate the people in your life and all that we, as Americans, have.

Many have lost rather than gained, but remem-ber that Americans are far better off than many others. U. S. citizens have the rule of law and the promise of hope to make their lives better.

As time marches toward the new year, spend some of that time thinking about the year ahead. Never has it been plainer that there’s no telling what the new year will bring. The way this past year has blown off course would make skeptics of us all, with the deflation of confi-dence in even the most sober of expectations.

Use this holiday season to reflect and evaluate personal goals. Remember that resolutions have a way of expiring on their own.

Most Americans sketched a new set of reso-lutions recently, consciously or not – resolu-tions that had more to do with taking care of the necessities in life rather than the typical Jan. 1 goals of self-improvement and promises unfulfilled.

This coming year will require more than the usual hard work from America. It will take more than declarations, more than the opti-mism that this nation is already good enough, should American ideals fail.

The Rev. Sydney Smith has some words that will offer some guidance to Americans this year: “Look evil in the face, walk up to it, and you will find it less than you imagined, and often you will not find it at all; for it will recede as you advance.”

The trivial anxieties of life will melt away, leaving the more substantial problems. Hap-piness is less often a matter of courage than of changing the way Americans live their lives.

In spite of all the bad this past year, Ameri-cans still want to know that they can love and be loved, and imagine the world as a place as pure as that ideal.

Happy holidays to all from the entire Spectrum staff.

Winter daysHolidays still important this year

David JarkaManaging Editor

see RANIC page 10

see JARKA page 10

From Scrooge to Santa The thought of uttering the words “Merry Christmas” used to enrage me. This started during my senior year of high school, when I went through my anti-religion phrase. In my heathen-like ways, I rebelled against the monotheistic faith I was born into and that was shoved down my throat during my first 17 years of existence. My anger boiled over to the point where I stopped wishing people the popular Yuletime phrase. I made a conscious decision to say “Happy holidays” or “Season’s greetings.”

Thankfully, I dropped this pathetic grudge about three years ago. That’s when my hometown

purchased the old Victorian Christmas dolls formerly dis-

played in the old AM&A’s building in downtown Buffalo and displayed

them in the various storefronts in its small

downtown area, calling it “Christmasville.” At the strong urging of my mother, I begrudg-ingly went down to check out the window figures. As a child, she always enjoyed going into the heart of the Queen City with her family to see all the different displays and she wanted me to have the chance to have the same special experience as her. I wasn’t sure what I would see as I walked down there. I figured I’d see some old dolls in the win-dows and walk away thinking I just wasted a half hour of my life that I wouldn’t get back. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Before I even reached the windows, I witnessed people of all ages and walks of life laughing and smiling as they watched the dolls move in the win-dows and hearing the Christmas songs play. I choked up instantly and as I walked down the street, I had to hold back my tears. I never expected this to happen. But it wasn’t just these window displays and happy families that got to me. My civic pride began to shine, as I was so proud the Village of Lancaster would host such a holiday scene. On top of it, my quaint village was neatly decked out for the Christmas season and as snowflakes gently fell before me, a beautiful backdrop was crafted.

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ARTS & LIFE

see JACKSON page 9

By JOHN RANICSenior Arts Editor

Lucas. Spielberg. Cameron. Jackson. Masters of conceptualized reality, these men continue to captivate with an abstract surrealism that marches through the depths of our imaginations as Pol-lock paints it in a grand fashion across a 40-foot canvas. Movie mages with limit-less creativity, they make us believe in

the unbelievable. Newest to the list is Peter

Jackson, a man that not only pushes the visual envelope with

his epic fare, but actually becomes his undertakings. Tackling Tolkien and footing dusty Shire roads with the hairy-toed Hobbits as well as cloud-hopping through the afterlife with Alice Sebold’s heart-wrenching guidance, Jackson has become the king of adaptation, making pre-penned words into visually pleasing and emotionally exhausting endeavors. With a flair for the fantastic, Jackson’s work tends to violently steer away from everyday life and more fittingly gallops through the pages of storybook fiction. From the rolling hills of New Zealand to the hell fires of Mount Doom, Jackson lives for the escape, or at least to provide the means. “What I like is escapism. I like being swept away into an adventure that I know I’m never going to have in my real life, seeing and meeting characters that I’m never going to meet,” Jackson said. “That

whole escapist element, to me, is what’s appealing about films, and they’re the sort of movies I like watching and so therefore they’re the sort of movies I like making.” Jackson’s latest project comes in the form of The Lovely Bones, which is set to stun statewide on Jan. 15, 2010. Revolving around the murder of a young girl, Susie Salmon, the film, an original story written by Alice Sebold, follows her stolen soul as she peers over her family and murderer from heaven. As she weighs her contempt for her killer with the desire to heal her family’s heartbreak, the film uniquely blends fan-tasy with the very real elements of revenge and loss. “Within a movie, you follow what you think the movie needs. And so, The Lovely Bones was particularly interest-ing, because it’s a very fascinating mix of reality and fantasy,” Jackson said. “You know, one of the attractive things about The Lovely Bones is that it’s an opportunity for me to make a movie which says things about what happens to our soul after we die. And that’s obviously a question that we all wonder about.” Here Jackson’s theology trickles through the movie’s cinematic veins. “It’s in the back of everybody’s mind. And, especially if you lose people who are close to you, you wonder what’s happened to them, and are they still around, and can they see you and hear you? All those sort of questions are fascinating questions. And it’s that stuff that the movie really gets

into,” Jackson said. With brilliant, Kinkade-like strokes of color and cinematography, the film pans from a breathtaking afterlife to an almost colorless reality that’s been left behind. Visually, the shift is remarkable, but story-wise, finding this balance between reality and fantasy became difficult. “We try to present a case of, ‘This could be what happens to you after you leave your body.’ And so the movie is – it was fascinating in the sense that there’s a real-ity to the film, which is Susie’s parents and her sister and her murderer,” Jack-son said. “There’s a storyline that’s about them, you know, and they live a perfectly real life, and continue to do so. There’s nothing at all fantastic about that story-line, and in fact, we tried to make that as real as we possibly could.” The movie also shows what life, or the lack thereof, might be like for the recently departed. “And in the other half of the movie, we’re following Susie’s point of view. And her point of view is being told from the point of view of her – of her soul – which is living on after she dies and how she reacts to that, and how she wants to see her killer punished, and is it really, is punishment what she wants? We’ve asked those sorts of interesting questions,” Jackson said. But although Michael J. fans might be disappointed, others can rest assured that this is anything but The Frighteners Part 2.

Heavenly creatures, lovely bones

By ALIA SYEDStaff Writer

The popularity of energy drinks is rapidly increasing, along with concerns among school officials, doctors and researchers about the safety of these beverages. Students often rely on energy drinks to carry them through exams and long nights in the library. How-ever, it may be a wise decision to avoid these energy-boosting bever-ages, as they have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and risky behavior. The Food and Drug Admin-istration limits caffeine in soda to 65 milligrams or less per 12 ounces. However, there is no regu-lation for caffeine in energy drinks because they are categorized as herbal supplements.

Consumers are unaware of the amount of caffeine they are con-suming because there is no require-ment for manufacturers to list the amount of caffeine on labels. According to Mayo Clinic, there are 35 milligrams of caffeine in 12 ounces of Coca-Cola Classic, and 36 to 38 milligrams of caffeine in 12 ounces of Pepsi. In comparison, there are 76 milli-grams of caffeine in only 8.3 ounces of popular energy drinks like Red Bull, and 80 milligrams of caffeine in eight ounces of Rockstar. This does not include added herbal supplements that increase energy levels such as taurine, an amino acid that can alter heart func-tion and blood pressure. These boosting beverages may have serious health effects. In a small study led by James Kalus of

Henry Ford Hospital in Detriot, Mich., energy drinks with high levels of caffeine and taurine were found to increase both heart rate and blood pressure in healthy indi-viduals with an average age of 26. Participants in the study did not consume other forms of caffeine for two days prior, and then drank two cans of energy drinks every day for seven days. Each can contained 80 milligrams of caffeine, as well as 1,000 milligrams of taurine. The participants’ heart rates increased by nearly 8 percent on the first day of the study, and 11 percent by the seventh day. Their blood pressure also experienced a similar increase. According to the Boston Globe’s report of this study, these increas-es were not at dangerous levels,

The dangers of energy drinks

Clinton Hodnett / The Spectrum

Energy drinks have risks some may not take into consideration. see DRINKS page 9

By JAMES TWIGGAsst. Arts Editor

With the world set to enter the second decade of the new millen-nium, everything around us is get-ting smaller and more futuristic by the second. Whether it be a cell phone with a mini projector built in or the new iPod that’s barely bigger than an ear bud, everything has room for an upgrade. The techniques for tobacco and herbal smokers are no exception. Pipes, cigars and cigarette papers are all viable options, but may be starting to get old for some. Luckily, the good folks over at Vapir, Inc. believe that it’s time for the next step. Vapir’s Oxygen Mini Vaporizer is that next step. It’s one of the latest and greatest Vaporizers on the market. When it comes down to it, vapor-izers are a flat-out better choice than smoking. Vaporizers don’t use com-bustion to release the compounds in tobacco and herbs, but rather create a vapor that can be inhaled, hence

the name. As a result, many of the harmful aspects of smoking are greatly reduced. For those who aren’t fans of the taste of tobacco or herbs, the Oxy-gen Mini is the perfect alternative. The vapor still carries a subtle hint of the taste, but not enough for it to be overwhelming, as can be the case with smoking. Technically speaking, the Oxygen Mini Vaporizer couldn’t be any sim-pler to use. A twist-off top and small wooden spoon makes packing your tobacco or herbs an easy and head-ache free process. A digital readout on the side of the vaporizer displays the desired temperature, which can be set by two buttons on the bottom. When the vaporizer has heated to the set temperature, an LED light turns green, letting you know it’s set to go. Vapir recommends setting the Oxygen Mini between 350 and 375 degrees for the best results pos-sible. Despite requiring such high temperatures, the Oxygen Mini’s

design keeps the user’s hand from ever becoming too hot and makes it nearly impossible for someone to be burned. Its design is good for more than just preventing burns. The curved handle sits in the palm of your hand comfortably and never feels too heavy or too light. But perhaps the best thing about the Oxygen Mini’s design is its size. Unlike other vaporizers, which tend to be on the larger and more unwieldy side, the mini is small, compact and perfect for mobility. It’s even small enough to sit in your jeans pocket with room to spare. The addition of several different power sources only makes the over-all mobility of this product all the more impressive. Of course, there is the standard wall outlet plug. This is

a good option for when you’re using the Oxygen Mini around your house or in your dorm. Just plug it in and the Oxygen Mini is set to go. Apart from the wall outlet choice, Vapir, Inc. also includes a recharge-able battery pack. This is great for those who enjoy their tobacco and herbs in a more outdoor setting or for those with little free time. As if those options weren’t enough to cover wherever and whenever you want to indulge, Vapir, Inc. also saw fit to have another option, just in case. The car adapter plugs into a cigarette lighter and makes the Oxygen Mini the perfect partner for any long road trip. Whether you’re vaporizing alone

or in a group, the Oxygen Mini is a great option. It can vaporize enough tobacco or herbs with one pack that several drags can be taken. For avid fans of herbal or tobacco smoking, Vapir’s Oxygen Mini Vaporizer is a welcome addition to the family. Its portable size and easy use makes it the perfect choice for anyone constantly finding him- or herself on the move — especially finals crazed college students. F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , interested folks can visit http://www.vapir.com.


The future of smoking

Courtesy of Vapir

The Oxygen Mini is hitting the markets for smokers.

Courtesy of RGM Cinema Network

Peter Jackson bends reality and genre with his breathtaking sur-realism and flair for the fantastic.


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whelming sadness can swallow some soldiers overseas. Some turn to their units for comfort, while oth-ers resort to isolation. “The frustration of being isolated in the military definitely plays a part [in suicide], and it is frustrating,” Niemiec said. “It’s hard being sepa-rated from the people you love at a national time of togetherness.” Suicide is something many people find hard to comprehend. Most peo-ple believe suicide is preventable, while others believe it’s taking the easy way out. “Suicide is a choice. It’s a decision that a person makes,” said Navy Sea-man Corey Alan Smith. “Sometimes you can only see what’s right in front of you. And what’s right in front of you is not always worth living for.” Only the soldiers fighting over-seas know of the hardships battle carries. The emotional and physical strain of war is hard for civilians to judge. “You can’t understand … the strain of being over there,” Smith said. “You think you can imagine it, but you just can’t until you experi-ence it. You can never know what you’ll do until you’re in the situa-tion.”

War takes a toll mentally, physi-cally and economically on a nation and its people. Psychologically, some soldiers come back bearing a burden too great for them to carry. Post-trau-matic stress disorder can be part of that burden and often creates a risk of suicide. PTSD is caused by “a situation in which a person experienced, wit-nessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death, serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others,” according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Traumatic events are associated with an increase in a person’s risk for suicide, according to the national center for PTSD. There is also cor-relation between soldiers suffering from PTSD and suicide. Soldiers with PTSD can also have episodes of flashbacks and in some cases these flashbacks can include feelings of “intense fear, help-lessness, or horror,” according to the DSM-IV. In response, the military has started taking steps to lower the number of suicides. One issue is the amount of men-tal health practitioners currently in

service, as in Iraq where there are 120,000 troops and 200 practitio-ners, according to Dr. Stephen Wal-lace, head of veterans affairs at UB. “One of the problems lies with attracting mental health profession-als,” Wallace said. A goal for the military is to have one practitioner to every 700 troops. Wallace added that another problem is the difficulty of getting soldiers to come forward when they are in need of mental health assis-tance. A common fear among soldiers is appearing “weak” for admitting to mental health conditions, according to Wallace. “If you are seen as a warrior, any-thing that undermines that view, including mental health concerns is exasperated among service people,” Wallace said. Wallace added that there are mili-tary suicide prevention programs. These programs emphasize seek-ing help, treatment options, and rec-ognizing signs of suicidal behavior. While reasons for the recent increase in suicide are uncertain, the problem is not taken lightly. “Nobody has the answers,” Wallace said.


that drug addiction and alcoholism are serious problems that lead to social problems. Researchers need to understand the social context of these individuals who use alcohol and drugs in order to develop solu-tions to address this endemic prob-lem in cities in the U.S.” Initially, Collins was surprised by McCain’s comment, but she never

became angry. Yet, she remained perplexed at times over this situa-tion. “This sort of thing [referring to the McCain situation] under-mines what I and others at UB and all across the country do in their research … to improve society and to teach students to be critical think-ers,” Collins said.



Rebecca Isaacs, Dave Vogt, [Name Withheld], Debbie Smith, Gillian Sweny, Helene Polley

Rich Polley, Katelynn Padowski, Rafael Kobayashi, Christopher Caporlingua

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Amanda Woods, Chelsie Hinckley, Jennifer Good, Caitlin Tremblay, Ashley Hirt

Clinton Hodnett, Katie Carlett, Samantha Hicks, Tim Ho David Sanchirico, Joe Paterno, Andrew Wiktor, Matt Parrino

SRETAN BOŽIĆ • VESELÉ VÁNOCE A ŠTASTNÝ NOVÝ ROK • GLÆDELIG JUL • GAJAN KRISTNASKON • HÄID JÕULE • HYVÄÄ JOULUA • JOYEUX NOËL • FROHE WEI-HNACHTEN • MELE KALIKIMAKA • NOLLAIG SHONA DUIT • BUON NATALE • WESOLYCH SWIAT BOZEGO NARODZENIA • S ROZHDESTVOM • FELICES FIESTAS •

CRĂCIUN FERICIT • MUTLU BAYRAMLAR • HAU’OLI LANUI • BUONE FESTE • II HOLIDE EXIMNANDI • HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM The SpectrumPhotos by Tim Ho


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Michael Behun, President Buffalo Center Chapter, United University Professions

Congratulations to the closing of another great semester at UB!

The United University Professions continues to raise awareness of the importance of public higher education with information like the notice below. Please take the time to discuss this issue over the break. Cutting UB’s budget and raising tuition is not the way to a better and more accessible UB.

“It’s not a ghost movie. [Susie] doesn’t operate on the rules that you see in normal ghost movies. She can’t make doors slam, and she can’t do any harm to anybody, yet she wants to try to get the guy who killed her to court, because he’s getting away with it,” Jackson said. “And so, it was a fascinating mixture of the two. And that was one of the, I guess, the chal-lenges of the film is to be stepping in and out of both of those points of view, the real and the fantastic.” With such a sensitive and harrow-ing tale, a lingering murder, and a performance by Stanely Tucci as the pedophilic neighbor George Harvey, molding The Lovely Bones into a fam-ily fitting journey became the real test of Jackson’s magic. “We wanted it to be a PG-13 [film]. We’ve got a daughter who was 12 years old when we made the movie.

We wanted her to see this film. We really made the movie partly for our daughter because it revolves around what happens to a 14-year-old when this creepy guy down the road lures her into a room and kills her,” Jackson said. “We wanted to have some aspects of the movie be a lesson – and a lesson that our daugh-ter should look at – because this stuff does actually happen in real life, unfortunately.” And so he tiptoed between implied evil and an actual dark scenescape. “We felt a responsibility – cer-tainly on some aspects – to make it real. But nor did we want to make it gratuitous or explicit. You know, the film’s about a murder, but we don’t show the murder on screen,” Jackson said. “We didn’t want to do that, because we didn’t want that to be the defining moment of the film. We wanted it to be, you know, Susie’s murder is the catalyst that

starts our story going. But it’s not – it’s not a film about her murder. It’s a film about what happens after her murder.” Simply put, Jackson said, “We really did think very closely about our responsibilities as filmmakers to, you know, to keep the film entertain-ing, to give it a message and purpose and not to alienate people.” Poised to be the breakout roll for Saoirse Ronan as Susie Salmon, and with highly respected actors like Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and the terrifyingly good Tucci round-ing out the cast, Jackson’s take on Sebold’s story has all the poten-tial to be the standout story of this holiday season. And under the lens of Jackson’s genre-defining direction, these bones are in more than safe hands.


but the findings were significant enough for researchers to advise those suffering from high blood pressure or heart disease to avoid energy drinks. There have also been links between consuming energy drinks and negative behavior, according to a study conducted at UB. Of the 795 students surveyed in the study, those who consumed energy drinks at least six days in one month were three times as likely to smoke cigarettes, abuse prescription drugs or participate in physical fights. They were also twice as likely to drink alcohol, use marijuana or suffer from related problems

while drinking. “It’s not entirely clear why ener-gy drink consumption is associated with all of these [behavioral] prob-lems,” said Dr. Kathleen Miller, author of the study and researcher at the Research Institute on Addic-tions at UB. Although beverages like Red Bull and Vodka are common, studies published in Academic Emergency Medicine have shown that students who enjoy these drinks are twice as likely to become intoxicated and are more prone to injury while under the influence. The study also found that these students were more likely to act sexually aggressive or be victimized by sexual aggression.

Students at 10 universities in North Carolina were surveyed for the study by Dr. Mary Claire O’Brien, an associate professor in the department of emergency medicine and public health services at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. According to Miller, many con-sumers of energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages tend to for-get that caffeine it is a psychoac-tive stimulant drug, and like other drugs, it is highly addictive. “Just like alcohol, if you’re going to drink [energy drinks], do it responsibly,” Miller said.


More prone to injury under the influenceDRINKS from page 5


‘Try not to forget’ RANIC from page 3

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who was my baby and now has to listen to said singing. One of my current desk editors and resident curmudgeon was the nichey antihero, more than content in his paneling. Through constant poking and jokes from all around the Arts nook, he opened up – and probably hates us. But it was done out of love, and deep in those hills, he knows it. My current desk is anything but what it was when I first earned my stripes, but I love it just the same. Chris will do wonders with his curls, bravado and leadership. Twigg and Jamo are what Garrett and I were – minus the experience – but it’ll come. Frithy will blossom. Maybe I’ll be gone, but I’ll always be there to them. Who cares about

the next wave? As long as they miss me, I’ll be just fine. And that leaves two. First off, Steve, you’re everything The Spectrum looked away from in an EIC, and yet, you’re exactly what we needed. I’ve never felt more welcome and emotions have never been sweeter. You’re a big ball of wonderful, so savor this moment before it’s gone. And so there was you. The girl that I brought here, fell for, grew away from and now rest peacefully with. Maybe I won’t be here as much, or there for DIY lunch every day, but long ago we said this was for keeps. And I still have your pinky. So UB, my friends and family, try not to forget – cause I won’t.


Christmas for everyoneJARKA from page 3

A new sense of Christmas spirit reignited my soul. As I walked home, I started realizing my fool-ishness as to why I stopped wish-ing people a “Merry Christmas.” Regardless of you religious beliefs, Christmastime is an occa-sion for everyone. Yes, it is a time for Christians to celebrate the birth of their Savior, but it is also a time of giving to one another, to show your love to the people you care about and appreciate, and kindheartedness to your fellow mankind. As long as you exert those feelings, you have every right

to participate in this holiday. On that entire walk home, I began saying that famous holi-day motto to myself. As I busted through the door, I told everybody in my house those very words for the first time in years. The spirit of Christmas had engulfed me like I was a little boy again. So no matter who you are, never feel ashamed to hang up those stockings, bring home that ever-green tree, and most of all, belt out those magic words when you wake up on Dec. 25: “Merry Christmas!”


Correction: The article “Climbing the ladder to medical success” in Wednes-day’s issue of The Spectrum mistakenly states that Wellness Education Services presented the workshop. In actuality, it was presented by Student Advising Services. In addition, the article stated that students should maintain a GPA of at least 3.0. Rather, students should aim much higher, as medical school is competi-tive. The Spectrum regrets these errors.


C L AS S I F I E DSCLASSIFIED ads may be placed at The Spectrum office at Suite 132 Student Union, Amherst Campus. Office hours are from 9:00 - 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. Deadlines are Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 12:00 for display and 2:00 p.m. for classifieds for the next edition. Weekly rates are $10.00 for the first ten words and 75¢ for each additional word. All ads must be paid in advance. The ad must be placed in person or send a legible copy of the ad with a check or money order for full payment. No ads will be taken over the phone. The Spectrum reserves the right to edit any copy. No refunds will be given on classified ads. Please make sure copy is legible. The Spectrum does not assume responsibility for any errors except to reproduce any ad (or equivalent), free of charge, that is rendered valueless due to typographical errors. Please call 645-2152 for any additional information.

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S I D E L I N E SWilly signs with Colts

Former Bulls quarterback Drew Willy received an early holiday surprise when he received a phone call from Indi-anapolis Colts on Wednesday. Willy signed a free agent con-tract with the Colts after the team’s backup quarterback, Jim Sorgi, was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a shoulder injury. Placed on the practice squad, Willy will be third on the Colts’ depth chart behind Peyton Manning and Curtis Painter. The Bulls’ most prolific passer in school history set school records for completions (849), attempts (1,322), pass-ing yards (8,748), touchdowns (52), total offense (8,639) and completion percentage (64.2). The quarterback started in 42 of 49 games throughout his four-year college career. In his final 20 games, Willy threw for an astounding 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions in leading Buffalo to the Interna-tional Bowl. This will be Willy’s second stint in the National Football League after being cut by the Baltimore Ravens in April. He joins former Buffalo teammate center Jamey Richards who is in his second year with Indianapolis.

Scoreboard

WednesdayMen’s BasketballBuffalo 86Niagara 80

Women’s BasketballBuffalo 57St. Bonaventure 78

Upcoming Events

Dec. 12Men’s Basketballvs. Buffalo State, 2 p.m.

Dec. 13Women’s Basketballvs. Youngstown State, 2 p.m.

Wrestlingat East Stroudsburg Duals, 11 a.m.

Dec. 20Wrestlingvs. Bloomsburg, Findlay, 11 a.m.

Dec. 22Men’s Basketballat Wisconsin-Green Bay, 8 p.m.

Women’s Basketballat Delaware, 6 p.m.

Dec. 28Women’s Basketballvs. American at Hatter Classic, 3 p.m.

Dec. 29Men’s Basketballvs. Jacksonville at UCF Holiday Classic, TBA

Women’s Basketballvs. Stetson or St. Francis (Penn.) at Hatter Classic, TBA

Dec. 30Men’s Basketballvs. UCF or Liberty at UCF Holi-day Classic, TBA

By DAVID SANCHIRICO, ANDREW WIKTOR and JOE PATERNOSenior Sports, Sports, and Assistant Sports Editor

The semester is over, and though no Buffalo teams captured Mid-American Conference championships, there were many thrills and surprises throughout the fall season. Here are the sports awards for the fall semester:

Best/Most Improved

Team of the Semester: Volleyball

Things couldn’t have got-ten much worse, but no one expected the volleyball squad to do so well. A season after totaling a measly six wins in 2008, the Bulls finished at .500 with a 16-16 record. The 16 wins were Buffalo’s most victories since 1997. Buffalo also won its first-ever MAC Tourna-ment match with a 3-2 win at Kent State in November. The impressive campaign included victories over Bos-ton College, St. John’s, Ford-ham and MAC Champion-ship finalist Western Michi-gan. Under head coach Todd Kress, the team turned the corner and became competi-tive in the MAC, a very tough volleyball conference. Things should get even better. Led by freshmen, the team loses only four seniors and could be a serious contender in the MAC next season.

Most Disappointing Team of the Semester:

Men’s Soccer After finishing the season 12-4-4 in 2008, expectations for the men’s soccer team were high entering the 2009 season. Unfortunately for head coach John Astudillo, the Bulls were unable to live up to the preseason hype. Buffalo’s 7-9-1 record was the team’s first sub-.500 sea-son since 2003. Its 2-4 record in the MAC marked the Bulls’ worst conference record since finishing 1-4-1 in 2004. The Bulls won just one of eight contests in the back end of their schedule and were outscored 17-9 in that span. After losing marquee seniors after the ’08 season, Buffalo’s offense could not duplicate its offensive output from a year ago. Buffalo’s 26 goals on the season averaged to just 1.46 goals per game as the team failed to find consis-tent production upfront. Backboned by first-year goalkeeper Nick Fetterman and a young defensive line, Buffalo struggled to keep opposing offenses in check for much of the season. The team’s 30 goals against were the most allowed by a Buf-falo team since giving up 36 in 2000. One of the few bright spots for Buffalo was the play of junior forward Mike Unwin. The Bulls’ leading scorer was selected First-Team All-MAC in his first season in the

blue and white. Unwin led the Bulls with nine goals and 19 points.

Best Athlete of the Semester:Senior wide receiver

Naaman Roosevelt Poor team efforts and the inability to win close games resulted in a disappointing 5-7 record. Although the foot-ball team did not meet the expectations that it set just a season ago, the year wasn’t a complete flop. The Bulls had a few standout individual performers, none topping senior wide receiver Naa-man Roosevelt. In his final season, Roosevelt caught 70 passes for 954 yards. He aver-aged 86.7 yards per game and grabbed nine touchdowns. This wasn’t the only season that Roosevelt has been a top performer. He caught the most passes in UB history (260) and the fourth most in MAC history. This season, he also sur-passed the 3,000 yard mark and has the second most yards in Buffalo history (3,365), less than 60 yards behind the all-time leader, Drew Haddad. Roosevelt also finished his career 68 yards short of the school record for most yards on kick returns, trailing Andre Forde’s 1,505. To conclude his statistical accolades, Roosevelt holds Buffalo’s record for most receiving touchdowns with 25. He was a 2009 Biletnikoff Award candidate, a two-time All-MAC selection, was selected to the 2008 and 2009

All-MAC first team and is like-ly to enter the 2010 National Football League Draft. Buffalo will miss his presence on the football field dearly, but will never forget his accomplish-ments. He was the top indi-vidual performer of the fall semester and The Spectrum wishes him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.

Best Coach of the Semester:Volleyball head coach

Todd Kress Kress came into Buffalo with impressive credentials, and the list of accolades con-tinues to grow. He took three other teams to the NCAA Tournament, so athletic director Warde Manuel made a statement hire in hopes of turning a team around that has been the definition of vol-leyball futility. A 16-16 record may not be too impressive, but the vol-leyball team accomplished its highest win total since the team was in the Mid-Conti-nent Conference. Kress had practically the same roster that went 6-25 in 2008, but the disciplinar-ian instilled confidence in his team and had it playing at its highest energy level. Kress also ensured a great future, grabbing commit-ments from top high school prospects throughout the course of the year.


The bold Bulls

The word “assertion” brought smiles to the faces of head coach Reggie Wither-spoon and senior forward Cal-vin Betts on Wednesday night. Either the two individuals, fresh off an 86-80 victory at Niagara, were quite tired of discussing the word, or couldn’t get enough of it. After the team was thor-oughly demolished during a 36-point loss at Purdue on Sat-urday, the chosen word was repeated over and over again. And the team got a win against Niagara because they were, indeed, assertive. For the first time this season, the team played well during the 40 minutes of play and displayed an explo-sive attack that made 54.4 percent of its shots. I can’t remember the last time a Buffalo team has shot that well. What sparked this offensive dominance? Maybe it took a trip to Pur-due to energize this team. Maybe it took an embarrass-ing beating to a grittier squad to get this team to play tougher. But that team that built up a couple double-digit leads over Niagara wasn’t the team I saw against Canisius or Vermont. It wasn’t even the team that stormed into Tow-son and knocked the Tigers off in overtime. This team was physical and had a mean streak. They were throwing Purple Eagles on the floor during this rivalry game and didn’t care if a foul resulted. But that’s what I want. No more of this team being more conservative than a John McCain aide. For too long, Buffalo basketball has lacked the fortitude to out-work the opposition. They were always a physical team, but they never dug deep to thoroughly out-hustle and dominate opposing squads. They played like men on Wednesday night. They out-rebounded the much smaller Purple Eagles, 48-34, which despite its height advantage, never used to happen. The team as a whole also made up for its shortcomings to dominate in other areas. Sophomore forward Titus Robinson shook off four turnovers to dominate in the post for 13 rebounds. Betts overcame six turnovers and contributed 12 points, nine rebounds and four steals. This would never have happened in previous years. This team used to suc-cumb to turnovers too many times, leading to heads down, glass half-full attitudes. This Buffalo squad battled. The team did turn the ball over 19 times, but overcame them by getting back on defense and limiting points off turnovers. Who knows if this trend will continue? This team is known for displaying anomalies and impressing fans, only to have its effort and toughness levels decline to the bottom. But Buffalo’s showing Wednesday night was unex-pected and quite impressive. By the time we’re back for second semester, we’ll know if this team is ready to finally win a MAC title.


Fall semester awardsDavid Sanchirico

Senior News Editor

By MATTHEW PARRINOAsst. Sports Editor

A small gym combined with a large crowd means adversity for the away team. Wednesday night, the men’s basketball team found this out firsthand as they stepped into a packed Gal-lagher Center and tried to avoid falling under .500. The Bulls (4-3) traveled over the Grand Island Bridge for a matchup with rival Niagara in front of an accli-mated NU student body. Buf-falo, however, didn’t show up empty-handed. True Blue was in full throat and helped the Bulls upset the Purple Eagles (6-4, 2-0 Metro Atlantic Athletic Con-ference), 86-80. Buffalo head coach Reggie Witherspoon noted the dif-ficult nature of the raucous crowd. “It was like a high school environment,” Witherspoon said. “Every time a basket is scored, there is some loud cheering from somewhere. It does a lot for momen-tum shifts and that makes it tough.” Senior guard Rodney Pierce turned in his best per-formance of the short season, scoring 25 points and grab-bing nine rebounds. He attrib-uted his success to the mental-ity he brought to the game. “I was just aggressive for the whole 40 minutes,” Pierce said. “I wasn’t scoring all the time either. I was pass-ing [as well], so I think that helped my team.” The two teams battled hard in the first half as the Bulls held a slight advantage, 40-38, heading into the lock-er room. After a short technical delay at the start of the sec-ond half, Niagara forward Demetrius Williamson threw down a rim-rattling dunk that sent the Purple Eagle

fans into a frenzy. T h e B u l l s q u i c k l y answered to quiet the crowd with a 12-1 run that gave the Bulls a 67-51 with 7:01 remaining in the game. Niagara guard Tyrone Lewis then tookcharge for the Purple Eagles. Quiet for most of the game, Lewis hit back-to-back 3-point baskets to bring the Purple Eagles to within five with 3:39 left. Lewis made six 3-pointers in the game and became the school’s all-time leader for 3-pointers made. The Bulls stopped the Purple Eagles’ run when senior forward Calvin Betts hit an open layup off of an assist from senior guard John Boyer. Pierce then sank a trey to extend the Buffalo to 76-66 with only 1:27 left

on the clock. Just when they looked out for the count, Niagara made another run and cut the lead down to three points after a 3-point play by senior guard Rob Garrison and another pair of Lewis 3-point baskets. But the Bulls converted on their free throws down the stretch and denied Niagara any hope for a comeback. Witherspoon said that Pierce and Betts have really stepped up to the challenge of being leaders. “When we came back from Purdue we had a meeting,” Witherspoon said. “What I thought came out of that meeting [was] that we have these two [Pierce and Betts] who were able to take the load. We were able to get into them and not necessarily for

one particular thing, but cer-tainly in determination.” The intensity was high throughout the game. With-erspoon liked the effort from his team, but also thinks there is still room to improve. “I thought it was a hard fought game,” Witherspoon said. “We came in and want-ed to cut down on the space they had to drive the ball to the basket and contest their threes. I thought we did that at times but we have some things we have to work on.” The Bulls received some unexpected help in the game, mainly from sophomore guard Dave Barnett, who scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in 17 min-utes. Witherspoon thought that the play of some of the unknown guys was a key to the victory. “One of the other things that really helped us was to be able to get contributions from guys that had not played a lot,” Witherspoon said. “[Those contributions] were helpful because sometimes in an environment like this you can run out of breath. We didn’t get those kinds of qual-ity minutes in our last outing so it was good to get them here.” Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich said after the game that the Bulls always play tough and physical. “[The Bulls] are a physical team,” Mihalich said. “When you play against, them there aren’t a lot of clean plays. You’re going to get banged, bumped and hit, and I don’t mean get fouled, just that it’s going to be a physical game. They played better than us and they deserved to win.” The Bulls return home for a matchup against the Buffalo State Bengals on Saturday at Alumni Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.


David Sanchirico / The Spectrum

Titus Robinson grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds during Buffalo’s 86-80 victory at Niagara Wednesday night.

Bulls bring down Benn-less Eagles

The Spectrum VOL 59 ISS 39

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