Overrated or underrated?

Opinions: everyone’s got them.

As students, we often hear decisions made by or general messages from those in leadership positions. A. Scott Weber, vice president of student life, plays an important role in the day-to-day to life of students –– as the name of his position implies. The Student Association executive board plays an even more direct role by facilitating student clubs, music festivals and other on-campus events.

While all that’s important, you may start to wonder: what’s Weber’s opinion on pancakes? What does SA President Gunnar Haberl think about Cardi B? Or how does Anyssa Evelyn, vice president of SA, feel about memes? SA Treasurer Tanahiry Escamilla’s opinion on walking barefoot?

Wonder no more. They each spoke withThe Spectrum and were read a list of random items, ranging from food to pop culture icons. We then asked a simple question: overrated or underrated? Here are their answers.

A. Scott Weber

Vice President of Student Life

Chicken wings: overrated.“It’s just not a food group that I find particularly appealing. I know it’s an integral part of the Buffalo food scene, I get that they are iconic to the city. But you know, it’s a personal thing. They are not overrated when it comes to the city, but on a personal level, they’re overrated for me.

Baseball: underrated.“I love baseball. I used to go the Washington Senators games with my dad. I would often go to the opening day where the president would throw out the first pitch, and those memories were very iconic for me. I go to the Bisons games, and I was actually there for the Celery win. … That’s the thing, it isn’t just a game. You can go [to the ballpark] and you can relax, too. It’s an event.”

Video games: underrated.“They build community for a great group of students that I think is really important. I’m really interested in e-sports and how the University at Buffalo might participate in that. Of course, we had a great [Heroes of the Storm] team. That was amazing, they reached the finals. And so, I think [video games] are a celebration. … I have a lot of respect for it, and I’m a pinball guy. [laughs] I grew up with pinball, there weren’t any video games.”

Small talk: underrated.“I think small talk is not small talk. I think small talk is trying to engage somebody and find out what they’re interested in. I mean, most human beings are inquisitive, and certainly people I work with are and our students are. So, the idea you’d want to meet somebody new, understand what they’re about. … No one wants to get on the elevator with me because I’m going to have your story by the time we get to the fifth floor.”

Fine dining: overrated.“I don’t enjoy food enough to make it worth the cost. … I love food, truck food, I’m a college student at heart. For me, it’s more important to go out to eat three or four times and enjoy the experience with a person I’m with than it is to go out one time and the food just doesn’t meet the standard.”

Pancakes: underrated.“I love pancakes, and I love blueberry pancakes, and I love them with my own maple syrup which I make.”

Gunnar Haberl

Student Association President

Bubble gum: overrated. “I’m a mint gum person. I mean, at least with mint gum you’re freshening your breath a little bit. With bubble gum, people who chew it -- at least some people I know -- they’re obnoxious about it. Smacking it and blowing bubbles, it’s annoying.”

Cardi B: underrated. “I think people did not expect her to rise as quickly as she did.”

New Star Wars movies: overrated. “I mean, you just can’t compare them to the originals. I think they’re good, but people hype them up so much that you go and, not leave disappointed, but it just can’t match the hype.”

Snapchat: overrated. “I think Instagram is boosting up more than Snapchat. Now that they have the stories and stuff on Instagram, people are using those stories more than Snapchat. And adding stories was a critical update for Instagram, Snapchat took a pretty big hit there.”

The debate over if hotdogs are sandwiches: overrated. “Yeah, it’s not a sandwich so the debate is overrated. … There shouldn’t be a debate. It’s not a sandwich, it’s a hotdog.”

Anyssa Evelyn

Student Association Vice President

YouTube: underrated. “YouTube is such a great outlet for people to be creative and show parts of their lives. I believe in humans helping other humans, and YouTube gives us the ability to do just that: help others. Whether it be life hacks or lifestyle vlogs, there are so many ways to help one another.

Frozen yogurt: underrated. “It is such a great snack. My favorite is cake batter.”

Memes: overrated. “Anything can be a meme. I don’t know, I like to use memes in messages, but sometimes too much can make something lose its purpose or when people use memes the wrong way, it doesn’t make sense.”

Amtrak: underrated. “It is so much better than the bus. It’s a lot more enjoyable, especially when you happen to be on one of the long-travel trains that have the seats recline further back and footrests. Also, if you get tickets early, they're cheap.”

Camping: underrated. “It is such a great bonding experience for those who you go with. I absolutely love camping. I love camping food, too, like s’mores or hotdogs and burgers. I feel so much comfort in camping food.”

Tanahiry Escamilla

Student Association Treasurer

Craft beer: overrated. “I am known to have a sweet tooth and I won’t deny it. If I had to choose between a chocolate and vanilla ice cream with brownies on a waffle cone over a beer, I would any day.”

Winter Olympics: underrated. “The Winter Olympics have less fanfare. Sports like bobsleigh, curling, snowboarding, et cetera, require equal physical and mental strength as other sports.”

Fireworks: underrated. “Everyone is always moved by the beautiful colors, patterns, shapes and forms produced during fireworks. Most importantly, fireworks teach us all something interesting about physics and chemistry. Just pay close attention to sound and light and determine which travels the fastest.”

Walking barefoot: overrated. “Best to keep your feet clean and safe even by wearing socks or slippers at home.”

Buffalo Zoo: overrated. “The experience at the Bronx Zoo is just unbeatable.”