It's no secret that Buffalo has a strong music scene. With bands like Every Time I Die and The Goo Goo Dolls spreading their words across the nation, it's becoming more and more evident that this town has a lot to offer.
UB will host a three-day series of events honoring the life of Alison Des Forges.
While most of America got ready for the Super Bowl on Sunday, the wrestling team prepared for a match against conference foe Kent State at the M.A.C. Center. Not only did the Bulls face the 19th nationally-ranked team, they did it without star sophomore Desi Green, who was injured Wednesday against Eastern Michigan.
The day devoted to love is one that splits our generation down the middle. Those who are committed spend Valentine's Day going on extravagant dinner dates, drinking wine and exchanging the clichéd gifts of chocolates in a heart-shaped box or red lingerie.
When I left for college freshman year, my grandfather gave me some great life advice: 'Don't let your classes get in the way of your studies.' Sure, it was mostly a joke, but to an extent, he meant it.
Big Oil is going through a major facelift; the only problem is that many people don't know about it. It is starting to look at alternative sources of fuel for profitability.
Greatness can be marked by a team's ability to respond to adversity. On Wednesday night, the wrestling team rallied from a disappointing loss in its first Mid-American Conference contest to defeat the Eastern Michigan Eagles (10-9-1, 0-2 MAC), 28-12. Senior Dan Bishop got the ball rolling for the Bulls (8-5-1, 1-1 MAC) as he pinned the Eagles' Greg Ebert in the 125-pound weight class for his 15th victory of the season. 'It's very important to get off to a good start in conference play,' Beichner said. 'I love that I have guys who want to go out there, set the tone and get us off to a good start.' Sophomore Kevin Smith, who is ranked 19th in the nation in the 133-pound weight class, earned a decision win over Eastern Michigan's Chris Jenkins. Smith currently has a record of 23-8 this season and is off to a 2-0 start in MAC contests. After a defeat in the 184-pound weight class, the reigning MAC Wrestler of the Week, junior Jimmy Hamel, earned the last victory of the evening for the Bulls by collecting a dominant decision over the Eagles' Travis Stanback in the 197-pound weight class. The win was Hamel's 23rd of the season. In his MAC debut, junior Brian Sheehan pinned Eastern Michigan's Nick Hendrick for his first MAC victory in the 174-pound weight class. Senior Andrew Stella and freshman Andrew Schutt also picked up decision wins, while 19th ranked John-Martin Cannon won a decision for his 19th win of the year. Several Bulls added to their impressive records and solidified their national rankings. Hamel earned MAC Wrestler of the Week honors to join Cannon, who won it last week, and sophomore Desi Green, who won the award for the week of Jan. 12. Beichner attributed the team's good fortune to the success of his athletes and their national rankings. 'To be ranked, you've got to beat opponents who are ranked,' Beichner said. 'Our guys have put in the hard work and have taken advantage of their opportunities.' Buffalo's win was overshadowed by a serious setback that could impair the team's MAC Championship aspirations. Green, who is ranked 16th nationally in the 149 weight class and has an overall record of 26-6, went down with a knee injury in his match against Eastern Michigan's David Pienaar. The status of Buffalo's top wrestler remains unknown, but Beichner did not seem optimistic that his star athlete would return this year. 'Desi has to go in and have the knee looked at,' Beichner said. 'Hopefully we can have him back by the MAC championships, but it's possible that we've lost him for the entire season.' The Bulls have some stiff competition in their upcoming matches including No. 20 Kent State and No. 7 Central Michigan. 'The key for us will be to remain healthy,' Beichner said. 'If we can stay healthy, then we will be just fine.' The Bulls will be competing in their final home match of the season against Central Michigan on Feb. 14. Start time is set for 1 p.m. E-mail: sports@ubspectrum.com
It's been said you can never really know your neighbors. This past Monday morning, Eric Ocasio, 27, of Buffalo, a sheet metal worker apparently going through a divorce, took a gun and barricaded his Trinity place house. At 10:45 a.m., police were called. SWAT teams and hostage negotiators arrived soon after. Both access points to Trinity were sealed off during the situation as well as the surrounding West Tupper, Edward and Virginia streets, and both Delaware and South Elmwood Avenues. During the ensuing four-hour standoff, several dozen shots were fired. The situation ended with Ocasio dead and Detective John Garcia of the Buffalo Police Department injured. Garcia suffered pellet wounds to his face and chest and was rushed to Erie County Medical Center. Then on Friday, the day of his funeral, Eric's brother Jason showed up at the Buffalo Police Station at Franklin and Church Streets with a gun. After pulling it on an officer, he fled the scene, which culminated in a car chase that ended at the same place on Trinity where his brother died. He is now incarcerated. This turn of events would be shocking to anyone. It's a bit more disconcerting when you live across from the scene of the crime. I moved onto Trinity Place this past August. My friend was graduating and needed someone to take her room. I needed roommates and had a desire to get out of University Heights, so I packed my books and loaded up my car. Three or four trips later, I was settled downtown. From the beginning I loved the neighborhood, the arts scene, and the new face of Buffalo that I was seeing. Taking the train to school was the only visible setback. From all outside points of view and reputation, Trinity is a quiet residential street, far enough away from the constant bustling of Elmwood and the debauchery of Allen to provide peace and quiet, but not too far to travel to for entertainment. And now, in the span of a week, two dozen fired shots have turned that around. This Monday I was feeling exceptionally lazy and wanted to skip class and sleep in. Due to reasons I can no longer remember, I dragged myself out of bed and was out of the house by 9 a.m., a little later than usual. You can imagine my surprise when I was told the news of the shooting later that day. It really is something to come home from school and see that police officers are monitoring the house across from you. I could see the fluorescent crime scene tape across the front of the house from my bedroom window. This is not the first time I've been associated with scenes of violence in proximity to my living quarters. The night I moved into Trinity last fall was the same night UB alumnus Javon Jackson was shot and killed outside of my University Heights apartment. I had hoped to escape from some of that this year. The drama of the Ocasio family would seem to have reached a boiling point just as the minutiae of my average middle class life was reaching equilibrium. The question: where do we go from here? I learned a long time ago how ridiculous it is to live your life in fear. Fear is one of the most crippling, irrationally unsettling emotions of the human psyche. It's like a pimple on the normally fresh face of a bride – small, but with the right amount of hysteria, it can reach epic proportions. That being said, I will continue to live across the street from the proverbial scene of the crime. I will pray for the soul of Eric and for Jason Ocasio to get the help he needs. I will keep good thoughts for their family in my heart. And as for Buffalo, I'm not going to let our final months together leave me as a quivering, fearfully complacent victim – far too many trials before this one have tried to do that. You'll still find me carousing at the various locales of Elmwood and Allen. It's all we can really do. Graduation and the future is looming, as is the end of my lease. Let's make these last few months count. E-mail: shane.fallon@ubspectrum.com
Gotham City is no longer the stage for prosecuting suspected terrorists. The Obama administration has recently decided to rethink its plan to prosecute in federal courts, instead moving the trials to military tribunals. But caving because of the current political headwind is the wrong move. New York is where the attack occurred. It is the correct place for the trial and New Yorkers would be proud to have justice served there. Many opponents of the civilian trials have claimed that federal courts don't have a proven track record in trying such cases. In fact, New York's federal court has a 100 percent conviction rate on terrorism trials. These trials even took place before 9/11, when New York courts tried and convicted the 'Blind Sheikh' Omar Abdel Rahman and the al Qaeda bombers who attacked embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. Trying these alleged murderers in a criminal court is not being soft on terrorism. To have these trials on a military base, away from the public eye, allows for a shroud of secrecy to follow these proceeding. The trial will take months and certainly would have congested the streets and avenues of New York City. But New York City is big enough to have the trial in any of the five boroughs of New York. The objections are very sound: the financial cost to the city, the fear that the trial would inspire a lone bomber or planned attack, and perhaps even providing a platform for the alleged terrorists to preach their own beliefs. However, to assume that New York isn't the prime target already for another attack is downright naive. Having the trial there doesn't make it any bigger of a threat. It has been that way since 1993 and the first World Trade Center attacks and other plots, such as blowing up the Holland Tunnel. Since the 9/11 attacks, there have been planned attacks to blow up the Herald Square subway station or bomb fuel tanks at John F. Kennedy International Airport. There is a tremendous amount of good that can come from these civilian trials. Such public trials could help the healing process of 9/11 victims' families. Allowing the families to see these men on trial may help close a painful chapter in Americans history. The underlying problem is that too many Americans still believe that America is unsafe and that another attack is seconds away. Many politicians actually supported the open civilian trials for Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid, the 'shoe bomber.' Now these same politicians claim that open civilian trials endanger Americans. Some have even proposed legislation to defund these trials. America has become ever more willing to suspend basic protections and turn aside American traditions of justice. The failed terrorist attacks and their political aftermath have revealed that terrorists have changed very little in the decade since the World Trade Center fell. What is slowly eroding is Americans' belief that as a nation, this country isn't safe enough and has lost faith in its rule of law.
Dr. Stefan Roberts, a professor in the Department of Biology at UB, has played a part in possibly advancing cancer treatment. By linking an enzyme to the breakdown of a specific protein in cancerous cells, it may be possible to lower the necessary amount of chemotherapy needed to treat cancerous tumors. The protein known as WT1 is found in many cancerous tumors. WT1 stands for 'Wilms' Tumor 1,' which is a gene that codes for the protein critically involved in the normal development of the urogenital system. A childhood kidney cancer called 'Wilms' Tumor,' or nephroblastoma, is associated with a mutation in the genes for the WT1 protein, hence the name. In this cancer and also in childhood leukemia, the WT1 acts as a tumor suppressor. 'WT1 is kind of a bit of a Janus – it has two heads to it, one of them is not very nice, and one of them is nice. And it depends what tumor you're looking at,' Roberts said when referring to the fact that the WT1 protein can sometimes act as a tumor suppressor and at other times act as an oncogene, a gene that stimulates cancer proliferation. By using cultures of human cancer cell lines that express WT1, Roberts and his colleagues were able to discover what happens when cancer cells are treated with HtrA2, an enzyme that breaks down proteins. By linking WT1 with this enzyme, they have discovered that it has the capability of degrading WT1. In some cancers, WT1 needs to be degraded in order for cells to die on time, undergoing a process called apoptosis. It appears that in many adult cancers, WT1 helps the cancer continue to reproduce, but in some childhood cancers the WT1 acts as a tumor suppressor. Therefore, the elimination of WT1 in many adult tumors would slow the growth of the cancer. This means that the rate at which cancer cells die would increase because of the addition of HtrA2. This finding has implications for patients regarding chemotherapy. The cytotoxic drug administered during treatment 'damages DNA, inhibits cell division, and generally targets dividing cells,' according to Roberts. This includes cancerous cells, of course, but it also includes the digestive lining, hair cells and skin cells, which is why people undergoing chemotherapy often lose their hair and have skin and digestive system complications. 'If we eliminated the WT1 from the cells [of certain cancers], you need to take less drugs to kill them. So the idea … is that if you can target things that stack the odds towards the cell undergoing apoptosis, then that can only be a good thing,' Roberts said. This would reduce the amount of chemotherapy needed to treat an individual's cancer, meaning that there would be fewer side effects. Fewer side effects are imperative in childhood cancer because chemotherapy makes children so sick for such a long time. Being so ill often disturbs kids' progress in school, among other things. A problem with chemotherapy is that most times, it ends up causing DNA damage in healthy cells along the way, which can cause secondary cancers years later that result from the original treatment of chemotherapy. The less chemotherapy children undergo, the better chance they have at leading a longer, healthier and cancer-free life. 'This is not a cure for cancer by any means, but it is something you really want to go check out now because these agents are basically degrading a protein that in one cancer is a good thing, but in another tumor might not be a good thing and make the treatment less effective,' Roberts said. This gives hope to the eventual use of this enzyme on real patients in order to reduce the amount of chemotherapy for certain types of cancers. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
The UB 2020 Flexibility and Economic Growth Act came under a lot of fire after being passed by the State Senate over the summer. The Act was halted by the State Assembly because of the autonomy UB would have in the state's higher education system. The New York State Senate passed the bill two days after a new chancellor was elected, but the bill did not make it through the State Assembly who felt the bill was too focused on UB and not the rest of the state or SUNY. Now, instead of the bill just affecting UB, it will affect SUNY schools statewide. Unlike the previous bill, Ryan McPherson, associate vice president for government and community relations, said this one has created a broader coalition with more political power made up mainly of other research universities, like Binghamton and Stony Brook. "The 2020 bill is expanded in scope and impact," McPherson said. It is a strategy to gain SUNY's board of trustees' support. The state is already in support of the new bill; Governor Paterson included the bill in the executive budget for the state. "This allows us to put forward proposals tied to the budget process," McPherson said. The 2020 bill creates a rational tuition system, according to McPherson. It gives both differentials and prediction. Students will know their tuition in full for not only the semester, but the following years as well. Tuition will increase a certain amount every year because of rising costs. Student Association President Ernesto Alvarado believes the gradual increase in tuition is better than increase spikes. "A $5,000 spike is difficult [financially]. It catches people by surprise and hits them harder," Alvarado said. Two weeks before winter break, UB's tuition spiked 14 percent, leaving many students in the lurch. "Obviously, I wish it wouldn't increase at all," Alvarado said. But financially, it is better to increase the tuition incrementally, according to Alvarado. It will help not only current college students plan their finances, but students in high school as well. Alvarado also believes that the amount of people coming to UB will decrease if tuition continues to rise. "They'll look at other ways to continue higher education," Alvarado said. "UB is the biggest SUNY school, so people will continue going here. We'll still see a flow from the New York City area, but a gradual decrease of lower income and out of state [students]. My tuition has gone up a lot higher and I feel the brunt." But McPherson claims differential tuition is nothing new. Only four states do not allow this type of tuition, and New York State is one of them. "We are the minority in terms of our state micromanaging," McPherson said. McPherson does not think that the new tuition will stop students from applying and attending UB or other SUNY schools. The SUNY system is less expensive than any other state. McPherson went on to say that SUNY is competitive in price but not in overall quality, and the bill hopes to change that. Financial aid, however, will be 'high impact, no cost.' With tuition costs in the hands of SUNY rather than the state, financial aid will not affect taxpayers. According to McPherson, the tuition prices will not strike out the most needy students. Twenty-five percent of tuition will be put back into need-based aid. But now that the bill has been expanded to all SUNY schools, it allows the freedom to do more things. In UB's case, this will allow for more expansion into the city of Buffalo, rather than just the suburbs. "Coming from an outsiders perspective, Amherst is a lot more affected than the city itself," McPherson said. If UB continues with downtown development, it can reconnect the city with Amherst and reinvigorate the downtown area, which will make Buffalo more of a college town. McPherson said that UB is not the only school that would benefit; the new bill will be applied to all SUNY campuses, such as Buffalo State and Fredonia. This sounds great, but it still leaves Alvarado slightly skeptical. "They're doing a great job pushing [UB 2020], but how successful will they be?' Alvarado said. E-mail: news @ubspectrum.com
With the halfway point of the semester looming, students across campus start settling into their courses and begin preparation for exams and mid-terms. As I prepare for my first exam in Italian 101 in about a week, I can't seem to relinquish this feeling of anger in regards to the college system as a whole. I mean, I am a communication major with a focus on journalism and I have to waste my time learning how to conjugate verbs that I will never again use, or even think about, in a language I don't have any experience in. These frustrations constantly lead me to the ultimate question of what college is all about. This should be a time where we zero in on our goals and strengthen every area of expertise we will need for 'the real world,' but we are sidetracked by all of these general requirements that are, more often than not, forgotten 10 minutes after taking the final exam. This article is in no way meant as a blow to people in foreign language fields, because I have the utmost respect for my teacher and the people who choose to study these languages. But I feel as though my time would be better spent in a class that will further my English writing skills and help me get more experience in the field that I am going into. There is just way too much emphasis put on well-rounded students in today's society. Maybe if people spent more time entrenched in their field of study when attending college, we wouldn't have to deal with so much incompetency in the work force. With all this said, I am not naïve enough to think money has nothing to do with this scam. Every college wants to get every last cent out of every last student and the more general education classes they can cram into a major, the better. What really gets me is that an argument can be made for history, science and mathematics to a certain extent, but how can requiring a second language be so important? People rarely stick with these languages long enough to have a solid base for speaking it or even understanding the language. I bet if you polled a random group of 100 college graduates, 90 percent of them wouldn't be able to speak a sentence of the foreign language they studied in college. At least I can validate the reasoning behind some courses. Some of the time, courses may offer a new outlook on a subject that a person may have never thought of adding to his or her education. However, the only time I will ever need to speak another language is if I go on vacation, and even then it will only be for a week. I just think foreign languages should be optional to students instead of forcing it down our throats. But then again, who am I kidding? Anything that deals with common sense isn't a crowd favorite when it comes to higher education – especially when it cuts into the bottom line. E-mail: matt.parrino@ubspectrum.com
The mutually beneficial relationship between China and the United States has taken a rocky detour. The main reason for this recent tension is the sale of military weapons from the United States to Taiwan. China in turn had denounced the action, saying the United States had interfered with internal affairs. As a result, China would cut military ties with the United States and impose sanctions on American firms involved with the sale. The strength of China's rhetoric over Taiwan suggests that relations are changing in what could prove a worrisome way. In recent months, China's leaders have become more bristly in their dealings with the outside world. None of this looks good for this incredibly important relationship. From global warming to the global economy to ending nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran, cooperation between the established superpower and the rising one is vital to world stability. Why should either want to endanger this relationship? One theory could be that, given China's impressive economic power, it can be more standoffish when sovereignty over Taiwan or Tibet is at stake. The other would be that the current administration wanted to punish the Chinese. Remember, China was not very aggressive in tackling the global warming issue during the Copenhagen summit and wasn't quick to support new United Nations sanctions against Iran. It is possible that bits of each theory are, in fact, true. However, this 'incident' has more going on between the lines. America is duty-bound to provide Taiwan arms for its self-defense under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. Both countries knew that China's recent denouncement was only a matter of time. So if the announcement was expected, then the United States knew what the Chinese response was going to be. The harsh words and threat of ending military relations is not a different reaction from previous incidents such as these. The new element, which could be troubling, is the threat of sanctions against American companies involved with the deal. Many of these companies do little to no business in China, but it is unlikely that the Chinese would follow through on this threat. When the dust settles from this scuffle, the current administration will say it has developed a 'mature' relationship with China during President Obama's first year in office. But many tests lie ahead. Some are mainly emblematic, such as a forthcoming meeting between the president and Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. The meeting was supposed to occur last year, but it was delayed due to the president's impending trip to China. Others are more substantial, such as China's reluctance to impose new sanctions on Iran or to respond to America's petition to revalue the yuan. A fall-out between China and America is always possible. But it probably won't come over the Taiwan arms package.
Living in Western New York is synonymous with a love for the Bills, chicken wings and the National Hockey League. However, along with these perks come cloudy skies, snow and harsh winds. Most residents are lucky enough to have shelter from these blistering elements, but that is not the case for all who inhabit the region. Many Western New York animals are either seriously overpopulated or endangered, struggling for food and shelter and ultimately facing extinction. An excess of animals is dangerous to an ecosystem because it alters plant populations. 'Overpopulation, especially in Buffalo and its suburbs, is of white-tailed deer,' said Chuck Rosenburg, senior wildlife biologist for the Department of Environment Conservation. 'If there are too many deer and they eat too many plants, they could actually wipe out an entire plant species.' Rosenburg works for the Region 9 program of the DEC, which takes care of the Allegany, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Erie, Niagara and Wyoming counties in Western New York. According to Rosenburg, not only will the extinction of a plant species be detrimental to other plants in the forest, but it will also harm the balance of the animals that eat them, such as deer, birds and squirrels. In addition to losing a food source, a lack of plant life is destructive to animals that may not have homes. That said, there is a way that students can help those who are struggling to help themselves. A press release sent out by the Humane Society stated that students can help animals, especially in the winter. According to the press release, 'with below-normal temperatures and water drying up or icing over in many regions of the country, winter can be a harsh time for our wild neighbors.' The release suggested making food for animals, such as bird feeders and pinecones filled with peanut butter, or making a safe and warm place for small animals to hide from the brutal weather. Although many students may be willing to help wild animals that are sick or injured, helping them may put both the animal and the student in peril. 'More direct interventions are often counterproductive and individuals attempting to care for seemingly sickly or hurt wildlife may, in fact, be putting the animals or themselves at risk,' said Howard Lasker, director of the Graduate Program in Evolution, Ecology and Behavior and a professor in the Department of Geology at UB. Rosenburg warns students that many animals have strict temperature and dietary needs, so it would be better to call a DEC representative rather than care for an injured animal by himself or herself. 'If you see a young animal, it may not be abandoned; you might just not see the parent right away,' Rosenburg said. 'We can send a wildlife rehabilitator specific to the animal to help it. If you care, you'll leave it there.' In addition to finding ways for students to take care of animals, the DEC also offers internships for UB students to give them a chance to understand the dangers that animals face and the dangers that the earth will face if it loses them. 'Unfortunately, there isn't a lot that [the DEC] can do about the overpopulation of animals, especially deer,' Rosenburg said. 'Other organizations have deer-shooting stations where they try to help the excess deer problem.' Instead, the DEC is more active in the Endangered Species Program, which studies traits, eating habits and other characteristics of diminishing animal populations. Rosenburg is currently heading a team that is trapping and radio transmitting short-eared owls to find out what they need to survive while they nest here in the winter. While the studies to help animals are mainly research, many advances are being made to make sure that these furry friends are here to stay. Studying animals and their habits will enable organizations such as the DEC to save them. E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
Now that the Super Bowl is over, it's time to shift our focus. March Madness and the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament are right around the corner. Many think that the 65-team, three-week tournament is the greatest event in all of sports. But it's in danger of being ruined. There has been a lot of talk about expanding the tournament field from 65 teams to either 96 or 128 teams. On the scale of bad ideas, this one is right up there alongside the 'Let's hire Chan Gailey' move. The tournament is perfect exactly the way it is. Why change it? For those unfamiliar with March Madness, here's how the 65-team field is decided: At the end of the regular season, every conference (except for the Ivy League) holds a championship tournament. The winner of each conference tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Ivy League simply sends its regular season champion. There are 31 conferences in Division I, so 31 teams receive one of these automatic bids. That's the easy part. The 34 remaining spots in the tournament are assigned by a selection committee, which carefully reviews the credentials of each team in the nation and decides whether the team is worthy of an invitation to 'The Big Dance.' Most of the decisions are easy to make, but every year, there is controversy surrounding the teams 'on the bubble,' or in other words, the teams that barely make it in and those that just miss being included. Sure, maybe St. Mary's should have gotten in instead of Wisconsin last year. But was St. Mary's going to beat North Carolina, who made winning the championship look easy? Not likely. Though teams on the outside looking in may have legitimate complaints, they also have to deal with the fact that a few more regular season wins would have taken away the committee's ability to snub them. A main argument for expanding the field is that schools that normally don't make it into the tournament would get to experience the opportunity of a lifetime, one that many student-athletes miss out on. Isn't it an opportunity of a lifetime precisely because it's difficult to get in? Expanding the field lessens the sense of accomplishment, waters down the competition, and renders the regular season meaningless. If making it into the current field is like getting a table at The Chophouse on a Saturday night without a reservation, then changing it into an expanded field would be like reserving a table at Applebee's for Tuesday at noon. The real motive behind the potential expansion is money, just like it always is with the NCAA. More teams means more games, and more games mean more revenue from television deals and sponsors. The same organization that won't allow its athletes to make a penny off of their talent can't seem to stop trying to exploit the athletes to make more money for itself. The NCAA's greed has already ruined college football's championship system. It would be very sad if it ruined college basketball's as well. E-mail: luke.hammill@ubspectrum.com
Whether it's sinking balls or chugging from notorious red cups, it was only a matter of time before someone was innovative enough to turn the game into a competitive sport. Five years ago, Sam Pines, chief executive officer, commissioner and founder of the World Beer Pong Tour, created a league with his college roommates in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. After graduating, Pines saw the potential in a larger beer pong tournament, and in 2006 he started the New York Beer Pong Tour. Traveling across six cities in October of that year, Pines brought with him six tables and the ambition to turn beer pong into a recognized sport. Hosting over 50 events in the N.Y. area with an immense fan base, it was decided that the N.Y. Tour would be expanded, but under a new name – the World Beer Pong Tour. As if things couldn't sound any better, the WBPT will be coming to Buffalo on Saturday at Bottom's Up on West Chippewa Street and Pines has created a special promotion code for University at Buffalo students. By entering SPECTRUM while registering online, students will receive $5 off all entry fees. Entry will be $20 a player, to include one draft beer and exclusive beer specials all night. The fee will be increased to $25 at the door the night of the event, so it is recommended that teams register online to save and gain a place in the tournament. Registration and practice time for the event will begin at 4 p.m., and the tournament will start at 5 p.m. First place will win a three-night hotel stay and a chance to compete in the Atlantic City Championship, second place will receive a $50 gift certificate to Bottom's Up, and third and fourth place winners will receive $25 gift certificates. 'I ran a beer pong league in college that was very successful and after I graduated I wanted to continue producing beer pong events ... our company now has a presence in two countries, 18 states and over 100 cities around the world,' Pines said. Since its creation, the WBPT has awarded over $500,000 in cash and other prizes to participants. With over 75 events held along the east coast each year, the tour continues to grow throughout the United States and Canada. 'To date, we have held over 400 tournaments, including two national tournaments, one in Montreal, Canada and one in Acapulco, Mexico,' Pines said. '[We had] our inaugural Atlantic City championship last June, where over 170 teams competed for the grand prize of $25,000 cash. This year, we're doubling the prize money to $50,000.' However, Pines admits that not everyone is a fan of the WBPT and criticize the company's goal to turn beer pong from a game intended to get participants intoxicated, to a true competitive sport. 'Everyone should realize that drinking is just supplemental to the game, and isn't really part of it at all. This game is a hit without alcohol being involved…There will always be resistance and controversy over the game - that is why we started a movement which focuses the game to more of a sport that doesn't require the consumption of alcohol' Pines said. In an effort to further legitimize the sport of beer pong, Pines and his staff have created rules to ensure an equal opportunity for all participants to play. 'All of our tournaments are double elimination, 10-rack, no bounce, blow, finger beer pong. [It's] similar to frat style, except there is no elbow rule. We do, however, use 8-foot tables instead of your typical 6-footer in a frat house,' Pines said. For additional rules and regulations, Pines encourages participants to visit WBPT's Web site, www.worldpongtour.com. Qualifying events will be held throughout the tour for the chance to compete in the 2010 Atlantic City Championship held at the Resorts Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, N.J. on June 13 to 15. At each qualifying event, players will need to be 21 to participate and drink. However, when it comes time for the big event in June, participants ages 18 and up may play. Keeping in mind safety concerns, Pines has trained each of his staff members to recognize when a player is over their limit, and urges participants to use the taxi service WBPT provides when leaving the event. 'We want to promote the game as a fun activity that anyone can play regardless of height, weight [or] gender,' Pines said. 'Anyone can be a champion - that is the beauty of the game.' E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
Dr. Cornel West may be looked at as a civil rights leader, but the 56-year-old philosopher is more concerned about the health of America in general. Managing Editor David Sanchirico spoke to Dr. West before his Friday night speech at The Center for the Arts and learned about West's concerns on a bevy of topics. The Spectrum: You seem to be on the road constantly giving speeches. Do you enjoy leaving Princeton and traveling all across America? Dr. West: It depends how smooth the plane ride is. Sometimes they're moving all over the place, and I wish I were at home reading some Tolstoy. But generally speaking, meeting wonderful people like you is a joy and allows me to see all sides of America. S: I got you quoted saying, 'If a nation is sleepwalking and doesn't wake up, it will never be saved. An individual can be a catalyst and spark a nation, but can't totally save it.' While you were campaigning for Obama, did you view him that way? CW: Some people did, but we know there's no such thing as messiahs in the 21st century. For Christians, there's one particular Jew that they view as one, but other than that, there are none. There was a certain misconception regarding Obama. He was very charismatic and was running a crucial campaign, but of course he's no messiah at all. In a democracy, all of us have to rise up, organize and mobilize. S: You said you'd be his toughest critic once he stepped into office. It's been a year so far, what are your views of him now? CW: I've been a tough critic on him, very much so. I give him an A for changing the image of the country around the world, but I give him a C for the economy because he's got a team that's too tied to Wall Street and is not rooted to Main Street enough. Job creation is now an afterthought because the big banks are doing well now, the small banks not so much. I'll give him a B for green policy, which is very important. Foreign policy... I'm not too crazy about the war in Afghanistan. S: It's seems like people ignored his foreign policy. They viewed him as a peaceful guy that was going to bring this country back together. CW: In his campaign he did mention Afghanistan, but he downplayed it because the folks were in Iraq. S: The African American community was obviously ecstatic with Obama's election, but he doesn't seem to be focusing or helping those poor communities out. What's your opinion of Obama and lack of help in poor African American communities around America? CW: I think that he's kept the whole race at arm's length from the very beginning, because the only way he could win was to neutralize the anxieties of the white moderates who didn't know who he was. He kept the black supporters because they thought, ‘Oh my god if he could win, we'll be ok.' And he was certainly better than McCain. But my concern has to do with poor people in general. He has yet to speak to those people, no matter what color or where they're from. S: What is your message to those poor communities? Obviously we're in a tough recession right now and the money's not there. How do you get those people to rise up and try to succeed in this tough society? CW: They have to stay strong, hold together and stay disciplined. There has to be opportunities to reach out to each other and support each other. S: I'm going to go back in time a little bit: how old were you when Dr. King was assassinated? CW: I was 14 years old. S: That must have been a great shock. CW: It was devastating. I had just run a track meet in Sacramento. The news came out, and my heart broke. I'm sure every African American my age felt the same way. S: I found out that you weren't the most cooperative child. I've always compared you to Malcolm X, who wasn't the most stable and most law-abiding citizen as a child. What changed for you? CW: For me, it had to do with the power of love, the power of education, and the power of the church. All of these made me see that the lack of mind meant the lack of success. S: You were 17 where you traveled cross-country to attend Harvard. Talk about the experience as a kid traveling to a totally new surrounding. CW: It was like a whole new world. I meant a bunch of magnificent people. Black, white, all colors. Ever since then I've been along the east coast. New York, Princeton, Cambridge. I may be from the west coast but I love the east coast. S: Now I'm an old school hip-hop guy, and I know you're big on that stuff and have even been mentioned in Lupe Fiasco songs. I'm kind of skeptical of modern hip-hop, pop kind of stuff. What's your view of all of the stuff on the radio? CW: Guys like Talib Kweli and Lupe Fiasco rap messages and have something to say. Now Jay-Z is on the radio and he's talented, but he's just not at the level he use to be at on Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint. The genius is still there, but there's no more motivation. S: Do you think those artists that are on the radio rap about limited messages are providing bad role models to young African Americans? CW: They're not spiritually deep. I'm a libertarian, people have the right to make noise, but there's a lack of diversity of voices on the radio. Every generation has some music that's questionable and not overly sophisticated. Unfortunately, the radio is so systematic. When I was making my album, they said if I made a catchy and booty-shaking single, they'd play it. But that's not what music should be about, especially the popular songs on the radio. E-mail: news@ubspectrum.com
Solutions by The State News
