NOA BRECHER - The Spectrum

NEWS

Mentalist Displays Mastery Over the Mind

By NOA BRECHER | Dec. 5, 2001

To Robert Channing, every mind is like an open book.The mentalist, a performer, lecturer and mind reader, astonished UB's student body Monday night at Slee Hall by demonstrating both his extrasensory perception and sense of humor.Channing has been dumbfounding audiences for nearly 20 years, and has used his mind-reading talents on celebrities like Robin Williams, Whitney Houston and former-President William Clinton.

NEWS

NSF Awards UB Prof Impact Studies Grant

By NOA BRECHER | Dec. 3, 2001

If one were to drop a bag of sand from a high elevation, it would not bounce. Instead, the impact would splinter into a million shock waves throughout the sand particles.

NEWS

A Penny for Your Thoughts or $2 Mil for UB Professor's

By NOA BRECHER | Nov. 12, 2001

A UB professor has been awarded what is believed to be the largest single grant ever given to a philosopher.Barry Smith, professor of philosopohy, received a $2 million Wolfgang Paul research award from Germany's Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Nov.

NEWS

Spring Semester Extended

By NOA BRECHER | Nov. 5, 2001

Seeking to address a shortage of instruction days under New York State Education Department policy, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School Kerry Grant proposed a change to the spring 2002 semester calendar at last Wednesday's Faculty Senate Executive Committee.The change will add four instruction days during finals week, removing two reading days and moving two days of exams to the weekend immediately after classes end.UB's currently scheduled spring semester is only 14 weeks long, falling one week short of the state's 15-week minimum requirement for full-time study.

NEWS

"Honors Students Find Civics, Business Rewarding"

By NOA BRECHER | Oct. 29, 2001

A local group of business leaders flexed their philanthropic muscles, pooling their resources to award scholarships and internships to civic and business-minded UB students.The 43x79 Group, named for Buffalo's geographic latitude and longitude coordinates, is the benefactor of the Build Buffalo Scholarship, in its second year of existence.

NEWS

Panel Discusses Political Implications of Attacks

By NOA BRECHER | Oct. 17, 2001

A diverse coalition of community and university organizations joined forces to sponsor an evening of intellectual exchange on the international situation in the wake of the events of Sept.

NEWS

News I Want to Use

By NOA BRECHER | Oct. 15, 2001

There are those who think ignorance is bliss. It is better not to know. It is better to go about our days as zombies and let others deal with things.But I can defend this by arguing in times of war it is pertinent that the country is behind its leaders.

NEWS

"Students, FSA Debate Merits of Meal Plan Options"

By NOA BRECHER | Oct. 15, 2001

No matter what meal plan a student chooses, he is rarely satisfied. Declining balance provides convenience, but at a price; meal plans offer cheaper food, but at set hours and in pre-determined quantities.Many UB students, particularly those living in the residence halls, take advantage of meal plans due to their convenience and tax-exempt status, while others opt out entirely."I am a junior and I do not have a meal plan or [Dinning Dollars] anymore because I would never eat the food," said Dale Skir, a legal studies major.The Faculty Student Association, currently UB's dominant food service, is a not-for-profit corporation organized to handle certain auxiliary enterprises on campus.The company is responsible for administering the UB card system, dining services, vending machines, catering, convenience stores, summer storage, refrigerator rentals and athletic concessions.Not all students have the freedom to decide whether to utilize FSA's services; freshmen living on campus are required to purchase a meal plan for both semesters of their first year."This was done to help freshmen better acclimate themselves to living away from home.

NEWS

Firm Commissioned to Study Parking and Transportation

By NOA BRECHER | Sep. 28, 2001

At UB, with its large commuter population, parking is a major difficulty for students, faculty and administrators alike.

NEWS

Sprinkler Malfunction Floods Hadley Apartment

By NOA BRECHER | Sep. 26, 2001

One week after classes began, residents in 102-D Hadley Village were forced to evacuate when the building's sprinklers were activated, drenching the building's interior.At around 5:30 p.m.