UBSPECTRUM.COM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2017 VOLUME 67 NO. 17 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 PAGE 6 Students need a chance Building an experience Beyond the art of to defend themselves UB students reconstruct Cosplay UB Judicial Review award-winning GRoW Home UB club speaks on the process needs to be fi xed importance of cosplay Communication FIELD HOUSE professor appointed OF DREAMS as new DMS chair UB Athletics, athletes and students UB in the weigh in on the upcoming fi eld house Thomas Feeley replaces former chair Marc Böhlen as media WEBER ERA THOMAS ZAFONTE studies chair SENIOR SPORTS EDITOR After seven months in UB President Satish Tripathi said at the DAVID TUNIS-GARCIA offi ce, Weber discusses fi eld house groundbreaking ceremony on MANAGING EDITOR his plans as VP for Oct. 7 that the fi eld house will be open to Student Life all students. However, the fi eld house will Thomas Feeley replaced Marc Böhlen only be available for athletes on Division-I as the chair of the Department of Me- club and intramural teams, according to an dia Studies. offi cial statement from UB Athletics. Robin Schulze, dean of the College TROY WACHALA / THE SPECTRUM Athletics is overseeing construction of Arts and Sciences, approached Fee- Scott Weber sits in his offi ce in 520 Capen Hall. Weber, vice president of Student Life, sat down with The of the $18 million Murchie Family Field- Spectrum Tuesday morning to discuss student concerns and his vision for the university. ley in “late September or early October,” house, which is set to fi nish in spring 2019. to inform him that Böhlen would no lon- “It will house the all-around student expe- SARAH CROWLEY Student Life and some of his chief prior- ger be DMS chair and asked him to fi ll rience in terms of recreation activities, so not SENIOR NEWS EDITOR ities: ensuring student post-graduate suc- the position, Feeley said. Feeley is a com- just student-athletes, but the entire university cess, improving the physical campus and munication professor since 2011 who actually,” Tripathi said at the ceremony. Scott Weber wants to be known as more addressing the growing demand for coun- chaired the communication department UB Athletic Director Allen Greene than “the man who sends the emails.” seling services on-campus. for six years until 2015. said the general student body would be He knows his signature, “A. Scott Weber,” Weber refl ected on his journey at UB – Feeley told The Spectrum in an email that able to use the fi eld house. sign-off is how most UB students know their from his arrival in 1983 as an eager young he is not worried about the transition be- “The fi eld house will be an asset to vice president; but Weber has bigger dreams professor with his hair in a middle part, tween departments. the entire university community as it will for students than cluttering their inboxes. owning a Volkswagen bug with California “DMS isn’t too far away from com- also be utilized by intramurals and sports Weber sat down with The Spectrum on plates, to his rise into one of the highest munication, so to speak, as a major and clubs as well as the general student pop- Tuesday to discuss his experiencs as Vice positions on campus. many students take courses in both de- ulation. Once the facility is built, we will President for Student Life after he was ap- Weber said he never expected to become partments,” Feeley said. “I wasn’t looking work on a schedule that will best benefi t pointed in January by Tripathi once Den- vice president of Student Life, but has em- to switch. I am quite happy in communi- everyone,” Greene said. nis Black resigned from the position. We- braced the role. cation, but have a great appreciation for But an offi cial statement from athlet- ber spoke about his vision for revamping CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 media studies as a major.” ics said, “the fi eldhouse will be available Feeley said he does not know why for club sports and intramurals, but due Böhlen is no longer DMS chair, but be- to scheduling, it will not be available for lieves “typically personnel decisions are UB DifCon Series discusses cultural appropriation open recreation.” private for good reason so I am not aware Most students don’t seem to be con- of the decision making on either side.” Faculty, staff and students address cultural appropriation cerned that the fi eld house will not be The Spectrum reached out to Dean open to everyone. Schulze and Böhlen on the new appoint- “Everyone is focused on football but ANNA SAVCHENKO nouse, an art professor and director of the ment, but both declined comment. it being available to teams outside athlet- STAFF WRITER Coalesce Center for Biological Art; Rein- The Department of Media Studies has ics makes it a good thing for all the UB hard Reitzenstein, an associate art profes- received complaints from students in the sports teams,” said Max Lort, a junior ex- UB faculty, staff and students came to- sor; and Terri Budek, an associate director past, who claim that the department does ercise science major. gether to discuss and share different per- of the Intercultural and Diversity Center. not adequately prepare students for jobs Dakota Rogers, freshman intended spectives on cultural appropriation in the Teresa Miller, vice provost for Inclusive in media, which The Spectrum reported on nursing major, also does not think the Student Union Tuesday night. Excellence, moderated the discussion and in 2016. Feeley said he hasn’t personally fi eld house needs to be open to everyone. DifCon, or Diffi cult Conversations, is started the evening with an overview of heard of the complaints. “It seems unnecessary for students to a discussion series sponsored by the Of- the historical origins of cultural appropri- “I am unaware of the complaints, but have access [to the fi eld house] if we al- fi ce of Inclusive Excellence, which aims to ation. The term dates back to “histories of I am sure I will quickly be aware of them ready have Alumni and all the other gyms bring members of the UB community to- conquest,” according to Miller. if they exist. I just started last week so on campus. It will give athletes somewhere gether to engage in constructive conver- “It emerged as a Marxist concept of I have to get my feet under me,” Feeley to go, so hopefully it helps with how sations about controversial societal issues. when a dominant class appropriates and said. “I have relied on staff and facul- crowded Alumni can be,” Rogers said. Tuesday’s event featured fi ve panelists who defi nes the cultural heart of a subordinate ty to address concerns in the interim so Athletics hopes the fi eld house will take presented their views on cultural appropri- class,” Miller said. “It is the sense of a re- I can work on various staffi ng and bud- pressure off the Alumni fi tness center. ation: Allie Ambrosio, a health and human lationship between the colonizer and the get needs.” The fi eld house will be 92,000 square feet services major in the Social Sciences In- colonized in a way which the culture of the and house a full turf football fi eld, rub- email: [email protected] terdisciplinary Degree Program; Paul Va- colonized gets drawn upon and used.” ber sprinting tracks, a triple jump pit, a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 pole vaulting pit and softball hitting tun- nels. Athletics has stated that the new Zodiaque Dance Company celebrated their 44th season with performances in the Center fi eld house will benefi t a multitude of for the Arts (CFA) from Oct. 18-22. The company, directed by Kerry Ring of UB Theatre teams, not just Division-I, while also act- ing as a key recruiting tool going forward. and Dance, brought in performances choreographed from both faculty members and “The fi eld house project has been a pri- guests artists. In some pieces, like “On The Grid,” dancers performed to electronically- ority for nearly two decades and serves styled tracks as square-shaped lights illuminated the dance fl oor. student-athletes in the same manner as classroom space, libraries or labs for stu- dents,” Greene said in a Spectrum Q&A. In March, UB Athletics made the deci- sion to cut four Division-I teams, stating the department was underfunded. The fi eld house was announced six months later. Despite popular opinion, Greene and athletics stated the cuts were not a direct result of the fi eld house. “The announcement of the fi eld house and the decision to discontinue sport of- ferings are two, mutually exclusive events,” Greene said. “We operate on a vibrant campus that has a multitude of things hap- pening simultaneously on any given day.” ELIJAH PIKE / THE SPECTRUM ELIJAH PIKE / THE SPECTRUM CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 ubspectrum.com @ubspectrum ubspectrum ubspectrum fb.com/ubspectrum Thursday, October 26, 2017 NEWS 2 THE SPECTRUM UB in the WEBER ERA UB DifCon Series discusses cultural appropriation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ses…so that continues to be a challenge.” “I thought I’d miss my faculty roots a lot,” He hopes to create a Wellness Center on Weber said. “But I really enjoy the more cen- campus where recreation, counseling and tral role because I’ve really had the chance wellness services are all under the same roof. now to impact so many more students.” “That’s a big area I’m really focused on Weber said he hopes his experience with a lot and I’m working hard toward fi guring teaching will help bridge the gap between what is the manifestation of that,” he said.