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Part of BSU members spray paint bull outside of Student Union, March 9, 2017

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BSU members spray paint bull
outside of Student UnioI1
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ASHLEY INKUMSAH
The UB community woke up Wednesday
morning to "Black. Lives Matte.r" painted in
red, black and green on the bull outside of
the Student Union.
Several members of Black Student Union
(BSU) painted the bull in the pouring rain,
slipping and falling into the mud on the
ground on Tuesday night. They held tow­
els and umbrellas bver the bull. One group
dried the bull while another group spray
painted it.
An unknown group spray-painted the
bull with a message reading "Trump, Make
America Great Again" on Tuesday, BSU
painted over
it .because they felt the previous messagethreatened students' safety and
enc_ouraged hate and division.
Student Life set out specific guidelines
that students must follow when painting the
bull. Students can only paint on it between
sunset and sunrise; only one group at a time
can paint the bull and students must show
respect to Buffalo and members of UB's
cbnununity.
"The rules of painting on the bull say you
have to respect everyone in the community, and I do feel like we all know the con­
notation towards Trump and towards 'Make
America Great Again,'"said Chynna Brown,
a juniorAfrican AmericanStudies and psychology major. "I feel like it definitely projects hate and it projects' division but I feel

TROY WACHALA, THE SPECTRUM

Members of the Black Studen t Union painted '.'Bla ck Lives

like Black Lives Matter is inclusive and it's
spotlighting one group who has never been
included."
University Police Deputy Chief of Police Josh Sticht said Student Life pl::iced the
bull outside of the Student Union for students. to paint on. While other universities
have things like rocks or pillars for students
to paint, the bull is the canvas for UB stu­
dent groups, he :,said.
All student groups are allowed to decorate

Matter" on the b ull outside of the
Student Union on Tuesday night.

on the bull, as long as they don't paint any­
thing ,against UB's policy on harassment or
threats, according to Sticht.
Brown was disappointed that Student Life
didn't want i:o get involved when "Make
America Great Again" was painted on the
bull. When students contacted them to complain, Student Life staff said the bull is for
the students and students are the only ones.
who can go out and change it, Brown said.
CO NTINUED ON PAGE 5

BSU members spray paint bull
outside of Student Union
there's a lot that is behind puttingthat up.
First
and foremost there was never point
''I feel like the university should stand for
in
time
that I can say that America was truwhat they advocate for and that's diversity and
ly
great.
A lot of people like to take slavery
that's inclusion and that's making every.body
and.
categorize
that as African American hisfeelsafe and be able to have a learning envi­
It
is
Arrierican
history."
tory.
ronment and I feel that's not what was disBSU members deliberately chose the colplayed by them not taking stance,'' she said,
ors
red, black and green because they repBrown said she saw a Muslim woman cryresent
kanara of Kwanzaa, a black holiday.
ing after she saw .the pro-Trump message
the seven days and sevThe
colorsstandfor
that was previously on the bull.
en principles of Kwanzaa.
''When you hear Make America Great
Brown said they purposely painted the
Again, you also hear 'remember the old
bull
in a messyfashion as a symbol.
days. Remember howthings used to be. Re"It's
not neat, it's not precise," Brown
member what used to happen.' The conno­
said.
"It's
the red dripping down into the '
tation of that term is disrespectful to people
green and the black dripping down. There's
of color,'' Brown said.
BSU Vice PresidentLeslie Veloz said BSU gold beneath the letters to make the words
decided to paintover the bull .to "acknowl- jump out at you. This is the blood of our
people. There's a lot of symbolism with it."
edge everyone's oppressions."
Brown invites people who feel_uncom­
''That's just the role we take on when we
fortable
with the bull to attend BSU meet­
signed up for BSU is to make sure we were that
voice and we were those defenders for people ings to ask themselves whythey're offended.
"If you're comfortable everywhere you
who can't defend themselves,'' Veloz said. ''We
go,
you're going to remain stagnantstagnant
rearen't afraid to be those changing agents."
If
somebody
makes
you
feel
main
dormant.
BSU President Samirra Felix didn't want
America Great Again" to be the uncomfortable, you feel as if you are oblifirst thing students saw when they came to gated to make a decision So I feellike whoever was uncomfortable seeing the bull,.
school.
'
"Though we know writing 'Make America that was the goal," Brown said.
Great Again'is not necessarily a hate crime,
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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email: ashley,lnkumsah@ubspectrum.com