OPINION
ubspectrum.com
‘Build me up, buttercup, baby,’ post less pictures of buildings UB loves its buildings, but it’s what’s inside that counts
BENJAMIN BLANCHET ENGAGEMENT EDITOR
Ahh … Buffalo. Where downtown smells like Cheerios. Where football fans piledrive their bodies into tables thirty minutes before watching players roll the dice with their health just to entertain us. Where the zombie apocalypse is documented in great detail. Wait, what? Yeah you heard me. Buffalo has no living residents, at least that’s what you would assume browsing anything related to UB. Think the “Quiet Place 2” except there’s no John Krasinksi, in fact, there’s nobody at all. But who needs ‘em, right? At least we have white columns, bricks from the 1980s and decades-old infrastructure. Want an up close view? You’re going to have to park 30 minutes away to set your eyes on this “brick” cold campus, that gets dozens of upvotes on /r/UBReddit every day. Since Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg came to campus, UB has been entirely absent of people, at least according to its social media channels. No students, no professors, no staff. Just buildings. I jumped in on the Buffalo building wave myself, to see what all the hype was about. I posted a picture on Instagram (Bell Hall illuminated by a sunset, classic building bait) and sprinkled in some social seasoning (#UBuffalo, #Buffalo). Voilà! I got 40 likes, including one by UB itself. Buffalo real estate company Cedarland Development Group even got in on the mix, commenting with a ‘clapping hands together’ emoji. Some of my friends, who have been absent from my DMs for months, came out of obscurity to tap like on my photo. Clearly, UB buildings are more important than my Mother’s Day post and a heartfelt message to my brother. If that means distancing myself from loved ones, sign me up!
When faced with a difficult decision, fraternity has taught us to live with integrity, stand up for our beliefs, and respect everyone’s rights. It has also shown us why the University at Buffalo needs strong student leadership. We are all deeply saddened by the situation that occurred in April. However, the Greek Community is committed to having a positive experience. We believe the university suspension of recruitment activities is unjust as the entire Greek Community is being punished still, months later, for the actions of a few students. Today, we announce the establishment
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I continued on my search for answers and decided the best way to find out if UB people loved buildings was through a world-class investigation. After a five-minute-long study, I spotted just five people-oriented photos of 50 overall on UB’s Instagram location tag. On Reddit, the top photos included “Clemens stairwell,” water sinking into a drain outside Capen, a leaf bug on a Student Union pole and two pictures of sunsets by Davis Hall. One user called it a “brutalist paradise.” Another called it “beautiful.” I don’t care what you call it. The people on this campus are much more interesting than a skinny insect. The Spectrum recently launched a “Humans of UB” Instagram. This was an initiative started by a former Spectrum editor, Jordan Oscar. Today, you might find him freelancing for The Buffalo News, taking pictures at events. Guess who he takes pictures of ? People! Because, like it or not, we’re not going to be here forever. I, like 30,000 other students, am also not here forever. I’d love more pictures of students doing things across the board. The Student Association seems to be spending $4.5 million wisely by actually engaging with students. But the university, which currently has an over $7 million contract with a consulting firm for a marketing strategy, has got to move the camera over a bit and ask a student “You look like you’re enjoying this debt-causing higher education experience, want a picture on campus?” It’s that easy. As of late, /r/UBReddit seems to be getting the message. As the weeks have trailed on this semester, students have been posting all about Barefoot Longboard Guy, Boombox Guy and even Professor Dietrich Kuhlmann (honestly, guys, read your emails). I love buildings but, at the end of the day, UB community members can highlight the stories of our peers, just as The Spectrum does, all with a simple snapshot. That’s what I hope to do in my life. I want to amplify our community’s voices, which is fairly hard to do with a brick. Email: benjamin.blanchet@ubspectrum.com Twitter: @BenCBlanchet
of the Independent Interfraternity Council (IIFC) of Buffalo, New York – a coalition of fraternities previously affiliated with the University at Buffalo with the aim of positively developing fraternity culture within the community. The IIFC is currently made up of the Buffalo chapters of Alpha Epsilon Pi, Alpha Sigma Phi, Phi Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Phi, Pi Lambda Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Tau Gamma, Tau Epsilon Phi, and Theta Chi. These organizations are recognized and supported by their respective national organizations and the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC).
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Do we need to highlight students? No. We need more building pictures on UB’s Instagram
ALEXANDER POLAND CONTRIBUTING WRITER
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a satirical column
I have been to many gorgeous places throughout my life: Saguaro National Park, the National Seashore in Cape Cod, the National Buffalo Wing Festival, but nothing is prettier to me than UB’s North Campus. Looking at the architecture here is like looking at a graceful peacock. So many different shades of black, gray and even darker gray can be seen throughout the university. When walking to my basket weaving class at the NSC, I always make sure to appreciate the Alcatraz-inspired architecture here. People need to appreciate North Campus’ look more. We need 20 more angles of Baird Point to view. We need to showcase the beautiful Ellicott dormitories that make students feel like they are in boot camp. Things have really been going downhill lately though. A new rainbow walkway was painted between the Commons and Student Union and I don’t appreciate the colors. If they made the rainbow different shades of beige I think I would appreciate it more. I like a campus that makes me feel like I’m in a 1920s silent film, not Avatar. I don’t understand what people have against pictures of buildings. I’ve personally never seen a sunset and the dull ‘80s architecture of the campus really brings out the best of the sunset. My colleague Benjamin Blanchet does not understand the true beauty of our campus. He doesn’t really appreciate the look of a good, concrete-filled, bland building. He doesn’t appreciate the serene green and brown waters of Lake Lasalle, filled with specks of geese feces. As student leaders committed to the Buffalo community, we have a vision that is dedicated to safety, integrity, and a commitment to service. The IIFC will allow us to fully resume all normal activities, such as philanthropy and fundraising events, community service, regular chapter meetings, officer elections, and recruitment. We are excited to provide UB students and Buffalo residents an organized group of young gentlemen they can rely on. All students and member organizations in the IIFC will be expected to follow the law, their national organizations’ policies, and the university Code of Student Conduct, except in cases where the Code may infringe on a student’s constitutional rights. Student and local alumni leadership
Monday, September 30, 2019 | 3
Who really cares about the students at UB? What special things have they ever done for me lately? I think The Spectrum should create a new “Buildings of UB” Instagram page instead of one for students. On this page, we could ask the buildings important questions like, ‘How are you feeling?’ ‘What major are you?’ and most importantly ‘Is a hot dog a sandwich?’ Do people really care about Boombox Boy? Or the Barefoot Longboarding Guy? I personally hear more discussion about the beauty of Bell Hall or how great three random pillars look from the (nontoxic) Lake Lasalle. There are much more important components to this campus than the students. What about the staff ? What about the geese and the turkeys who control Flint Road? Why are they never highlighted? Buffalo is known as one of the most aesthetically pleasing places in the entire world. Our university should be showing off its true beauty. Who can resist looking at massive strip malls, piles and piles of snow everywhere and angry Bills and Sabres fans? That’s what makes Buffalo so special. Without buildings, where would students learn? What would be the point of all ten of these parking spots here on North Campus? Where would fraternities meet to talk about their pledges doing chores for them? Imagine how a building feels when it doesn’t get the recognition that it deserves. Can a student really empathize with a building and their feelings? No, they can’t. Nothing means more to me than the architecture here. Eiffel Tower? Tacky. The Statue of Liberty? Overrated. Knox Hall covered in snow and bird droppings? Now that’s architecture. Email: opinion@ubspectrum.com
are being established, and our top priority will be the health and safety of all fraternity members and guests. The IIFC hopes to rebuild a partnership with the university in the future. But until our student rights are respected and our organizations are treated equally, we will operate our fraternal community on our own with integrity, fairness, and independence. We believe all students, current and future, have the right to a fraternal experience if they so choose. We hope this new collaboration will elevate safety, responsibility, and engagement within our community. Thank you. William Conklin IIFC President