The Ped Mall, dead center of the campus, probably the first thing you noticed when you were touring the university. Or at the very least it was the one thing that stuck out the most in your mind. I know that is what I remembered four years ago, and that was before it got the landscape revamp that you freshman are taking for granted. It all makes me wonder what kind of facelift it received to try and con the batch of freshman that I so affectionately call the class of two-thousand and seven. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve come back year after year after year out of my own free will because this place has something that most universities don’t. What’s that? You want me to elaborate? Would any other school have a non-functioning bowling alley that they have no plans on repairing and yet still manage to include it in the campus tour? Can you tell me of another school that cares about your education enough that it restricts the Internet to educational purposes only? Makes you nostalgic for what your parents used to do when your grades weren’t where they should be. I could go on
about that one, but let’s save that little nugget for a future date, shall we? Where was I? Oh yes, something this establishment has that others don’t, a diverse student population, I’ll give them that. But I’ve found that the one thing that this school has over others is that the people they sucker into this place that actually stay, the ones that don’t run away scared with their tails between their legs, the ones who laugh at the challenge, and the ones who can’t afford to transfer because the majority of their credits wouldn’t apply to what some might call “good schools”. I’ve found friends in some of the most unlikely of people, people who would have never wasted the time of day with the likes of me in high school, I now consider good friends.
Now here’s something I would like the freshman to do for me right now, it’s not difficult and you don’t even have to move from where you’re sitting. It’s a fun little game I’ve designed for the readers on their thrones. Take a good look at your current group of friends, think about the laughs you’ve all had thus far, yeah wasn’t that a good time? Now I want you to cut that group in half, this will be the size of your crew next semester. Now I want you to take a look at the girls/guys that you have a crush on, I don’t care if you’re in a meaningful relationship, I know there’s at least one person you would like to get with. Now look at his or her best friend, come your sophomore year they will despise each other and you will be friends with one of them. Then simply subtract two more and add on about six new people that you’ve noticed walking around campus, and you’ve got your group of friends by your senior year. Also allow variables such as incoming transfer students, and if you’re not a complete jerk this might actually be accurate.
Let me just say this to the entire new freshman class I see running around campus like lab rats (days I secretly long for). Even though things look bleak here, stick it out and voice your opinions to people who have the ability to make things change. If you do this then chances are you’ll be ignored, but at least you’ll have said something. They can’t give you the boot if you try to change something the right way, and they definitely can’t ignore you forever. or can they? They say that this is a new era for UB, let them put their money where their pie hole is and actually do something useful and listen to their student body. Crazy, I know, but who knows, pigs could fly one day.
Since this is my first article ever, I’m going to leave it at this and be serious with you all for a second before you go ahead and label me something that I probably am. I may go on and on about the faults of this school, and I may even claim to hate this place every day when I walk to and from Marina, but let’s just get one thing straight, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. Even though there are a few things I can do without, I will always consider this place the one where I matured from the quiet guy to the quiet sarcastic guy in a matter of days. And when I graduate from this place I’ll always be thinking back on the fun times I’ve had here. Because sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and their always glad you came.
So here’s to you Class of 2010, and may you find the faults of this place as charming as I have.
Cheers,
Greg Matisoff