Commuters received a double treat Wednesday: a free lunch, and a chance to talk with UB administrators.
As students in the Student Union Commuter Lounge munched on pizza and sandwiches, Vice President for Student Affairs Dennis Black and Dean for Student Affairs Barbara Ricotta strolled about, fielding students' questions on such topics as on-campus parking, student participation and the recent Student Association elections.
"They were just sitting around on the couches with students, eating, mingling, open to any questions we might have," said Alisha Cowan, sophomore and community mental health major.
One of the foremost issues on the commuters' minds was, not surprisingly, parking.
"The fact is, there are simply too many vehicles for too few spaces in the middle of the day," said Black, who touched upon various solutions, such as the construction of parking ramps, the addition of more lots on the campus perimeter and increased shuttle services.
"There's only so much more to pave. ... We either have to take up more green space, or go up (with a parking ramp), and going up is going to take time and money," said Black.
Black said there were empty spaces in parking lots farther from the campus core, such as the Alumni and Center for Tomorrow lots. "If we can't build more spaces, we have to reduce the number of cars coming into the interior, and that's going to require better shuttle service."
When asked about the recent SA elections in the context of his long-term experience with student affairs, Black said, "My sense is that fewer and fewer people are taking note of this. If you look at an undergraduate population of 14,000 to 15,000 students ... it looks like a relatively small number of students who are involved, a relatively small number of students who seem to care one way or the other."
"There's an awful lot of money on the table, for a relatively small number of students (to decide the fate of)," he added.
David Montag, commuter lounge supervisor and graduate assistant for the Office of Student Unions and Activities, said the event was designed to help students get to know Black and Ricotta.
"The vice president and the dean are very approachable people, and we want students to know that," said Montag.
The luncheon forum was part of a larger series of events and changes directed toward addressing the needs of the commuter population, including new couches in the expanded commuter lounge, comment cards for commuters to fill out and some upcoming "major improvements" including new carpeting by the end of spring break, another television and a DVD player, according to Montag.
"The new couches have really encouraged different students to come in, so it's not the same students," he said.
Montag said the events generally take place between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., "primarily because many of the students that come here are there during that time."
"The events are based upon the mission of the commuter lounge, which is to provide small programs frequently."
Recent offerings included presentations on "Nutrition on the Go" and "Student Involvement." Upcoming events include workshops on stress management, an appearance by a psychic and an end-of-semester party.
This was the first such "Lunch with the Leaders;" however, a second luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, April 10.
