When you come to Buffalo, you expect snow. We all knew what living here would be like, and what we'd have to deal with in the winter months. While students seem prepared for snow, by bundling up or staying home, it seems that oftentimes the school as a whole is left scrambling, leaving many students unhappy and unsafe.
The problems exist everywhere, and there is no real place to start fixing them. However, we could start where all students start: the process of actually getting to school. Those who have to drive each morning must deal with the hectic parking lots. A recent survey showed that you have to park far away, so suck it up and walk, but unfortunately, many of the far away spots are covered with tremendous piles of snow. For a school that realizes that it is going to have to deal with snow, the parking lots were very poorly designed for the best possible plowing.
The other plan is to use salt everywhere. However, when the snow melts, the poorly planned drainage system lets slush sits there for days - or turns to ice and makes things more dangerous for everyone.
In order to solve the problem, constant attention must be given and money must be spent on maintenance. Because the university is facing an economic crush it is difficult to deal with these problems, but if there ever comes a surplus, it would be to our best interest as an institution to pay students to constantly shovel. This is not just for parking spots that are open, but also for sidewalks and staircases.
As sidewalks go, the school must realize that many students walk to the Spine. Despite terrible winds, hundreds of students like myself choose to walk from South Lake, past the Center for the Arts and the big field towards the Union. That path is miserable. It is shoveled once and then remains slushy for days. Again, the poor drainage system comes into effect, but there is no reason that the school should make its students feel like they should hold on to a rope and put tennis rackets on their feet in order to get to class.
Once students get to the Union, they are met with another disaster. Snow, slush and ice are tracked onto the mats that turn into garbage by noon. It would make sense for the university to purchase crate-like mats so that moisture can drip through and everyone can walk on solid ground without fear of slipping. Outside of the Union is equally miserable, and there is no reason that those areas should remain slushy throughout the day. If the university were concerned with the safety of the students, it would take every step necessary to create a safe walking environment.
If the university does not want people to walk, it needs to reevaluate the bussing system - especially the red line. Since there are no sidewalks at all for students at Creekside to walk to campus, and those coming from South Lake want to avoid terrible terrain, the red line must have at least two busses - preferably three - on the route at all times. When the weather is especially bad, service on all bus routes should be doubled, as the demand is going to rise.
Another solution to some of the problems mentioned earlier is simply more trees. Students say that the snow or the temperature isn't the problem, but instead it is the wind. Trees are very effective for cutting down windiness and also play a role in natural drainage. It makes perfect sense to line each of the popular walkways with trees, and it would be a great investment for rich alums.
There are very easy steps to take to make life at UB better for all students. While money is tight, the safety and convenience of the students should always be a top priority. Since it is not going to stop snowing anytime soon, the university needs to make some changes that benefit everyone.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
