A new semester has not only brought new faces to UB, but also a new face to the Student Union. Renovations have given the building's focus point a new look and features that officials say should improve its ability to be a campus hub.
The candy stand is no more, having been replaced by a relocated Campus Tee's while the Information Desk has added functionality in new counters and space. The Student Association and Campus Dining also replaced the long-broken electric sign in front of the Student Union with a full color one greeting students with the time, date, and various announcements.
"It brightens up the Union, makes it look newer, and helps make spending time there better and more enjoyable," said Eliza Spencer, a senior theater major.
Other students said they were confused about the addition.
"I think the store and the booth look great, but I don't understand why it had to move out of the Commons," said Phil Banks, a senior accounting major. "I think the Commons seems like a nice little community with all the shops and restaurants."
Mitchell Green, executive director of Campus Dining and Shops, said moving into the Union not only improves service, but it also saves money.
"Adding new facilities is a step-by-step process the FSA is going through in order to move out of the Commons," Green said. "Renting a space in the Commons is expensive."
The help of campus contractors and collaboration between a local architect and Student Affairs on the design allowed the construction process to go smoothly, Green said. The new store opened just as students started arriving for the start of school.
"I'm really pleased and I hope the students are pleased with the final outcome," he said. "I think it brought real improvement to the Student Union."
Campus Tee's moved from a large shared space with the UB Card Office into a smaller, though more central, location. Manager Jeff Mott said the lost space is more than made up for with more visibility and a new look.
"It's way more store-like, where before we were sharing a space with an office," he said. "Our store size shrinks, but our exposure goes through the roof."
Mott said though it's too early to compare sales figures, a central location can only help business.
"The Student Union has always been a hub, so foot traffic through the store has been huge," he said.
Along with construction in the Putnam's food court, other improvements have been made in the Student Union in the past year. David Ballard, associate director of Student Life, said other changes have contributed in the act of creating a better atmosphere in the Student Union. Offices, such as those of The Spectrum, Generation, and the Wellness Center have been repainted, relocated and had new furniture brought in.
"I hope everything we do, the vast majority of students like it and makes everybody happy to be here," Ballard said.
Additional reporting by News Editor Siobhan A. Counihan and Managing Editor Evan Parker Pierce.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
