Students of past years have seen a wide range of outspoken Distinguished Speakers; from former Vice President Al Gore to former Secretary of State Colin Powell to political pundit Ann Coulter, the diverse population of Buffalo students has been relatively pleased.
However, this year's speakers, like last year's lineup, seem to be even more disregarding of the need for balance along the political spectrum. For example, Academy Award winning filmmaker Michael Moore will likely discuss issues raised in his latest controversial documentary, Sicko.
Harold Ford, Jr., the chair of National Democratic Leadership Council, is yet another renowned leader that will provide ideas for the Post-Bush years. Nevertheless, his words will be divisive to the complex group of students at UB.
The largely homogeneous group of speakers does not entirely please what the Princeton Review calls one of the most diverse universities in the country.
These speakers are considered experts in their respective fields, and therefore students should look forward to the rare opportunity to hear them speak, no matter what their associations may imply. But is it the responsibility of the university to provide speakers of opposing views then the slated speakers on this year's controversial list?
Atypical speakers on the list of potentials, such as Fox News journalist Bill O'Reilly, infamous for his deviant outspokenness, surely would have been interesting and appeasing to the other side of the political spectrum.
The Distinguished Speaker Series is the attempt to provide additional higher education to the UB population. So to emulate the diverse student body, administrators should seek out speakers representing many different beliefs.
At the same time, students should not hesitate to listen to those with opposing viewpoints outside of their own political boundaries.
The problem remains, however, that such students who wish to challenge the bias of the chosen speakers don't actually have the opportunity. Even if a student intelligently submits a challenging or bold question, their query would likely not pass the screening process.
A dialogue between differing ideologies should be sought after, as debate merely provokes new ideas.
When the ends justifies the means
Renovation and repair are necessary for an attractive, accessible campus
From the erratic bricks of Ellicott to the giant, white monolith that is the Center for the Arts, many students are glad to come back to UB.
However, traveling around the academic spine is slightly more difficult this year, due to various renovation projects.
There is no shortage of whining about the hassle of navigating around the stairway from Talbert to the Natural Sciences Complex. But few appreciate the final goal in mind for UB.
As Kevin Thompson, who is the Director of Facilities Planning & Design at UB, said, "Progress sometimes requires a little bit of inconvenience."
Progress is the ultimate goal, as UB seeks to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. And the inconvenience won't last too long, as the stairwell in NSC should be finished in about a month, long before cold weather should be expected. Unless, of course, Mother Nature has a September Surprise in store for Buffalo.
And avoiding overspending is even better. Thompson said that all projects are currently on or under budget.
As unattractive and inconvenient as it is to have stairways, walkways and libraries closed, the fact that work is being done on the campus should be encouraging to all.
Photo: Courtesy of SUNY
