Goodbye

It is easy in a school this size to disappear. There is a potential for anonymity in a school of 30,000 that does not exist in smaller schools, and with that anonymity comes the potential for obliviousness; to your fellow students, to the school itself, to the events that shape us and the events we can shape ourselves.

Good thing there's student journalism to help us out.

President John B. Simpson is fighting Albany and Gov. Patterson over the grossly unfair use of our tuition increase. While 90 percent of the increase went to closing the New York this year and 80 percent will go that way next year, it's still good to know Simpson really has our backs.

UB continues to make strides towards true conservationism. The Environmental Stewardship Committee will present their plan to make the campus carbon-neutral this fall, an event several years in the making, and more campus officials and students pledge their commitment to environmentalism every day.

Athletically UB had a triumphant year. The football team won the MAC Championship and made it to a bowl game, and men's basketball made it to the conference championships against all expectations.

SA elections were an overwhelming success in terms of voter turnout, especially in light of the apathy of the last few years. It isn't hard to view this event and the youth turnout for the election of Barack Obama as symptoms of a new era of political dynamism.

Here at The Spectrum we have been challenged in our ideals and emerged the better for it. After a long period of increasingly poor productions we are beginning to re-establish our standing in the journalistic community. In defiance of the failing newspaper industry we continue to thrive and in fact made a profit this year in spite of our legal difficulties with SA.

In the coming year we hope to continue to expand with the knowledge that if we hope to make careers out of journalism it is up to us to force the field to evolve. If technology warrants, expect a scratch-n-sniff issue.

Furthermore it is the hope of the newly-minted editorial staff here that the student body will make its presence known to us; we inform you but cannot function without your input.

In a school this size it is easy to disappear, but 30,000 people is a large enough sample size that world-changers are a statistical guarantee. Take pride in where you are and what is being accomplished. Take part, take a stand. Be a world-changer.

On a personal note: It has been an utter privilege to occupy this position and write for you, the reader. I thank you.