I have been a University at Buffalo student on and off for 13 semesters. It's a long story. While I have always been a commuter student, I keep in touch with campus activities. I read the student papers and magazines, eye the posters while I am waiting for the elevator in Clemens and pass through the Student Union every day (even if it is a bit out of the way). I want to be involved. I want to know what's happening at my university.
So, as a new staff writer at The Spectrum, I was intrigued by the possibility of covering a story on POC Week. Thirteen semesters and I had never heard of POC Week - you probably haven't either. And, as I checked around, it seems that no one had heard of POC Week.
I was able to discern one basic fact: POC stands for people of color. I assumed that this special week was set aside to introduce various student organizations to the UB population. I am all for learning about cultures and traditions of my fellow students. Let the fact-finding mission begin!
I started by calling the various phone numbers for the African American, Arab, Caribbean and Chinese student associations. I waited on long rings, no voicemail machines, no luck. I went right to the Big Kahuna, the Student Association. The very polite student who answered the phone was kind enough to give me the e-mail addresses for the four student presidents of the four previously mentioned student organizations. Jackpot!
Or maybe not. The first round of e-mails went out with a polite introduction and explanation that I was assigned to cover POC Week. I kindly asked each student president to supply me with information regarding what their particular group would be doing for POC Week and invited them to provide as much information about their organization as possible. I explained that time was of the essence because POC Week was upon us (information gained from my editor). I even offered my personal cell phone number in case e-mail was inconvenient. Apparently, I was inconvenient.
The second round of calls, with the long, unanswered ring went out 24 hours later. I sent a second e-mail imploring them to contact me so that the UB population would have the opportunity to engage in POC Week. There was nothing but radio, or in this case, cyberspace silence.
From my home office I jumped on MyUB hoping to find out some facts. After an exhaustive search and innumerable clicks and links, I was not only tired but also lost online. It was time to try the trusty Google search. I found plenty of information about the student diversity at the University of Baltimore, but nothing about UB. This POC thing was turning into quite the mystery.
Now I was on a mission.
Back on campus, my first stop was the information desk in the Student Union. Everything happens right in front of them, so they must know something about it, right? Silence was followed by directions to the SA.
Two students sitting behind the desk at 350 Student Union looked like deer caught in headlights at the question, "When is POC Week?" They regained composure and gave me the e-mail address of someone to contact. That wasn't good enough. I had undertaken the assignment of bringing this information to the student body, and wasn't going to forsake my duties.
Looking around SA, I spied several other students and inquired with my front desk friends if anyone was presently in the office that might assist me. All I got was that same wide-eyed look. Back down to the information desk in the Union.
The information attendant said to try the Student Life office. Yes! That sounded right! With bags, laptop and coat in tow I made it over to the helpful folks in Student Life. I caught them during lunch, but all three students behind the desk quickly swallowed their pizza, only to say they had no idea when or what POC Week was. To their credit, however, all three immediately began to search their computers, paper files and make phone calls. If I was going to get the bottom of this, I was in the right place, and I had three fellow sleuths on my side.
A promising lead developed when one of my comrades picked up the phone and called the Intercultural & Diversity Center. Perfect! If anyone was going to know, it would be them.
Wrong, it was another dead end. The typing, filing and dialing was furious when a fourth member of the office appeared from the back. She was quickly brought into the fray. She smiled politely and said that POC Week was last week.
All activity stopped and apologies were made. I left the office crushed.
More than not getting the story or missing the opportunity to participate in a cultural event at UB, I was disappointed in the complete lack of information available. With a university this large, perhaps the bureaucratic red tape gets people stuck. Instead of coming together to communicate and educate the student population, things and events fall through the cracks.
Hopefully it will be just one more semester until I can wear that elusive cap and gown. And maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll get to see the even more elusive POC Week.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
