Due to popular demand, former Vice President Al Gore will address UB students and a select public audience twice when he comes to speak in late April.
In conjunction with the Distinguished Speaker Series, Gore, the 45th vice president of the United States and renowned author of the best-selling book "Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit" will discuss current global warming trends in two separate lectures.
This is the first time the Office of Special Events has asked a speaker to provide a second lecture.
"You only get these kinds of opportunities rarely," said Bill Regan, director for the Office of Special Events. "Gore could be booked twice a day, every day of the year if he wanted to."
Gore was originally slated to lecture only on April 27 at 8p.m. when the Distinguished Speakers Series were announced earlier this year. A second lecture will now be held on the April 28 at 12:30 p.m., so that more students can attend.
When the Distinguished Speakers Series was finalized, the arrangements earmarked 2000 tickets to UB students, 1,000 each to the student bodies represented by both the Student Association and Graduate Student Association.
"Al Gore's popularity and his message began to really take off, his documentary was nominated for an Oscar and demand for his time skyrocketed," Regan said. "Gore was turning up everywhere. At the same time, the tickets available for public sale were selling quickly, and the lecture was destined for an early sell out."
The university wanted to make sure that any student interested in the event could receive tickets.
"At this juncture, my concern was that many, many UB students would be 'shut out' from the program," he said.
Three organizations were in favor of the second lecture, including UB's Greener Shade of Blue committee, the Undergraduate SA, and Vice President for External Affairs Marsha Henderson.
"We've increased the capacity for undergraduate students from 1,000 to 3,000 and we're not through yet," Regan said. "We're still chasing some sponsors."
The second lecture will also allow 3,000 high school students to participate in the event. According to Regan, over 70 high schools from five local counties are attending and over 30 are on a wait list.
"On the high school side, we had an enormous response. We filled up our quota for high school students in two short days," Regan said.
Even for high schools that will not be attending, Gore's visit is providing some environmental inspiration to the Buffalo community.
"Unfortunately, we were unable to get tickets to see Al Gore," said Josh Ring, teacher of an environmental studies class at the Nichols School in Buffalo. "However, we are showing 'An Inconvenient Truth' to the whole school, as well as doing an activity on solutions developed by Princeton's Carbon Mitigation Initiative."
UB is committed to decreasing its impact on the environment with the current campaign. Over spring break, President Simpson signed a national charter signifying the cause.
"We're hoping for example Home Depot as a sponsor will be able to provide us with new fluorescent bulbs, which are much more efficient," Regan said.
UB police will provide security services, and the issue of parking is being researched with the Pepsi Center as a possible overflow site, according to Regan.
UB students will have the option of going to either lecture.
"We're asking Gore to essentially prepare the same lecture for both days. The quality of the event is going to be the same. In fact, seating for the day is going to be better," Regan said.
Free tickets will be available to UB students April 10 and 11 in the lobby of Alumni Arena from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. each day. UB students are eligible for one free ticket each. Tickets for the public are sold out.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
