Any student passing through the Student Union had a chance to get a lei placed around his or her neck while learning about the important Student Services organizations this past Monday in the Student Union.
Student service groups presented students with extracurricular opportunities and upcoming projects amidst tropical music and the promise of warmer weather, including two plans for alternative Spring Break trips.
The main purpose of the event was to advertise the university's everyday services to students who may otherwise be unaware of what is available.
"Freshmen, and even older students, walk in and out of the Student Union each day, never giving any thought to why it is really there," said Lauren Skompinski, Assistant Director of Student Affairs, saying the services are there to "help provide a bridge between UB and the people who study and live here."
The fair offered new Spring Break opportunities for students looking to do community service. Campus Ministries currently offers a bus ride down to New Orleans to help clean up the area's devastation, a continuation of last year's trip.
Another option is to rebuild right here in Buffalo with the Leadership Development Center's "Give Where You Live: Rebuild Buffalo" tour.
The REALM mentoring program is another contribution of The Leadership Development Center. Available during February, declared to be REALM month, is a program in which UB students can shadow one of Buffalo's prominent leaders in his or her field of interest as a mentor for a day. Applications are available in 235 Student Union.
In addition, the Emerging Leaders Forum will take place Sunday, Feb. 25 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Registration is online at the Development Center's Web site www.leadership.buffalo.edu until Feb. 16.
Members of the Student Association were at the fair to announce that students can now nominate favorite professors for this year's Milton Plesur Excellence in Teaching Award. Nomination forms for the award are in 350 Student Union.
Within the next two weeks, SA will be holding a focus group for students to ask questions and discuss issues. The focus group is an opportunity for students to communicate concerns to their representatives, who will present them to university administrators.
"It is one of SA's main jobs to advocate to the administration for student issues," said SA Vice President Leslie Meister.
Other groups set up at the event to showcase the services UB provides on a regular basis.
The Career Center offers r?(c)sum?(c) critiquing and daily drop-in hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for job- and internship-related questions. A Human Services Career Fair is coming up March 6.
UB's health services gave the message that help is free and available to all students, a fact of which many undergrads are unaware. Health services are located in Michael Hall on South Campus.
The Parking and Transportation table wanted to make known its office location in 102 Spaulding at Ellicott.
Also in attendance were Disability Services and Recreation and Intramurals from Alumni Arena.
Besides the free magnets, key-chains and candy drawing students to its tables, Skompinski said the event showed that UB has many other free services for its 18,000 undergraduates.
"UB offers so many different things to students, and this fair is provided every semester to remind students of those services," she said.
The SA office is located at 350 Student Union and they are always there to answer student concerns or questions, according to Meister.
"It is our job to advocate the many services offered to students across campus. We are students, so we know what will attract students," Meister said. "Don't forget, the Student Association office is always open and we are here to help you."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
