Thousands of new University at Buffalo students are settling in to dorms on both the North and South campuses. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says about 90-percent moved in Thursday at Goodyear Hall on the South Campus.
New students at UB's South campus off Main Street in Buffalo were getting acclimated. A group of international students emerged from Goodyear Hall and were being instructed about the campus, then boarded a bus to the North campus in Amherst.
Freshman Rachel Burford lives in a small town in Binghamton. She tells us she selected UB because it is larger and offers a number of opportunities.
“From where I come from, it’s just like, so small everyone knows each other and here, it’s like a city itself, like a giant city with the campus itself,” said Burford.
With so much attention on the problem of campus sexual assaults, all incoming UB freshman and new students are required to conduct an on-line training session called ‘Sex Signals’. It’s to learn about the dangers of sexual assault on campus.
“I was actually impressed with like on-line we had to take a class and it was really informative kind of just how it’s going to be and they had different scenarios where you know I think it definitely helped,” Burford explained.
Burford tells WBFO she feels safe, but has a lot to learn about living in a bigger city and on a large campus.
But not all freshmen are from out-of-town. Some local freshmen are opting to live on campus in the dorms.
Nick Brounschiedel and Allen Townsend are both freshmen from Lockport. They’ve been going to school together since middle school. Both are Lockport High School graduates and now they are living at Goodyear Hall on the South Campus.
They moved in on Thursday. Both said they opted for dorm living because they want to start being independent. They also noted UB’s tuition makes college affordable.
“Affordability was a big factor, location, reputation – it all added up to be a really good school,” Brounschiedel replied.
Brounschiedel will be majoring in Electrical Engineering.
Townsend said his field of study made UB the right choice for him.
“Affordability, plus I want to do computer engineering. It’s cheap, it’s close and they’re known for it,”
Both noted Townsend and Brounschiedel said their expectations as college freshmen include expanding their learning through the many people who come from all over the world to attend UB. They said they are looking forward 'to meeting new people' and learning about other cultures.
Late Friday afternoon on the Student Union Field on the North Campus in Amherst more than 2,300 students wearing UB-T-shirts, will join UB President Satish Tripathi and other school leaders to form the UB logo.
Students and families will be attending a number of events on the campuses for UB's Opening Weekend before classes start next week.
