Most UB students today will not see the firsthand the results of UB 2020. However, they can participate in the beginning stages of the historic transition by sharing student perspectives of the project and the current campus.
At the end of the Spring 2007 semester, UB 2020 administrators launched Framing UB: a new program for members of the University community to share their thoughts and viewpoints of the campuses, and to contribute in the UB 2020 process through photography and video submissions.
The name of the program comes from the idea of capturing reality, encouraging participants to share both the good and bad aspects of UB, according to Bradshaw Hovey, Ph.D., an associate director of UB 2020.
"It's about saying that specific things are important," Hovey said. "It helps us understand what students value."
Framing UB allows the students to share their own assessments of the University for UB 2020's motion, according to Hovey.
"It is a way to help shape the plan, by calling our attention to things that need to be fixed, things that need to be preserved or things that need to be made better," Hovey said.
Participants of the program have a wide range of artistic freedom. There are no guidelines for photographs or videos to be submitted in relation to the program. Along with the submission, participants are asked about where the photograph was taken and to submit a commentary of the images.
Hovey said that it is most desirable if students state why they took a specific picture, explaining the meaning behind the image they are showing.
Up to five photographs can be submitted at a time; generally multiple photo submissions have a related theme.
There have been about 150 contributors to the program since the launch, Hovey said.
"We wouldn't mind if we had a thousand," he said.
Some of the submissions were required by urban development and architecture classes, but others came from self-interested University members, including Anna Vanderwalker, a senior social sciences major.
"I was just messing around on MyUB one day and happened to come across it," Vanderwalker said.
One of her submitted colorful photos was of a sunset near Lake LaSalle.
"I take pictures of the sunsets virtually every night," Vanderwalker said. "I really wanted to share with people the beauty here at UB."
Vanderwalker entered the contest in hopes of getting her picture recognized and published at UB. She was thrilled that her photo got chosen to be posted on the Web site and is hoping to share more of her art with the UB community.
Lauren Chin, a sophomore architecture major, found out about the program through her ARC 211 (American Diversity and Design) class. She submitted a photo of shopping carts that were found on South Campus.
"They represent the chaos of school, balancing classes and experiencing college life," Chin said.
Ashish Panse, an electrical engineering graduate student, found out about Framing UB through a friend. He submitted a night photograph of Hayes Hall on South Campus.
"I had always imagined of going to an institution with some heritage and history, but when I learned that all my classes were going to be at North, I was a bit disappointed," Panse said. "One fine day, I was presented with this picturesque opportunity, which I could not miss."
Hovey is currently working on categorizing the submissions, intends on presenting the categories on the UB 2020 Web site and will include them for future UB 2020 presentations.
Some of the categories have such themes as transportation, structures and flawed areas that could have safety issues. Submissions do not need to fit any of the specific categories.
"I like the program because it helps students to become more aware of surroundings on campus and to look beyond just the buildings," Chin said.
Framing UB is accepting submissions through April 2008 and may continue beyond that date. Submissions can be posted through the UB 2020 Web site.
"I like the program because it helps students to become more aware of surroundings on campus and to look beyond just the buildings," Chin said.
The best of the Framing UB submissions are also posted on the Web site at http://www.buffalo.edu/ub2020/plan/framing_ub.html.
"The information they are creating is very useful," Hovey said. "It is incredibly important to maintain support for long range projects."
