Buffalo State President Aaron Podolefsky announced at his State of the College
address on April 12 that the 2012-2013 school year will be known as the Year of the
City in continuance of this year’s widely popular Year of the Arts.
Buffalo State is the only State University of New York institution located in an urban
area. Our college is located in one of the most highly-populated regions of Buffalo,
which makes it essential that we maintain a good relationship with the surrounding
community.
College students get a bad reputation, deservedly or not. The area surrounding a
growing school like Buffalo State often becomes a blend of college students living in
their first apartments and families who’ve been rooted in the area for years.
The clash of lifestyles can lead to harsh feelings on both sides, and reputations are
earned, fair or not. A successful Year of the City can go a long way to patching up the
relationship between the school, particularly the student body, and Buffalo’s West
Side.
Podolefsky said during his address that the Year of the City will include a focus on
hosting community-friendly events that improve upon things the school already
does.
While there may be some deserved tension between students and city residents,
there is plenty to celebrate. Buffalo State students are within walking distance of
some of the city’s best locations, from the trendy Elmwood shopping district, the
renowned Albright Knox art gallery and the incredibly diverse mix of cultures from
around the globe that have come to reside on the West Side.
Students play a big part in driving the neighborhood economy, and the college has
already taken many steps to further boost the area. There is still plenty of room for
improvement. Complaints still come in, both from longtime residents upset about
unruly students and from local leaders who feel the college isn’t doing enough.
The Year of the City can be the driving force behind a better relationship between
local neighborhoods and our school. If the right steps are taken, that relationship
could blossom.
We believe that Buffalo State provides a positive service to the neighborhood
and vice-versa. We hope that by celebrating these uplifting relationships it can
strengthen the bonds between the college and those around it.