Weeks of Welcome: Buffalo State On the Move
Barbeques, slip’n’slides, music, pool parties—wait a minute, isn’t summer over? Although temperatures are dropping outside, activities for students at Buffalo State continue to heat up with Weeks of Welcome. Organized by the Student Life Office, Weeks of Welcome is a jam-packed schedule of events held during the first six weeks of the fall semester.
The schedule has something for everyone with events ranging from keynote speakers to karaoke contests to whitewater rafting. Weeks of Welcome also features events that are part of Buffalo State’s Year of the Arts schedule. These events are being held on campus, in the city of Buffalo, and throughout Western New York, with some events in Canada.
This year’s Weeks of Welcome features a new series of events called Buffalo State On the Move. These events, hosted by local restaurants and cafés, encourage students to explore the vibrant neighborhood surrounding the campus. Buffalo State On the Move was created in response to a survey conducted last year of more than 1,000 commuter students.
“Eighty percent of the students here are commuters.” said Richard Harris, assistant director for commuter and minority student services. “They are part of the Western New York community already. They’re also part of the Buffalo State community. They want to see more of a connection between the two.”
On September 2, students visited Spot Coffee on Delaware Avenue to socialize and enjoy free specialty drinks. A gathering at the art-infused Sweetness 7 café located at 220 Grant St. on September 12 was next.
“A lot of our students frequent Sweetness 7, so they were very excited,” said Harris. “The businesses are excited to connect with the campus, too.” The owner of Sweetness 7, Prish Moran, graduated from Buffalo State and has created a signature Bengal Bite muffin and a non-alcoholic Tiger Tonic drink for students.
Buffalo State On the Move wraps up on Monday, September 19, with free pizza and wings at J.P. Bullfeathers on Elmwood Avenue at 5:30 p.m.
Throughout the year, the Student Life Office hopes to continue building relationships and connecting with neighboring businesses. “Students want to get to a point where they can use their Bengal ID card at these places,” said Harris. “It’s something we are continuing to work on.”
The Student Life Office hopes that involvement with the Weeks of Welcome programming, including Buffalo State On the Move, will allow students to establish new relationships, transition with ease, and take advantage of the many resources available to them at Buffalo State. They also hope students will recognize the abundance of social, historical, and cultural opportunities available off campus as well.