by Nikitha Kamath
Whether you are confident about the existence of climate change, staunchly believe that vaccination is a hoax or find yourself wondering if the earth is flat every now and then, I think we can all agree upon one thing: 2020 has not been sunshine and rainbows so far. Some might even say that the bare shelves in grocery stores, the sheer lack of sanitizer and the internet going wild with hourly death count updates are evidence that the coronavirus has caused anxiety and paranoia in people. In this article, I am going to take the spotlight off of this pandemic’s effects on the world and highlight some events closer to home that require an immediate call to action.
Aside from the obvious changes this quarantine has brought to us high schoolers like an increase in free time as well as boredom, these turn of events have especially upset the senior class with uncertainty hanging around much anticipated events such as prom and graduation. However, I have to say that we were severely blindsided if we thought that seniors have to see the worst of 2020. In a matter of days, the tables have turned, bringing the most devastating news for the juniors: the University at Buffalo has announced that they will become a strictly out-of-state school effective fall 2021. Although current seniors who plan on enrolling at UB for the fall of 2020 retain their admission, this is certainly not the best news for ambitious juniors looking forward to being a Bull.
When East Side News reached out to the university for details regarding what caused them to take this drastic step, they shared, “Every year we have a large influx of students from Williamsville East High School. While they are some of our best students, each one of them seems to have a problem with how our university is built. Oftentimes we find them scheming about how they can take down our walls and bring about a more open structure. One morning we even found a whole wall taken down in the library and this seemed to be the result of an elaborate plan involving all East graduates: from freshmen to seniors! It breaks our heart to have to make this decision, but we believe it is in the best interest of the rest of our students as well as East graduates who find success in an open, wall-less environment.”
In order to avoid confusion and conflict with the current students and faculty, UB will also be changing its name to the University of Buffalo beginning fall 2021—a subtle yet significant revision to the name of the institution that will help distinguish it from the prior university that accepted in-state students. While some are mourning this news quietly, we at the East Side News believe it is important to make our voices heard in order to preserve our beloved state school. Don’t forget to check out www.wewantubback.net or follow our petition on social media at @take_ny_ub. We must spread the word before it is too late. Horns up!
