Twentysomething in Buffalo

Things I miss from college

The hi-jinks:
        The 2nd annual Syracuse Undies Run was Tuesday, and it got me all sentimental of my own college experience at UB. There isn't an undies run at UB (though there should be. In March just before Spring Break. Get on it UB students), but that doesn't mean we didn't flash absurd amounts of skin for the sake of school pride. My old roommate Patrick and I, our senior year, donned speedos, a Santa Claus Beard, football helmet, mullet wig and blue body paint (only) and set sail on Lake LaSalle in my canoe, blasting "CHARGE!" on our other roommate's trumpet while taunting Syracuse fans going to the 2005 UB vs. Syracuse football game. The best part? We were stone sober.
    Here's our conversation with (the totally cool) University police that fine day just off Baird Point:
Bike cop 1: You can't be out on the lake. Didn't you see the no boating signs?
Me: No boating? The UB crew team was out here last week.
Patrick: There aren't any no boating signs. [note: there really were none - we checked]
Bike cop 2: Where did you put in?
Me: Over by the Ellicott Complex.
Bike cop 1: You gotta get out. Now.
Patrick: We're parked over by Ellicott - can't we just paddle back there?
Bike Cop 1: You think we can let them do that?
Bike cop 2: I don't want to let them paddle out there. Do you realize how much they've probably drank?
Patrick and me, in unison:  We haven't drank anything.
Bike Cop 1: You did this SOBER?
Patrick: Yeah, we wanted to remember this.
Me: Besides, I'm an Eagle Scout, and he used to teach canoing [note: all true]
The bike cops are speechless, exchange a look.
Bike Cop 1: Well, paddle back to where you put in, and wait for us there.
We paddle back to Ellicott, pull our canoe out of the water, and strap it to the roof of my (rusty) car
Bike Cop 1: (To his partner) There aren't any signs there. What are we gonna do.
Bike Cop 2: Wait for the lieutenant.
Lieutenant pulls up, mirrored shades on, hand covering mustache and big grin.
Lt.: Are you guys drunk?
Us: No.
Lt.: Why did you do what you just did?
Me: Because I hate the color orange.
Lt.: ...Put some clothes on and get out of here.

I've got more stories, some more, uh, interesting than others, but I'm not the only one with university goofiness. What stories do you have?

Bonus image below (You're my boy, Patrick!):

-Evan Parker Pierce

Argument for secession

Here's just a quick post for you to chew on while I sort out all the Halloween mayhem:

Saturday's Globe & Mail (A New York Times analogue for Canada, if you didn't know) had a column calling for Torontonians to recognize their city not as a backwater boomtown, but as a full-fledged cosmopolitan megacity/region.

Buffalonians know Toronto is the valedictorian of our regional high school, but the column makes an interesting case for regionalism. This idea isn't the Metropolitan Buffalo/Erie County merged government that's been bandied about in recent mayoral and executive elections - this is bigger.

How would you feel about your hometown if you lived in a region that is, in terms of economy and population, ranked in the top 12 in the world?  Say you were in Europe, explaining where you were from, would you cringe explaining that you weren't from that New York, that you were from Western New York, as though Buffalo were the boonies?

Well here's an excuse: say you're from Tor-Buf-Chester. That's the economic region that encompasses, obviously, Toronto, Buffalo and Rochester (along with Syracuse, NY and London and Guelph, Ont.).

Check it:

Tor-Buff-Chester is bigger than the San Francisco-Silicon Valley mega-region, Greater Paris, Hong Kong and Shanghai, and more than twice the size of Cascadia, which stretches from Vancouver to Seattle and Portland. Its economic might is equivalent to more than half of all of Canada's. If it were its own country, it would number among the 16 biggest in the world, with economic output bigger than that of Sweden, the Netherlands, or
Australia.

While I'm not serious about the above headline, it makes one really think about what we really have here in Buffalo, and how we need to differentiate ourselves from traditional regionalism, and to reach our potential. Obviously we need a solution to safe and practical border crossings. I also think we need to establish a better mass-transit link between the two cities (and even Rochester - another fast ferry?), more shared media coverage and some way to encourage cross-border employment.

-- Evan Parker Pierce

The job hunt blues

   Being stuck in this awkward transition of leaving behind college immaturities and embracing a career path has taught me more than any college course ever could.

   Don't get me wrong, college was not a breeze. A 400-hour (unpaid) internship and 35-page senior thesis were a far cry from a walk in the park. But once I started the aggravating journey of getting a decent-paying job, with benefits, I came to grips with the fact that a B+ in an editing course wasn't going to make me an instant editor.

   Growing up in the middle- to upper-middle class I was faced with more expectations than options. I was expected to utilize my degree and head down a prosperous career path. Well, it's harder than it sounds; a lot harder.

   Despite the fact that Buffalo's career opportunities are disheartening, I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. My first step to finding a "career" was registering on Monster.com, and not to criticize the Web site, but I could have found the same job opportunities in the classifieds.

   My second step: get your foot in the door.

   Let's face it, most graduates aren't walking out of college with a degree and walking into a corner office with a window and a six-figure salary. Graduates usually need to start low but aim high. The most beneficial aspect of seeking your way through the corporate labyrinth is that you're not only building up your resume, you're also learning your strengths and weaknesses.

   If you're still pulling your hair out trying to find a job go to www.labor.state.ny.us and click on job fairs. You can view upcoming fairs in your area and helpful tips to make the
process easier.

-- Kelly Boquard

True that...

Someone commented about Buffalo being a place for entrepreneurs and that instead of waiting for jobs to come, we should create our own.  Most definitely.  The economy here may not be perfect for some companies and businesses, but it is ripe for starting something of your own.

Use your talents and knowledge.  It will be less expensive for start up here than in another city.  The only thing is if you're thinking of starting a restaurant, it better be really, really good because there's some serious competition.

You could always do a franchise, too.  Even though there a lot of Tim Horton's, I know for a fact that they still want to expand in the Buffalo area. 

Moral of the story: we can't just sit and complain about the lack of jobs.  So maybe we can create some.

Running in Circles

"If you can't make it here then you can't make it anywhere" posted a commentor. 

At first I agreed, but then realized what a generalization that is.  It's not true.  It's not easy to "make it" in Buffalo because of the lack of opportunity.

I'm all for making something happen if you want it to (it is survival of the fittest after all), but it's tough in this area.  I come from the mindset of "Things only get done if I do them myself" and I know you can't expect help.  But, it would be easier to "make it" in a place that actually follows through with plans. 

I'm thinking of 3 other cities that I could go to and be much better off jobwise than I am here.  And that's because there are more job oportunities and people in other cities.  The people aren't here because there aren't jobs, and the jobs aren't here because  there aren't people.

Buffalo seems like an easy place to "make it" because there won't be much competition and the cost of living is inexpensive, but it needs existing business to attract people.  I guess we're running in circles.  We've got to break this cycle.

Do you want us or not?

The older people in the area complain about the “Brain Drain” while the younger people say they have no choice but to leave due to the lack of jobs. Companies and businesses say they’d love to hire fresh young faces that are willing to stay in the Buffalo area.

A dear friend of mine just received his MBA from a very good school on the East Coast. Throughout his undergrad years he came back to Buffalo to intern at a certain large, well-known company. The education and experience he gained while earning his MBA are perfectly suited for a position at that same company. He is passionate about and more than willing to move back to Buffalo to work. I should also add that representatives from the company are often quoted as saying that Buffalo-area businesses should try to lure people to stay here and should take advantage of the multitude of local college and university students.

He interviewed for the position and was told he needed more experience. He didn’t get the job. Does anyone see how frustrating this is?!

Now, I’m not saying that just because he is willing to move back to Buffalo he should automatically get the job, but he is extremely well educated and his prior experience is with THAT company! He knows what’s up! He is eager and willing…like many others in WNY. This story is the perfect anecdote for what’s going in this area. I’m just wondering what young people are supposed to do here…do you want us or not?