UB offers virtual viewbook
Prospective students get real look at UB through eyes of peers

By MARA McGINNIS
Reporter Assistant Editor

Forget the pretty campus pictures. Forget the traditional recruitment jargon. Forget the bragging rights to celebrated UB faculty and alumni.

Instead of the traditional college viewbook, prospective students from now on will get a real look at what university life is like through the eyes of actual students in "My life at UB," a multimedia project that combines an innovative university viewbook and a corresponding Web site featuring actual video clips from a day in the life of UB students.

Inspired by MTV's "The Real World," the project involved giving nine undergraduates digital-video cameras to record their days.

Viewers are introduced to UB students Karen, Mike, Molly, Lucinda, Ashley, Eric, Amy, Leah and Matt. Through the videos each student shares his or her own interests, goals, wisdom and insights about life at UB and what is most important to him or her.

"My life at UB" is a unique, long-term positioning strategy to show prospective students and visitors to UB's Web site the university experience chronicled by the students themselves, says Peter Killian, UB marketing director.

According to Killian, the project demonstrates how UB's diverse students take ownership of their lives to create a place for themselves to learn, live and grow. He explains that in formulating the idea, the university was trying to figure out how to reach students through several means of communication and, at the same time, link all of these tools together with one theme-one that lets students know that UB belongs to them and allows them the opportunities to become who they want to be.

Each of the uncensored stories is presented in the viewbook with video stills and explanations based on one-on-one interviews with the students. Killian notes that the Web site, which creates a kind of virtual viewbook in addition to the print version, complements each of the students' stories with selected digital-video clips.

Computer-mouse icons throughout the viewbook refer viewers to the Web-based video clips and to keywords that will show more information on specific topics on UB's Web site.

Killian says that when the students were sent out with the cameras, they were given no real instructions, except to record their day. Those coordinating the project had no idea what to expect when they first watched the videos.

"We took a bit of a risk," he said. "But what we got back was nine distinctly different stories that touched on so many aspects of what UB has to offer."

Viewers get to know the students in both the print and Web versions by seeing them go to class, study, eat, meet friends, participate in activities reflective of their interests and hang out in the residence halls.

Karen, an international-studies major, introduces viewers to all of the friends she's met in her four years at UB. She says her advice to incoming freshmen is, "Be yourself and have fun! The great times at UB will fly by in a flash. Enjoy every moment you have here."

A communication major, Mike reveals that he never thought he would find his way around UB. "I also thought I'd never be able to go out when it snowed," he says. "But once you walk around, UB becomes very familiar." Viewers can visit the Web to see footage of Mike and his team giving a marketing presentation or hanging out in the Student Union.

Other video clips on the Web include a public piano recital being held in Allen Hall attended by Molly, the UB Gospel Choir taped by Lucinda and a dance rehearsal captured by Ashley, a freshman and aspiring Broadway performer.

Eric reveals his messy apartment in Hadley Village and an inside look at the editorial offices of The Spectrum.

Amy, a senior and member of the University Honors Program, explains that she is studying to be a veterinarian and takes viewers into her class with a video clip of Joyce Sirianni, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Anthropology, teaching primate anatomy.

Matt, another Honors Program scholar, tells viewers that his favorite place on campus is the new Center for Computational Research because he is passionate about computers and new and improving technology. A member of the Buffalo Chips, Matt can be heard rehearsing with the all-male a capella group in one of the online video clips.

To visit "My life at UB" online, go to http://www.buffalo.edu/admissions.

The project is an ongoing effort coordinated by the Office of Admissions, Office of Marketing, the Office of Publications and the UB Web Team.