Trading card introductions big hit on campus

By CHRISTINE VIDAL
Reporter Editor

The trading cards-50 different ones in all-are bright, fun and informative. There is a photo on one side, facts about UB on the other. Topics covered include historical information about the university; centers and services important to students; cool places to hang out; annual events; athletics and the Western New York area.

Developed by the Office of Student Life, the trading card project was designed to provide an ice breaker, a way for students to get to know one another at orientation, according to Barbara J. Ricotta, director of the Office of Student Life.

The concept came from a small school in Massachusetts that put together a similar project, Ricotta said. It sounded like a good idea, and Student Life staff began talking last year about putting together a set of UB trading cards. In January the project became more well defined, and by March, Ricotta said, they were off and running.

Much credit for the UB trading cards goes to Gerrard Godwin, assistant director of Student Life, who, Ricotta said, is a UB history buff.

"Gerry sat down and came up with a list of 60 card ideas. I'd add a couple, and he'd add a couple." They then whittled the list to 50 different cards containing information about UB.

Godwin also shot all the photos that appear on the UB trading cards. "Gerry's also a photographer, so we had many of the photos we needed in our files," Ricotta said.

At orientation, students each received a deck of 50 identical cards. The goal: to keep trading cards with other students-who had sets of a different card-until they had complete decks. In all, about 2,000 sets were distributed.

"The first night I got a call at home at 10 o'clock," Ricotta said. It was from an orientation aide, who told her, "You ought to see this: they're all sitting around trading cards."

The cards were popular with orientation aides, too. Each session, the aides would hold out a group of cards so new students would have to involve them in order to complete their sets. "I think that's just because they wanted to play, too," Ricotta said.

In fact, the UB trading cards have been received so positively that Student Life plans to use the idea again next year. But this time, Ricotta said, she plans to ask the university community for input. "We're going to send notices out to offices with a set of cards and ask if there's something they'd like to add."

In the meantime, Ricotta and the Office of Student Life are enjoying how well the trading cards have been received. "We did it because we thought it was a good idea. We didn't think it would be as popular as it's become," she said. "You're always a little leery about doing these things because of the expense and time, but it's worked out well. The students were very happy with it and it was very popular."