Amanda Smith is a freelance journalist and writer. She reports on culture, society, human interest and technology. Her stories hold a mirror to society, reflecting both its malaise and its beauty.

Thank you for your interest in submitting a guest column or letter to the editor. All submissions must be original and exclusive to The Alligator; we do not allow cross publication. Submissions will ...

Need something fixed in your room? At UB, our real-time work order system lets you submit and monitor non-technology maintenance requests, 24 hours a day. Call 716-645-2025, option 2, or enter an ...