By Tara Kavanagh
Having grown up in one of the most suffocating, space-devoid Long Island neighborhoods bordering Queens County, traffic and lack of parking were second nature. So, upon my transferring from Marist College a year ago, my naivete of being a Nassau County native left me in the dark about Hofstra’s little parking crisis.
On that first day, I left home not particularly early, figuring it only took about eight minutes to drive to campus. I’d park, run to class and be done with it.
Imagine my horror when I was faced with a scene similar to a feeding frenzy in the African Savannah. People mercilessly stalked pedestrians for hundreds of feet hoping to get lucky and obtain their coveted parking spaces. Four-letter words and lewd gestures were hurled at rapid-fire speeds-and those were the professors. A man drove up in his truck to tow the helpless few who had no choice but to make their own parking spaces in attempts not to miss class. After a few weeks of this battling and tiring of showing up hours before class to avoid the bloodshed of the “11:00 rush,” I noticed people parking along the residential streets surrounding the campus. I followed; I parked, only to return at the end of the day to a ninety dollar parking fine given by one of the many Public Safety officers hunting around the campus.
After learning also that Hofstra allows its resident students to drive to the academic side of campus and by default, take up even more of the rare parking spots, I came to the conclusion that, as a commuter, the next two years were going to basically suck.
Additionally, with the new construction and additions of new buildings, which will eventually house more resident students with cars. I want to know, Hofstra, where you’re going to put all of us commuters?
So, if any of you who have taken the time to read my rant have these similar pent up feelings of frustrated rage about parking, or any other issue you’ve experienced in your tenure here at Hofstra, speak up!
The organization By Students, a group of recent college graduates, is creating a college guidebook of the top 200 colleges across the nation. The best part? This book, due out in 2009, is going to be written solely by students. That means no administration, no professors, no “college experts,” just college kids and their true experiences. So Hofstra students share your stories, complaints-or maybe even praises-at ByStudents.com (http://www.bystudents.com/hofstra).
You never know, enough complaints could cause enough attention for some changes and will help to inform future or potential Hofstra kids about the pros and cons of our school. So, fill out the survey and let your voice be heard! Your creativity could get you published!
Tara Kavanagh is a junior English literature student. You may e-mail her at [email protected].