Having a car on campus makes me wonder how I ever got by without it. I mean, sure, I took the StagBus any time I needed to get into town, but there is nothing better than being able to operate on my time with nothing holding me back.
While I understand there’s seniority privilege for a reason, namely the lack of parking availability on campus, but as someone who was once in that position, I understand how frustrating not having a car on campus can be, especially if the final destination is not on the StagBus route. What happens if someone wants to get Dunkin’ Donuts? The many Starbucks locations in town are right off the shuttle stop in town but unfortunately, the Dunkin, a generally cheaper coffee stop, is inaccessible to those without a car.
In addition, until recently, the StagBus schedule was very inconvenient, namely that the first bus left at 11:15 a.m., well into the day for the many students with internships that required them to be taken to the Metro-North Train.
I think that many upperclassmen with cars forget the struggle they faced as a freshman or sophomore. The first semesters of college can be really stressful and it can feel suffocating if you can’t get off campus easily. While I’m glad that the StagBus is running more often, it simply isn’t accommodating for everybody.
Furthermore, as a sophomore I found it incredibly frustrating whenever I would see open spots in the Regis or Jogues Hall parking lots. At the very least, I think there should definitely be circumstances in which underclassmen should be allowed a car. I wholeheartedly agree with nursing students being allowed cars for second semester sophomore year and would like to see more availability in the future.
I’ll be launching a Kickstarter in the near future to pay for the additional parking. Does Prep really need a football team?
Counterpoint
By Allison White
Some underclassmen may be angry that they cannot have their cars on campus, but in the long run I think this is a good idea. As freshman and sophomores get acquainted with school, the last thing they need is the responsibility of having a car. A car on campus can serve as a distraction. Not only do you have to maintain its care, but when you should be doing homework, a car makes it easier to escape from your dorm room into the town of Fairfield.
I think that the extension of car privileges would cause too much chaos on campus. Parking lots would be overcrowded and the volume of cars on campus would cause more car accidents. New parking lots will have to be made which would take away from the beauty of our campus’ landscape.
During the first few semesters of college, students are worried about finding a solid group of friends. By having a car, these students may be used by those who do not have a car. When other students don’t have a car, they may seek a friend who does have one. This is not a good way to build a friendship. No one wants to be made a friend just because of his or her possessions.
I think that having a car on campus is unnecessary. The StagBus takes students everywhere they need to go such as the mall, the grocery store and into the town of Fairfield. Everything a student could need is located in one of these places and the bus is more than convenient. Also, underclassmen have not been around Fairfield as much as upperclassmen so they are not as familiar with the town. This would cause them to get lost on their own.
The privilege to having a car on campus should be restricted to upperclassmen only. Since they have been attending Fairfield longer, upperclassmen should have more privileges than underclassmen.
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