Aliyah Williams
Editor-In-Chief
This article was written by Sarah Borys, a past contributing writer for the Stroud Courier, and was published on Sept. 12, 2013.
The following piece has been published in accordance with the original piece. Only critical style issues have been changed.
It is common knowledge that students attending East Stroudsburg University need to arrive on campus at least 15 minutes early just to ensure they are able to find a parking spot.
As a commuter student, parking is one of the most frustrating parts of the day. It is nearly impossible to get a parking spot in a close lot if you are going to an afternoon class.
With various commuter lots, one might think that parking should be easy. How many commuter students can there really be? More often than not, I find myself parking up in the Marguerite Street lot, which I’ve often heard referenced as Narnia.
When it rains or snows, it really does feel like I’m walking from Narnia. I have found myself walking to class in the pouring rain and then having to sit through an hour-long class with pants that were soaked to the knees. When it’s hot out it’s even worse, making the journey feel like I’m walking right into Hell.
Even with long legs, it takes me about 10 minutes to reach Stroud Hall, where all my classes are. Living a mere five minutes away, I still have to leave about 25 minutes before my classes start.
What adds to the parking frustration is paying for the pass itself. As a student who depends on financial aid for both tuition and books, it can sometimes be hard coming up with extra money for school. Not only do I need to pay for gas to get here and maintenance for my car, now I have to pay just to let my car sit in a lot while I attend class.
Even though Zimbar offers a yearlong pass, I only ever purchase the semester-long pass since it is what I can afford.
The most recent addition to parking frustrations is the ticket system that Zimbar is handing out to get parking passes. Walking in and being told I have to wait at least an hour just to hand someone money and receive a piece of plastic in return is beyond frustrating. I stopped by Zimbar three separate times and my wait ranged anywhere from half an hour to two hours.
With the stress of midterms, papers and other coursework, parking should be the last of my worries but somehow it has reached the top of my list. Some days it seems like walking about a mile to campus is a less stressful option.
Despite being written 10 years ago, Borys’s article still resonates with ESU students today.
“I actually ended up dropping a class because I felt bad being 45 minutes late all the time,” said sophomore Kovii LaBar. “As a commuter student, it’s recently been hard to find parking.”
Some changes have occurred in the parking system since the 2013 article, but the fundamental issues remain similar.
Email Aliyah at:
awillia131@live.esu.edu
