Editor:
As one of thousands of struggling college students, I am outraged at the manner in which the University of Utah is handling the everlasting problem of student parking. Each year, the school raises the price of parking permits.
Due to the five-month stay of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee on campus, the already limited parking gets even more inefficient.
While the U and Parking and Transportation Services are urging students to use alternative means of transportation, those of us who commute from West Valley, Taylorsville, Tooele, Orem, etc. are up a creek.
For us, these alternatives are inconvenient and cater to those with either an extraordinary amount of time or those who live close to bus and TRAX stations. What about those students who paid for year-long permits? What good do year-long parking permits do for students if they cannot use them for a whole semester?
The most likely action is that the university will just quietly pocket the money that we forked out for what we were made to believe was the opportunity to drive to school for the year.
Although I am not against the Olympics, I feel as if the interests of the students are being tossed aside for an event that will last for such a short period of time.
It will be interesting to see if the media, when perhaps asking students’ opinions regarding the Olympics, is given the truth behind the event: Students are being blatantly pushed aside without any choice in the matter.
Students have taken a great deal of grief from the university, and I think it’s finally time to stand up to the people who are quick to take our dollars, but are sluggish at responding to the students’ needs.
Michelle Cook, Junior, Environmental Studies