I have been a student at ASU for almost three years now. My brother went to this institution before me, so I come from a family of tuition-paying, die-hard Sun Devils. I love this school, and I have enjoyed every minute of my time here. However, as much as I love ASU, there are some things that the University has been doing as of late that cannot go unnoted anymore, and I’m not talking about the tuition increases.
What finally threw me over the edge are the parking meters on Apache Blvd. These meters have always cost money until 6 p.m. These meters were the shining light in the busy day of an off-campus student, when all you want to do after 6 p.m. is go to the library, work out at the SRC, practice your club sport or attend a club meeting on campus. Now, these meters have been officially extended as paying meters until 10 p.m.
This may not seem like a big deal, but think of it like this: The majority of ASU students live off campus. How are students supposed to access the library without paying between $2 and $8? How are club athletes supposed to practice their designated sport under the piles of already established club sport dues when they also have to pay for parking on campus? How is the average off-campus student supposed to stay in shape or attend a club or academic meeting?
The answer is they have to pay. Yes, on top of everything else, we have to pay to stay in shape, to be involved in something on campus and to study. Is it fair that off-campus students essentially have to pay an extra fee to use all of ASU amenities that on-campus students do not have to pay?
I understand that many of the fees in place are implemented to shake all the loose change out of any guest or visitor that may come to ASU, but there are many more students who come to campus and end up using such parking instead.
If this is a City of Tempe issue, I have a suggestion to ASU: open your parking garages to the public after 7 p.m. like you claim you do, so Arizona students can find some sort of haven in this financial drought.
Faith Breisblatt
Undergraduate
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