Spring Break
When it rains, it pours
April showers bring wet students
Lauren Collins
Issue date: 4/16/09 Section: Opinion
While glancing over the Pirate Rants, I noticed someone venting their frustration about standing in the rain at the bus stop. Very few enjoy the surprise of a sudden downpour, especially without a jacket or umbrella. Some people have the tendency to watch the news or keep tabs on the weather, but the weather in Greenville is not the most predictable. Just because you walk to class in the sun does not guarantee that it will not be raining when you walk out. Aside from wet pant legs and sitting in a cold classroom in damp clothes, it is miserable standing in the rain waiting for the bus.
Perhaps the frequent bus riders have noticed that of the six bus stops on campus, only one is covered. Students riding from apartment complexes enter and exit the bus at Speight, yet there is no available shelter from the dreaded rain. The two designated areas at Christenbury remain uncovered, as well as the stop at Joyner and the last two stops at Minges. If there can be two covered areas at the first Minges bus stop, why can't there be others available at the remaining stops?
I realize there are some serious budget cuts underway and a number of spending demands on campus, but it seems that there must be some way to address this particular issue. With construction majors at both ECU and nearby Pitt Community College, students could easily undergo the project of creating covered bus stops as a grade requirement. Perhaps parents of ECU students or student organizations could collect donations or hold fundraisers to raise money for such a project. Though money is a sore subject for many during the current economic crisis, there should certainly be future consideration for the much wanted and much needed covered bus stops.
Money is not necessarily the only negative aspect of constructing more bus stops for students. The development of a makeshift shelter could affect the university's curb appeal, though such a construction could not possibly be any less appealing than the splotchy grass where hundreds of students stand daily. I doubt the students who have waited countless times for delayed buses would complain about the appearance of any kind of shelter, as long as they did not have to stand in rain or unbearable heat.
If covered bus stops were created with a similar design to the one at the bottom of Minges, people would have little to complain about. The weak or weary could find a resting place, the wet; a dry place and the hot; a shaded area from the often-overwhelming sunlight.
Though it would not have to be the most complicated design, any type of weather barrier would be beneficial. With the collaboration of construction students and faculty, landscapers and possibly art students, a covered bus stop could become an aesthetic addition to the university.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
Perhaps the frequent bus riders have noticed that of the six bus stops on campus, only one is covered. Students riding from apartment complexes enter and exit the bus at Speight, yet there is no available shelter from the dreaded rain. The two designated areas at Christenbury remain uncovered, as well as the stop at Joyner and the last two stops at Minges. If there can be two covered areas at the first Minges bus stop, why can't there be others available at the remaining stops?
I realize there are some serious budget cuts underway and a number of spending demands on campus, but it seems that there must be some way to address this particular issue. With construction majors at both ECU and nearby Pitt Community College, students could easily undergo the project of creating covered bus stops as a grade requirement. Perhaps parents of ECU students or student organizations could collect donations or hold fundraisers to raise money for such a project. Though money is a sore subject for many during the current economic crisis, there should certainly be future consideration for the much wanted and much needed covered bus stops.
Money is not necessarily the only negative aspect of constructing more bus stops for students. The development of a makeshift shelter could affect the university's curb appeal, though such a construction could not possibly be any less appealing than the splotchy grass where hundreds of students stand daily. I doubt the students who have waited countless times for delayed buses would complain about the appearance of any kind of shelter, as long as they did not have to stand in rain or unbearable heat.
If covered bus stops were created with a similar design to the one at the bottom of Minges, people would have little to complain about. The weak or weary could find a resting place, the wet; a dry place and the hot; a shaded area from the often-overwhelming sunlight.
Though it would not have to be the most complicated design, any type of weather barrier would be beneficial. With the collaboration of construction students and faculty, landscapers and possibly art students, a covered bus stop could become an aesthetic addition to the university.
This writer can be contacted at opinion@theeastcarolinian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
well..
posted 4/17/09 @ 12:14 AM EST
Does anyone know that putting a covered bus stop out by Christenbury gym was actually on the agenda of our current Senate President? Well, he had all year. (Continued…)
Citizen1
posted 4/20/09 @ 1:32 AM EST
Again...How much money was spent on the fountain?? Enough said.
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