Commuters Speak Out

by Zach Miller

Cars and finding a place to park them is not anything unusual to see, anywhere, especially on a college campus. But parking and concerns about getting to your first class are not as bad for those who live on campus. Commuters, people who live off campus, can find it difficult to be a part of the greater college experience and of course find it frustrating when it comes to campus parking.

Student Nick Hammett drives about forty minutes to get to campus each day and if he has an early class it can be a pain to get to that class on time. "If you have a class before nine you can usually get a parking spot," Hammett said. But if that class is after nine the chances of you getting a commuter space that is near to your class is very slim.

That is one of the many complaints that Montevallo commuters have when it comes to commuting on campus. "I was a little angry when they took some of the commuter spots by the library and repaved them," said commuter James Grammar.

Parking and the fear of getting a ticket are definitely negatives when it comes to commuting but there are some positives. "My dad cooks dinner every night," Hammett says. Having a steady supply of food out of your home pantry is a plus to not having to worry about having a meal plan on campus. However, some commuters like Hammett still get a meal plan if for nothing more than flex points.

Having a steady diet, finding a place to park and trying to avoid parking tickets is something all UM students have in common and are likely to have in common in the future.