a student newspaper of the university of tulsa
october 22, 2012 issue 8 ~ volume 98
Tulsa steals Rice’s thunder, moves to 7–1 page 2
Homecoming 2012
TU parking policy receives mixed reviews Though a majority of students are dissatisfied with the current parking policy, opinions differ about how the policy should change. Conor Fellin Student Writer
A
recent student interest survey performed by the University of Tulsa’s Student Association found that 70 percent of TU students were to some degree unsatisfied with parking, 40 percent were strongly unsatisfied, and 77 percent wanted more freedom to park in multiple lots. More detailed interviews with
a small cross-section of TU’s student body, however, reveal that students’ actual experiences with parking are far more diverse than a simple poll could show. “I try to mold my travel schedule around when I know that there will be a spot open,” Fisher West resident Zach Nordin said. Because of his refusal to move his car during the week, Nordin rarely has problems finding a spot in the West Residential lots. Nordin’s experience stands out as unusually positive among those with permits in the West Residential lots. The product of the recent merge of the Delaware and West Suites lots, the West Residential lots provide much of the parking
for the residents of Lottie Jane and Fisher South as well as for residents of Fisher West (a hall whose population has nearly doubled this year) and the attendees of the occasional tennis tournament. Former Lottie Jane resident Marcia Jolly says that she had to park in the shuttle lot at the southeast end of campus three to four times a week when she could not find a space in her two assigned lots, often late at night. She described one particular incident during which she got a ride home from campus security after a procedure on her foot rendered her practically incapable of the walk from the shuttle back to her dorm. Another Lottie Jane resident
who asked not to have her identity disclosed counted eight times that she had to park in USA South because of overflow in the West Residential lots. Associate Vice President for Facilities and Campus Services Terry Hossack confirmed that, although there is a cap on how many permits are sold for each lot, some lots are oversold. On the other side of campus, parking has more satisfied members. Alex Lach, who spent his last two years in LaFortune and is currently living in an apartment in USA West, says that he “has never had trouble parking.” Fifth Place resident Preslie Watkins described difficulties parking
in McFarlin lot, but said that otherwise she has few problems. Even commuter students cannot seem to come to a consensus as to what characterizes TU parking. Kaitlyn Ptachek successfully found a lot close to two of her most frequent destinations on campus, the Newman Center and Keplinger Hall, and has little difficulties finding a spot at the early hour at which she arrives on campus. Brenten McCulloch, on the other hand, had difficulty finding any spots closer to his humanities classes than the shuttle lot, despite registering for parking the first day
See Parking on page 9
Living on campus strains student finances
For some TU students, the cost of living on campus would be prohibitive without the option of commuting. but even commuters sometimes face financial straits. Oscar Ho
Student Writer
T
he rising cost of room and board at universities across the country has been worrying many high school graduates. A 2010 USA Today report noted a 46-percent increase in the total
cost of a public college education in the past ten years. During the same time, the cost of education at private universities climbed 28 percent. The USA Today also noted an average 19-percent drop in the size of endowments, though more recent reports indicate that almost 70 percent of the nation’s universities have recovered from recession losses. The suddenly-reduced fiscal capabilities of many public and private universities have led to larger increases in tuition despite the apparent recovery. Housing and dining rates have not been directly affected, but they too have
taken a hit. The situation in student housing is not about to improve. The University of Central Missouri’s residence rates were raised five percent over last year. Student dining rates also increased. The cost of meal plans cooked up by Sodexo, the same meal provider used by the University of Tulsa, increased by 2.75 percent. Many of this year’s commuters share the same view on housing requirements: the cost of living on campus outweighs the benefit. For some, it is simply unfeasible or unwise from a financial point of view. Several freshmen and sopho-
mores shared similar reasons for commuting: they did not want the extra expense. Morgan Culler, a freshman majoring in communications, simply said, “I don’t have money.” She found the housing and dining rates “a bit ridiculous.” Some students wonder how the cost of housing and the cost of gas compare. One commuter from Jenks had wondered if the 25-minute commute and gas money were worth it. “I’m hoping that the cost of driving back and forth will be less than the cost of living here,” she said. Extra control of the purse strings is not the only perk to being a commuter. “I have my own room
and my own bed. It’s great,” said Ike Jones, a freshman mechanical engineering major. Jones said that he may not have been able to come to TU if he were required to live on campus. For Tulsans who choose to live at TU, campus residence becomes a new life. The university’s position is that living on campus generally results in better academic performance. The opportunities to learn with peers are numerous, something that, by nature, is not as readily available to commuters. Some locals choose residential life for the friends and fun. For
See Housing on page 9