Choosing a college to go to is such a fun but also stressful time. Wanting to pick the perfect place to spend the next four years of your life is the goal of every student. While SUNY Cortland students are extremely proud to be a Red Dragon, there are a few common grievances among our peers.
1. Parking:
Students come to live at SUNY Cortland from all over the country. Transportation is an obvious concern when traveling to and from campus for commuting students, so why is parking such an issue here? Living off-campus myself, it definitely is a challenge to ensure a parking spot for yourself without it being a twenty-minute walk to class. We know that there are just not enough parking spots in general, however, a common connection to this subject is the location of appropriate parking. The parking lot located on north campus was restricted to only commuter passes and has since been closed off to students since the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester, and some students have noticed it is not being filled by other cars. A student who wanted to share on this topic mentioned, “I live five minutes off-campus and the fact that the only parking lot on top of the hill is now being used as, like, decoration, is really frustrating. I thought maybe it was going to be utilized by professors and faculty, but I guess not”. Alexis Fernando, Senior.
2. Food:
While we love and appreciate the CAS workers as they do so much for us, a number of students wish there was a larger variety of food choices. A third-year student, Jamie Caccavale, had something to say on this matter, “It’s almost like they go through a cycle of the same food every two weeks”. Students in general have collectively agreed that the dining dollar options on campus are a more popular spot to go to. While students wish this wasn’t the case, Neubig and Bistro will continue to be used by current students despite their wish for different cuisine.
3. Diversity:
Another popular affliction among students about the campus is diversity. Students have said that underrepresentation from faculty/professors specifically has definitely been noticed. Having a larger diverse population of faculty at SUNY Cortland can signify to students of all backgrounds that they are represented in the “real world”, as well as opening up different levels of opportunity and representation. The Multicultural Life and Diversity Office on campus have created presentations and workshops in order to close this diversity gap. On their homepage, they state, “ The Multicultural Life and Diversity office at SUNY Cortland aspires to create a common vision for situating diversity, equity, and inclusion as necessary core values of academic excellence”. For any student interested in this topic or wanting to assist in SUNY Cortland’s mission, get involved! The students of SUNY Cortland have your back.
4. Weather:
While this topic is uncontrollable, many students have voiced their opinions on the overall “hot to cold” weather changes. To some students who may not be used to this dramatic day-to-day fluctuation in weather, this can definitely be seen as a tough issue to put aside.