After the long-awaited return from summer, many students were surprised by some of the changes made across campus. Between overflowing parking lots and the revised dining hall hours, the convenience of living on North Side has decreased dramatically.
The current cost of room and board on campus is approximately $12,660, according to the Geneseo website. With prices so steep, it is reasonable for students to expect some value from living in the dorms.
Parking has proved to be one of the largest problems for North Side residents. In recent years, the sight of a desperate driver searching for a non-existent spot has become familiar to anyone living on North Side. This year, the problem seems worse to many students.
Overfilled parking lots not only create frustration for students with cars, but it forces students to park in restricted areas where they can be ticketed.
Echoing the uproar from students when Fusion Market closed every Saturday last year, North Side students have taken issue with the change in hours at Mary Jemison Dining Hall and Fusion. MJ has switched it’s hours to weekdays only from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.—a decrease of seven hours from last year’s 10 p.m. closing time—while Fusion has decreased its nightly hours by three hours, according to the Geneseo website.
Although these revised hours come in the wake of Red Jacket Dining Hall’s reopening on South Side, they do not comfort students living on North Side who have to trek a half a mile to reach the dining hall.
Some students are so disappointed with these changes, they have started multiple online petitions in the hopes that Campus Auxiliary Services will take notice and reinstate longer hours at MJ. Together, these petitions — one on iPetitions and one on Geneseo Speaks—have 546 supporters.
Despite some efforts to make on-campus living more appealing, some North Side students are not pleased with the changes. Given the inflated price of living in the residence halls, this frustration has some merit.