Students might be able to leave their car at home…
Daniel Schiffhauer, a sophomore finance major, entered his second year without a car at St. Bonaventure University. He worried about being limited to on-campus jobs and the inconvenience of being unable to leave campus on his own schedule. However, Schiffhauer said, “I have found plenty of opportunities that I can take advantage of without needing to leave campus.”
Bonaventure has 1,839 undergraduate students, according to the school’s website. The associate dean for campus safety, Gary Segrue, says 1,078 of those students have a car registered to park on campus, leaving 761 students without a car registered on campus.
Students should consider many factors when deciding whether to be one of those students. These factors include job opportunities, access to activities and running errands. The majority of students interviewed said that these factors do not necessitate a car, but that having one provides an advantage.
One factor includes what job or internship opportunities might be required of the student’s major and if outside opportunities exist.
Students like Schiffhauer said they have found jobs that do not require them to leave campus.
Other students said not having a car provides a challenge. The coursework and internship requirements for certain majors require students to leave campus in some capacity.
Sophomore early education major Ryan Bauer said, “Last semester I had to drive an hour to Salamanca High School every day for tutoring.” Bauer said that if he had not had a car, he likely would have been able to find a ride with another student. If none of them had cars he didn’t know what they would have done.
“A student is at a disadvantage if they do not have a car,” said Anne Lee, co-editor of TAPinto Greater Olean, a local publication managed mostly by students, and a professor at SBU.
The Jandoli School of Communication offers a class for students to work for TAP. Those without a car to transport themselves to find stories would have a harder time in the class, according to Lee.
Gabriel Cote, a freshman accounting major, said not being able to get off campus could limit students’ ability to acquire a part-time job.
“I wanted to work at Applebee’s last semester to make a little extra money,” said Cote. “Without a car it just wasn’t possible.”
Some students said having a car on campus can determine a student’s access to off-campus activities.
“I love the freedom of being able to go where I want when I want. Last year when COVID-19 was bad, my friends and I were able to travel to different places in New York and Pennsylvania every weekend and it made the semester a lot more fun,” said Bauer.
The Campus Activities Board hosts weekly events that do not require students to leave campus such as bingo and paint nights.
“We try to hold two events per week to give students something fun to do on the weekends.” Said Kelsey Purcell, the president of CAB. Purcell brought up the Bona Bus, an option not many students mentioned when asked about how they get off campus.
“If I need something from Walmart and my friends are not free, I have to rework my schedule,” said Cote. “I know there is a bus, but I have no idea when or where it leaves from.”
A schedule for the Olean Area Transit System Bona Bus can be found on the City of Olean website. The bus makes trips to all the campus residence buildings and to Walmart, The Burton, a local bar, and Five Star Bank throughout the day.
Some students find this to be an inconvenient option. However, some students without a car said it offers a way off campus to do basic errands like grocery shopping and banking.
Students said bringing a car to campus has the potential to make their Bonaventure experience easier. It gives them the freedom to leave campus on their own schedule, for any reason. It also makes it so that they do not need to be limited to internships or jobs offered on campus or remotely.
However, 15 out of 20 students interviewed did not give a definitive “yes” when asked if incoming freshmen should bring their cars to campus.
“For a student’s first year, especially since they have a full meal plan, hold off on bringing your car,” said Emma Fox, a senior political science major. “Knowing what you can and cannot do with a car is a good experience just in case something happens where you no longer have a car.”
“Do some research before making the decision to bring your car,” said Schiffhauer. “If you don’t need it, at least for your first year don’t waste the money on a parking pass.”
Although having a car offers advantages, students said they can get by without one.