Thursday, September 13, 2012

Getting From place to place on Campus (Walking Blog #5)



            “Could this campus have anymore stairs?” I asked my friend, Amanda, as we were walking to class.  As much as I love the UNR campus, I am not too fond of all the stairs and hills everywhere.  When I applied to go to school here, I had no idea that the campus was built on so many hills.  The part of Reno I grew up in was completely flat compared to the terrain on campus.
            Transportation is an important topic on campus, because while it is possible to walk everywhere, sometimes it can get really tiring and can take a long time.   For example, I needed to walk from my residence hall, the Nevada Living and Learning Community, to the Lombardi Fitness Center today after class, and half the work out was just getting to and from the gym. It is at the top of a hill and takes at least ten minutes to get there if you walk.  The convenient thing about our campus is that it has a shuttle that will take you up to the gym and to the Joe Crowley Student Union, but then you have to wait a couple minutes for the shuttle.  I have only taken the shuttle once in the few weeks I have lived here, but it seems to work relatively well.  As I was walking to Lombardi today, I saw at least two shuttles pass me, so if I had taken the shuttle, it would’ve only taken me about six minutes and not ten or fifteen.
            Another common mode of transportation around campus is biking. There are bike locks all over campus, and there are people on bikes all over campus. I see people riding to class and to places off campus, and sometimes I start to wish that I, too, had a bike here.  The one thing that I never understood about the bikes though is this: How do they get around all the stairs on campus? Are there secret bike passageways that bypass the stairs? If I ever answer my question and find a secret bike highway at UNR, I will make sure to blog about it and tell everyone.
            Another somewhat strange way to get around campus is on the Vespa-like scooters. I see them all the time on the sidewalk and going from building to building, and I can’t help from wondering two things: Is that even legal? And, could you be any lazier? I know those thoughts are not very nice, but I also know that if I had a motorized scooter to get around with, I would gain so much weight in college. This is because it would take no effort to get anywhere. After math today, a scooter zoomed past me, and I was somewhat terrified for my life. I don’t think that they are ideal for a mainly pedestrian area.
            There is also the Spirit Bus, and I pass these bus stops on the way to my classes sometimes. The Spirit Bus is a good way to get around, because it is free and it takes trips all over down town Reno. I have never been on this bus, but ever since I moved to Reno in fifth grade, I have referred to this bus as “the sketchy bus”. I’m still not sure why I have labeled this bus in such a derogatory fashion. One day I will ride this bus and hopefully change my views on it.
            There are a lot of different options for getting around the UNR campus and its surrounding areas. The way I get around is just by walking, and I really do enjoy getting to see all of the beautiful landscaping and buildings. Also, the nice part about going to college were my family lives, is that if I ever need a ride anywhere off campus, I can just give my mom a phone call. In my opinion, that is much better than a bus or a little scooter.

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