
I have been a student here at University Park for about two and a half years now, or four and a half semesters. For many, including myself, getting around on campus can be a problem. My freshman year I was placed in an East Halls dorm room; pretty much the furthest eastward limit of campus, not counting the stadium and Bryce Jordan Center. Traveling from my home in Stuart Hall to classes in such faraway places as Willard building, near the center of campus, could take up to 25 minutes by foot, especially if the weather was bad, as it often is in State College. Speaking to an alum not much older than myself, I learned that not long ago the East Halls dorms were set apart from the rest of the school by huge tracts of unused land. Today that empty space has been filled with sports fields, huge new buildings including the new Creamery and new health services building, and surrounded with apartments. As our campus continues to expand, getting from one place to another becomes more and more difficult. What is the best solution to the problem of mobility? On a college campus, it is the bicycle. But the bike by itself won't solve any problems. Students need to ride them, and the campus needs to be built to suit the needs of bicyclists.
	I was talking to a friend of mine who recently resumed bicycling after a several-year hiatus. He mentioned that he wondered why he ever stopped. “Bikes are great,” he said, “for a few years it wasn’t cool to ride a bike, but it’s the only way to get around.” In addition to being good for your body, bicycling is the most efficient way to travel. A bowl of oatmeal and a little physical exertion will take you 30 miles or more. Like many undergraduates, I now live off campus; just as far from the center of campus as some dorms. The smartest decision I’ve made this year was to buy a bike. Every day, I have class in Thomas building, easily a twenty-five-minute walk from my home. Riding a bike can cut that time down to 5 minutes if I pedal fast enough. The only problem is, Pollock Road is the straightest shot to Thomas building from my house, and it's not always an easy road to travel on, bike or no bike. There are things to be said for walking as well, but personally I’m too busy to walk. If I didn’t have my bike, walking would be my only reliable option for getting to class. Walking to Thomas every day would take an extra 30-40 minutes out of my day. That’s over two and a half hours every week. Add to that all the other time I would have to spend walking to and from other classes, appointments, and etc. That’s more time than I can spare. 