A new spring semester is right around the corner, which means it’s also time to ring in a new year. This year will be no different then last New Year's in regards to the fact that there will be a spike in gym memberships and millions of half-hearted resolutions will fall short mere weeks into January. However, a new year brings us hope that this time will be different because it’s a chance to start over. And while we make resolutions to get back into shape, eat healthier, or some other form of productive behavior, we can all agree that UF needs to make some New Year's resolutions the most, because even though UF is great in so many ways, it fails miserably in others. But while hope in our own resolutions flickers before it dies, our hope in the resolutions UF needs never gets off the ground. UF is stubborn, and like a fat, old couch potato, refuses to change its ways.
One of the many ways UF drops the ball each and every year is by giving its parking police free reign to terrorize students with outrageous parking tickets for the most ridiculous reasons. There isn’t a more frustrating feeling than receiving a hefty ticket for having your tires less then an inch over the parking spot line. If UF really wanted to make a New Year's resolution that would make a difference on campus, putting a leash on their penny pinching parking police would be an excellent place to begin. We all know how unlikely that is though, no matter how much we beg for it.
Another noteworthy resolution UF could commit too if it were in the mood to bring positive change would be to add more scooter parking. Scooters are growing more and more popular among students on campus. With the number of student owners increasing every semester, the demand for parking is also increasing. It’s gotten to the point where unless you have class during period three, you will not find a spot to park next to Library West; it's completely full. Scooter parking is also hard to come by on fraternity row during peak hours such as dinner. More often then not, scooters are double parked by other scooters. While the issue isn’t in desperate need of attention, it would certainly be a nice New Year's resolution by the school to add more scooter parking.
A final way UF can make a New Year's resolution that would change campus for the better would be by bringing back pledge rides. In light of all the recent hype on safely navigating campus at night, pledge rides should be given a second chance so both girls and guys can arrive at their destination safely. They also reduce the temptation for drunk driving, since you basically have a free ride home at the push of a button. Whether traveling from the library or midtown, the benefits of pledge rides far outweigh the negatives.
There are a lot of great attributes to UF’s campus. However, there are also some flaws that could be fixed if the heads of campus decided to make some resolutions like the rest of us. And while most New Year's resolutions fail, we students would be grateful just to see these be given a chance.
