As many of my friends know, I am happy as a clam to have my car on campus this semester.

Like the worried mother I am, I'm super paranoid about getting into a wreck. Since I take a class off campus and drive constantly, my car is a necessity. 

Thankfully, traffic on 19th Street and Quaker Avenue has improved since my first semester in Lubbock. Even though I wasn't driving last semester, I still remember leaving at 5:15 to get to chapter on time. The traffic was horrific and there was a fender bender every week from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Panhellenic Council made the decision to stagger the start of chapter for its eleven sororities to reduce accidents in the area. Four sororities, including Alpha Delta Pi, stay at their regular time of 6 o'clock p.m. Another four, including Chi Omega and Phi Beta Phi, now start at 6:30 p.m. Kappa Kappa Gamma, Alpha Chi Omega, and Delta Delta Delta start at 7 p.m.

The responses to the news were mixed. I, for one, feel like the decision to change chapter times is a fantastic idea! Even though my chapter doesn't start until six, I feel so much safer getting over to the ADPi lodge in 5 o'clock traffic this semester. However, one girl said in an interview with the Daily Toreador, "I'd rather be in a wreck than have chapter be at 7," whines the girl, who shall remain anonymous. "It sucks! It pushes everything back and I don't have time do anything anymore!" After reading this extremely one-sided quote, I decided to call up some of my rush buddies for their (reasonable) opinions.

Brooke James, a super sweet Chi Omega majoring in Early Childhood, was able to give me a glimpse through her perspective. "It used to be a nightmare getting in and out of Greek Circle", said the freshman from Katy, TX, "Now that our chapter time has been moved up to six-thirty, my sisters and I don't have to leave forty-five minutes early just to get a parking spot!" And what a nightmare it was! Quaker Avenue and 19th Street had so many accidents, that the police would have to come and direct traffic from 5 o'clock until six-thirty. That is now outdated since Panhellenic staggered the chapter times! Even though Brooke got it easy by having her chapter moved up, I was still curious to the reactions of the 7 o'clock chapters.

I knew Kappa was starting at seven, I immediately texted Blaine Hill, a freshman journalism major from Borger, TX, knowing that I would get a reasonable and well thought out response.  She agreed with the anonymous Greek about how inconvenient starting at seven, but enough to complain. "The traffic was really bad when we went at six," said Hill. "I think Panhellenic is just trying to do the best to keep us all safe." She says that Kappa's chapter is normally shorter than the other ten, so it is not too bad. "Yes, I'd rather be out at seven, but getting out at eight isn't a tragedy." 

To add some icing on the cake, I asked Malley Rasco, member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and our lovely Editor-In-Chief to The Odyssey. According to the advertising major from Fort Worth, TX, she doesn't really mind the later start during the wintery months and the attendance has been much higher. "However, when Spring comes around, schedules get busier and people tend to get more stressed towards the end of the semester", she predicted. "I feel like 7pm would be great if you're laying out by the pool and want that extra hour, but it isn't great if you're needing to study for a test or meet with a group." On the issue of traffic, she claims that it affected her personally. "I do agree that having eleven sororities and however many fraternities come to one location with three outlets at the same time was not only frustrating, but wasting an extra hour leave earlier to be on time!"

With three very thoughtful perspectives to look through, I feel like I have a more in-depth view to what the other sororities are doing. I'm over the moon that don't have to leave an hour early (even though my Big Diamond Sister prefers it) just to be on time to chapter and that I won't get into a horrible, car-disfiguring wreck because of it. With all negative views aside, Panhellenic Council has made the safest and most time efficient decision.