Still More Reasons Why CMC Freshmen Should Have Cars

The Facebook group I started last night has swelled to nearly 100 people less than an 18 hours after I created it. You can join it here. Be sure to invite more people. The discussion board has more topics, including emails from CMC alumni who needed their cars as freshmen for one reason or another. Two of those letters are reproduced below. It has been suggested in the comment section that we should ban the other colleges, especially Scripps with its massive parking facility, from attending our parties unless they allow us to park in their lots. I wouldn't say I'm opposed to the idea. There's got to be some give and take. So where is the ASCMC representative that's willing to lead on this?

Anyways, another friend sent this link from CMC's orientation FAQ. Some of us believe that the measure to ban freshmen was only temporary, but it looks to be due to misguided social engineering of the freshmen class. Here's what the authors of FAQ write. (I have italicized the sections of concern. The bolding is theirs.)

Are there parking fees? Is a bike a good option? Freshmen are not permitted to bring cars to campus. We believe that new students should spend more time on-campus, developing their friendships and settling in at the College. Although about half of returning sophomores, juniors, and seniors do bring cars to campus, it is not a necessary part of the CMC experience. Plenty of students ride bicycles or skateboards to get food or run small errands nearby, or even to get to class, but none of these things are necessary. All classes are within easy walking distance, except in rare instances when two classes on different campuses are scheduled too closely together.

. . .

Having a car "is not a necessary part of the CMC experience"? It seems that they have left out all of the reasons I alluded to in my blog post yesterday. What about students that go to church off campus? How about those that volunteer off campus? What about those that work off campus? How is denying all freshmen a car a good idea?

Some alums have already weighed in on this stupid policy. Here's what Kevin Vance CMC '08 has to say.

"If I were starting at CMC next year, I would be outraged. My freshman year experience would have been very different without a car. Certainly, there were personal reasons. My wife/then-girlfriend went to school in West LA, and we tried to see each other about once a week. But, it was also incredibly important as a way to build friendships and bond with other freshman. Not the fact that I, personally, had a car, but that we could share experiences together off-campus--like the beach, mountains, or even places like in-and-out, bowling alleys, movies... not to mention hiking/camping. I think the thing that's really off-putting is that CMC only provides one primary form of on-campus entertainment, and it's not one that provides much enjoyment for freshmen who choose to obey the laws of the state of California.

As you say, it's not like it's in the middle of an urban center. I don't understand how a college out in the suburbs can't MAKE room somewhere for freshmen cars. Maybe the school could rent a nearby vacant lot for parking until the new parking facilities are built? Or maybe an enterprising homeowner or small business owner in Claremont should consider selling parking spots to new students for the year?"

Here's what another student had to say. He requested anonymity.

I woke up at 6:30AM and was reeling in pain. Luckily, I was with my girlfriend (neither of us have cars) and she called an RA to ask to take me to the hospital. Every RA that picked up their phone made up an excuse about why they couldn't take me. Some probably had legitimate reasons, but some simply wanted to sleep in. Eventually, we got a mutual friend to drive me to the hospital... but if I were a freshman, my friends wouldn't have a car to take me. It's true that I could have "asked an upperclassman" - but why put me in that precarious situation in the first place?

The problem with banning cars is that it automatically makes medical emergencies a greater risk for freshman. (Freshman are probably automatically at a greater risk anyway: I guarantee that at least one will suffer alcohol poisoning at some time during the year.) Someone on your blog will argue that if there is a true medical emergency, the person should simply ask an RA or upperclassman. They are correct to assert that someone could ask an RA or upperclassman, but they neglect the fact that (1) RA's don't always do their job and (2) freshmen might not know or might not feel comfortable asking an upperclassman. I wasn't good enough friends with an upperclassman to the point where I could ask to borrow their car until December. Would I have been screwed if a medical emergency happened to me before December of my freshman year?