Better parking options needed

For undergraduates in university housing, the only parking solution Northwestern offers is an inexpensive permit to park at Ryan Field. After deciding to keep my car (and myself) away from the horrors of winter driving, I could happily drive back from spring break and leave my car in the far-off lot during the weekdays.

I arrived at the lot 10 minutes before the Intercampus would, and sat in my car watching the strange group of buses that rotates in and out of the south part of the lot at night. The promised 8:15 p.m. arrival time came and went, and after another 20 minutes, I decided I would leave and try again for the 9:30 bus. On the drive back to Ryan Field, I feared I would have to get up at 7 a.m. for one last shot, but luckily the Intercampus pulled in only 15 minutes late.

Having a car on campus without a permit can be pretty high-maintenance. At times I wonder why I resign myself to the constant attention needed to keep my car parked legally. For me, the benefits of staying mobile still outweigh the consequences, but any small step the university takes to alleviate the poor undergraduate parking situation would be welcome. The south parking structure could stand to take in a few more cars.

Or, at least, there should be an honest effort to ensure buses arrive on time. With limited travel options in any non-Chicago direction, it’s important to remember that without reliable transportation, suburbs are not much more than a really, really long walk.

– Steven Berger

Medill sophomore

Daily reporter and online staff

Themed food days gone too far

Hot dogs are not on the top of the list of things I hate (yes, I keep one). I’m OK with hot dogs. I will eat one if I’m at a barbecue or a baseball game. Yes, they are probably made of sketchy processed meats, and yes, they are probably bad for me, but I’ll admit that they can be kind of tasty once in a while.

So don’t take this as any kind of war on hot dogs, but I don’t necessarily want to eat one at the dining hall just because it’s baseball opening day.

It’s no secret that nuCuisine has an obsession with themed dining. Their special meals help me to remember it’s Chinese New Year or that we should randomly celebrate rock-and-roll by drinking milkshakes.

But nuCuisine crosses the line when it decides the best way to celebrate baseball is by serving hot dogs, and only hot dogs, on opening day.

I walked into the dining hall last week and spent 15 minutes just trying to decide what to eat. Normally, if the main line looks unappetizing, I try the made-to-order lines or the kosher station. But when I didn’t want to eat a hot dog, nachos and popcorn for lunch (I generally prefer my unhealthy foods in ice cream form), I found that the made-to-order lines were closed and the kosher station was serving hot dogs, too.

Mmm mmm, heart attack.

I ended up eating rocky road ice cream for lunch. Which was fun and all, but I wish there could be some other options for those of us who don’t want to clog our arteries or just don’t feel like eating a hot dog that day. Next time, nuCuisine, could you think of us?

– Elise Foley

Medill sophomore

City Desk Deputy Editor