Dear Mr. President,

With the well anticipated Wyoming vs. Colorado State University football game this past Friday, I could not help but notice students and faculty alike gearing up for the game. I noticed employees around campus last week raking leaves, cleaning, and putting up signs by the parking lot to prepare for the game.

The signs read, “Lot closed at 3p.m. Friday, Oct. 26”

I understand that it is very important to clear these lots for such a crucial educational event, but it has come to my attention that there are classes after 3:00 p.m. on Fridays. In fact, I happen to attend one of these classes: BZ-350, Molecular and General Genetics.

Since the announcement of the building of a stadium on campus, I’ll admit I had a hard time seeing why that monstrosity was built. I have watched, on occasion, our football team flop around on the field like a school of fish out of water since I started attending Colorado State in 2011 and all of those displays did not make me confident that a new stadium would change anything.

Yet, there was no way the stadium could possibly affect my education so I figured “What could it hurt?”

The blocks around campus once supplied ample parking for students unable to justify paying the ludicrous $552 for a parking pass on top of the thousands they were already forking over in tuition, but soon after the construction, signs started going up everywhere in the general vicinity of campus reading “two hour parking.”

“No problem,” I said, “I will just schedule my classes so I have time to move my car to the opposite side of campus and I can once more have two hours where my car will neither be ticketed nor towed and I could contribute all of my focus to school.”

Then games started.

Signage started popping up prohibiting parking even in these areas around the outer borders of campus on not only these beloved game days, but 24 hours before and after. This usually started at 4:00 p.m. or so on Fridays so I would just desperately sprint to my car after class to move it before the parking enforcement could swoop in. Not to mention, students who had emptied their wallets for a parking pass are also unable to park on campus on these days as well.

Last Friday’s game, however, basically kicked all students and faculty off campus at 3:00 p.m., and this slight change really brought to my attention that this practice is far from acceptable.

In talking to my classmates, many do not want to risk the fine associate with choosing to attend class on that day as it may cut into their Ramen fund. The school doing this presents a very clear and concise statement from you to the students: Football games are vastly more important than students’ education.

Last Friday’s game, however, basically kicked all students and faculty off campus at 3:00 p.m., and this slight change really brought to my attention that this practice is far from acceptable.

If I am not mistaken, I believe the job as president of our school is to protect students’ best interests and I can assure you that attending class will have a greater impact on our futures than watching a mediocre college football game.

I would like an explanation, but I would also like to suggest two ways to fix this issue:

1. Declare such a vastly important event a University Holiday so as to not hurt our attendance grades. I know you tend to avoid this unless the Cubs are doing well or a tree limb seriously injures a student, but consider making an exception
2. Maybe I can use your parking spot on that particular day so that at least I may attend class?

I look forward to this issue being addressed and solved in the future and await your reply on that whole parking spot scenario.

Sincerely,

Cody Wachsmuth, senior biological science

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