Sac State's Parking Issues

At Sacramento State, the parking situation sucks on a number of levels.

First of all, the fees keep going up. It is now $153 for a semester, and six dollars per day, up from $108 a semester and five dollars per day last year.

Particularly the first few weeks of the semester, it is hard to find a parking spot, and depending on what time your class starts, it can result in a pretty distant walk.

Also, the cops will find ANY reason to give you a ticket. Be it a mediocre parking job, failure to have a daily permit even if you are only going to be on campus for a few minutes without being in one of the designated spots, they will find a way to get you, and laugh while doing so.

However, my biggest gripe with the parking situation is not being able to leave your car in the parking lot overnight. If you have a permit, you should be allowed to park. I realize it’s probably for safety reasons, but I’m willing to take that risk.

If you do want to park overnight, you have to obtain an overnight or Residence Hall parking permit, according to University Transportation and Parking Services.

I was unfamiliar with this regulation as I left my car on campus last year. Around midnight, when I informed my friends that I planned to leave my car on campus, they asked if I got a permit for it.

The answer was no, and they said one is needed or else it would potentially get towed. Disgruntled, we went to pick up my car.

I would have thought the permit I spent over $100 on would allow me to have the freedom to park at Sac State whenever I wanted to; unfortunately that is not the case.

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Consumer holidays

As Valentine’s Day neared its end, I found myself with a bowl of popcorn and some zombie killing video games and came to an official conclusion: holidays suck.

While some holidays have deep-rooted origins and religious traditions, many have been created specifically to boost consumerism. Whatever the original intent, our money-hungry society has conformed each one into a commercial holiday.

Valentine’s Day, for example, makes a huge deal out of sharing love with significant others, but really it’s about sharing your money with them.

Sure, a nice homemade meal and some alone time with your sweetie can be romantic, but let’s face it, most people want material goods. Whether it is truffles or diamonds, they want to see that you care about them enough to spend money on them.

But this isn’t just about Valentine’s Day. The mass market has completely consumed every holiday of the year.

We barely made it through Valentine’s Day before stores started selling four-leaf clovers and “Kiss me, I’m Irish!” pins. And before you know it we’ll be seeing colorful eggs and stuffed bunnies that have somehow come to represent Easter.

But the worst is Christmas. Here is a holiday supposedly based on the birth of Christ when there are significant doubts that he was even born in December. This holiday is not about Jesus. It is about gifts. It is about money and consumption, just like every other holiday.

While I am not denying the joys of opening presents or the delicious taste of chocolate, I can think of better ways to spend my money and my time.

So while the rest of you enjoy hunting for Easter eggs, I think I’ll just stick to hunting for zombies.
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Men who honk at women

While running on campus this week I was reminded just how immature men are. My club volleyball teammates and I were exercising on University Avenue together and were constantly harassed by men as we ran. Why does a man feel the need to honk and make catcalls to any woman he finds attractive on the street?

I wonder if men really think that it will impress the woman. It is totally logical that she will be swept off of her feet because you shouted "nice ass" to her as she crossed the street. How silly of me, it makes perfect sense.

It does not make you look cool to shout something and continue to drive. It is just creepy, you look like a weirdo and a loser from a woman's perspective.

I cannot recall a love story that began with, "we fell in love after he honked his horn at me while I waited for the bus."

Unless the quality of woman you are looking for actually responds to catcalls (that would make her a prostitute) , your best bet would be to quit yelling out your window.

Instead of making a cowardly attempt at getting a woman's attention, try something different . . . be a gentleman and think of a creative way to approach a woman.
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