Last time here on “Molly’s Rambling Session” we tackled the best things about Virginia Tech. Unfortunately, it’s not always all sunshine and rainbows around here. Tech does have its occasional drawbacks, and we must address them to cover the full VT experience. Here is the yang to the last blog entry’s yin.
Parking Services
I’ve had at least two interviews on campus during the last four years during which I was asked about the one thing I could change about Virginia Tech if I could. The parking was always the first thing that came to mind. Not only is commuter parking heinously limited (though the new parking garage alleviated that a bit), parking services employees are relentless. Though I have never seen a faculty/staff lot full in my life (except on game days), they would write you a ticket even if you were the only car in the lot. Even if you only sit there for a few minutes, somehow they slip in like ninjas and get the ticket printed faster than you can say, “$35 seems a bit extreme for a parking ticket.” Of course, if you park illegally for a few hours, well, then they won’t notice.
Lack of “Cultural” Diversity
While there is a surprisingly high level of diversity of thought here on campus, there is not a lot of cultural diversity. However, I use the term “cultural” very loosely here. What I mean is that a vast majority of Tech students come from the same background, look alike, act alike and have all the same interests. This is certainly not a great tragedy, but it can be obnoxious at times. You will notice that most students come from upper middle class suburban neighborhoods, wear the same clothes and all enjoy drinking and partying more than most activities. Again, this is not inherently a bad thing, as there is certainly nothing wrong with being upper middle class or white or enjoying jumbo margaritas from El Rodeo’s (mmm yummy!). You sometimes just wonder why you have to search so hard for different groups of people. Also, let’s not forget, I did say in my last blog that, “…thankfully, true diversity doesn’t typically come from what we look like on the outside.”
The Overcrowding
I will admit that this has gotten better in recent years. My first two years here, however, this was a terrible problem. The school’s notoriously high acceptance rate came back to bite it when the school’s popularity skyrocketed between 2006 and 2008. More students accepted their offers of admission than anticipated, and this caused heinous overcrowding problems for on-campus housing. It became so bad that the university had to cram unsuspecting freshmen into lounges or give them RA’s as roommates. They even attempted, in 2007 at least, to bribe freshmen into moving off-campus to create extra room. This is at a school that requires freshmen to live on campus. Thankfully, this is getting better, but it took the school a while to develop the foresight to fix this problem.
The Location
Don’t get me wrong – the New River Valley is not without its perks and its charms. It’s beautiful, is full of great people, and is fantastic for any outdoor activities. However, one can’t help but notice that it’s completely isolated. You have to drive at least 45 minutes to reach even a small metropolitan area. You have to drive hours to reach a large metro area. The NRV and Roanoke are also not exactly cultural powerhouses. Maybe, having grown up in Richmond, I was spoiled by all of the amazing history and culture that was right at my fingertips, but there isn’t a lot of history to be found in this area. Sure, there are a few museums and some tiny historical landmarks, but nothing substantial. The weather n the NRV isn’t so hot, either. No pun intended.
ABP Doesn’t Have Lobster Bisque or Tomato Cheddar Soup Enough
This is probably the number one worst thing about Virginia Tech.