Have you ever wondered where you stand at Quinnipiac University? I am not talking about your class or your major or even in regards to your GPA. I am speaking in regards to where you fit on the university’s priorities.

I have at many times wondered about this myself. For the most part, I have felt very strongly that the university does not put their students and their needs on the highest priority level that there is, as we are the reason that this wonderful institution exists and continues to exist.

Take for example the lovely athletic complex that is going to be built on Rocky Top in the near future. The plans for this $25 million facility include an ice hockey rink of 2,500 seats, a basketball court of 3,000 seats, concessions and a team store. This complex, which will sit on 240 acres, will be approximately 157,000 square feet.

Although I feel strongly that this is going to be a great addition to the Quinnipiac campus and extended satellite campuses throughout Hamden, I feel that it has poor timing and will not directly affect the majority of the student population at Quinnipiac. Even though basketball and ice hockey are the two “sports of emphasis” on campus, they only encompass a very small percentage of the student body population at Quinnipiac of both undergraduate and graduate students.

There are many other aspects of campus that could be improved upon that I feel would directly benefit a greater majority of the student body than the construction of a new athletic complex. First and foremost, the parking situation at the university continues to be a major issue, for not only the large commuter population, but also for resident students, faculty and staff.

New parking lots need to be added to the campus or to new off-campus locations or the existing lots at least need to be added to in order to accommodate for the expanding population here at Quinnipiac. I am confused because obviously the university knows that its student, faculty and staff population continues to grow each year and they are not expanding the parking to situate the vehicle increase.

Also, the dormitories are packed. Some rooms are being voluntarily or forced tripled and some students, as underclassmen, do not receive University housing at all. This is a shame because Quinnipiac has so much to offer its students and some students that apply to attend Quinnipiac are discouraged by the housing situation that they do not choose Quinnipiac as their four-year institution.

It is a shame that some students do not have the opportunity to experience living in a dorm at college. It was personally one of the best experiences for me in my four-year tenure here at Quinnipiac. I learned so much from my roommates that I would hate to take that opportunity away from someone else. I was fortunate in the three years that I lived on campus to not have difficulty with housing, but as numbers of entering classes continue to increase, the problem is only going to get worse.

I hope that the university realizes how much of a dire need their students are in. Office space for student organizations is scant in the student center and many organizations do not have offices available for their use at all. This is a sad situation because student organizations are a vital aspect to the college experience.

Although I recognize that the university tries very hard to meet all the needs of the students as much as possible and am also aware that the town of Hamden has a say in what goes on at Quinnipiac, I feel that the university needs to rethink what is more important for their students in their time spent or to be spent here at this wonderful institution, which I have called home for the last four years.