student association - POSTS – Syracuse University

There is plenty to do on and off campus at Syracuse. Some activities however, are further away and require the use of a car. The university does not allow freshmen to have cars on-campus, and many upperclassmen, especially those whose hometowns are far away (like me), are also carless. Luckily, there are plenty of alternative forms of transportation available to students so that we do not miss out on fun opportunities. These are the ones I use most frequently:

Free Shuttle to Destiny USA

Destiny USA is the sixth largest shopping center in the nation with six stories of retail stores, restaurants, entertainment complexes and outlets, making it a popular destination among SU students. A 20 minute bus ride from campus, the free, roundtrip shuttle runs from College Place, right on main campus on Fridays and Saturdays. The first bus leaves at 6 p.m. and comes every thirty minutes. The bus also stops at the Archbold Gym, Sadler Hall and BBB bus stops.

Free Shuttle to Downtown Syracuse

Take the free Connective Corridor Route 443 bus from College Place to the Warehouse, located at the heart of downtown. The bus ride is 20 minutes and takes you right into Armory Square–where there are plenty of great restaurants. Downtown Syracuse also offers fashionistas a number of trendy stores and an Urban Outfitters. The full schedule can be found here.

Discounted Buses For Thanksgiving

Every year, the Student Association (SA) provides charter buses for SU students to five different cities: New York City, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, and Rockaway, New Jersey. The buses are for SU students only at the round-trip price of just $99. I spoke to Keelan Erhard, the Chair of Student Life at SA, and he expressed that this is one of many initiatives SU is committed to, “We have ambassadors that ride the bus and they are the ones with the roster of students who purchased tickets,” said Erhard. “They’re in charge of making sure everyone is on the bus, and if they aren’t, they are tasked with contacting the person to see where they are so that the bus doesn’t leave without them.” SA provides the same service for spring break.

Free Shuttle to Wegman’s and Target

In addition to the buses for Thanksgiving, SA also offers a free shuttle service that takes students grocery shopping at Wegman’s and Target on a biweekly basis. The buses leave College Place every hour starting at noon on the designated dates. The full schedule can be found here.

Zipcar

If you want to be able to drive whenever you want, then renting a Zipcar is your best bet. SU has designated parking spots reserved for Zipcars all around campus. After you have applied for your Zipcar, you can reserve a car for however long you want just so long as you return the car at your agreed time. The late fee is quite hefty so be sure to extend your reservation if you feel like you may be late. The best thing about renting a Zipcar is that you can cater your usage to your schedule. You can apply for a Zipcar here.

SU’s transportation options benefit and enrich the student experience on campus. Not having a car does not mean you cannot get off of campus. Take advantage of those services and enjoy the area!

Eric Chuang ’17, is a Public Relations major at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a minor in English & Textual Studies. Additionally, he is part of the Fashion & Beauty Communications Milestone Program. Eric is a California native, dog enthusiast, fervent traveler, and sushi connoisseur. When not taking Buzzfeed quizzes or coming up with clever Instagram captions, he can most likely be found jamming to Taylor Swift’s “1989” album. More blogs from Eric Chuang.

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The Student Association (SA) at Syracuse University was created in 1944 to serve as the liaison between the student body and the university. Each year, SA rolls out a variety of leadership initiatives that confront and improve the student experience at SU. Having been at SU for almost four full years now, I have noticed some drastic changes that have gone a long way in fostering a safe and inclusive environment for students. Here are some recent initiatives SA has taken on:

Heat lamps in bus stops

This initiative was introduced last year and has since been fully rolled out. The newly installed heat lamps at major campus bus stops, keep students warm while waiting for the campus shuttles and make the cold temperatures much more bearable.

Bike Share Program

Although the program only kicked off this semester, it has been a long time coming for SU students. According to Jane Hong, recent SU graduate and former SA Vice President, “We have a fairly large population of students that bike around campus and the local community. We knew that a program like this would quite literally mobilize students to explore the surrounding area, and get out of the orange bubble.”

The program encourages students to immerse themselves in what’s beyond the university campus and explore the city of Syracuse. Hong also expressed that “what impresses me the most about the Bike Share Program is thinking about how many students actually contributed to this initiative — all because they wanted this to be a reality for future students.”

The bikes are available by reservation with a signed liability waiver. The reservations are free to make and bikes can be picked up and returned at the rack outside Schine Student Center.

Free feminine products on campus

One of SA’s many student life initiatives is to provide menstrual products in all non-residential buildings, starting Oct. 28. With this new initiative, students will have access to free tampons and pads in every bathroom on campus. This campus-wide plan will change the taboo topic of female menstruation; by projecting a positive light on this unspoken issue, SA is taking a stance for inclusiveness in a college campus.

Adding new minors

SA is a major advocate of students declaring new minors. This significant change in the traditional structure and its curriculums was mobilized to fulfill students’ diverse passions.

“My freshman or sophomore year, one of our assembly representatives successfully advocated for a minor in Arabic,” Hong recalled. “He was an Arabic major, and he knew there was so much for students to gain from being able to minor in a Middle Eastern language. The university and the office of academic affairs agreed, and now students have the opportunity to minor in an extremely important global language like Arabic.” Students can speak to their academic advisors regarding the new minors and the process of declaring one. View a list of SU’s current minors.

Chat and Dine

In an effort to encourage relationship-building and networking between students and faculty, SA kicked off the ‘Chat and Dine’ initiative two years ago and has since proven to be a student favorite. The program offers free lunch at Goldstein Alumni & Faculty Center for small groups of students and staff or faculty members.The program serves as an alternative to office hours, with many students opting to talk about career goals and academic advice. Students can apply here to be considered for the program. Students just have to provide detail on the reason for the meeting and SA arranges the rest.

In recent years, SA has been pushing further to accomplish initiatives that will benefit students and faculty as a whole. With the implementation of new amenities and programs, SA has consistently provided concrete solutions to many of the university’s issues. For more information on SA and how to join, visit their website and follow them on Twitter.

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No Car, No Problem