The University of Iowa is the most iconic thing about Iowa City. Without the university, there would not be nearly as many amenities in the community, or people, and forms of entertainment would not be as willing to come perform events. With the university bringing in all this money and business, shouldn’t the students who make up the school get treated with more privileges than we do?
How would football games be without students? Students exhibit the most enthusiasm in cheers, celebrating, and pregame activities. However, students have leaned toward watching the games in locations other than Kinnick the past few years.
A poll done by the Iowa Athletics Department shows that student season-tickets sales have shrunk from 10,371 in 2012 to 6,440 in 2014. The university is worried about the sales of general-public sales going down. It has held a promotional event, in which if people purchased season tickets, they received a $70 concessions voucher— this was not offered to student ticket buyers. Students are a pivotal part of game day; we should be treated like it.
The $51.3 million Campus Recreation & Wellness Center is one of the nicest buildings on campus. It is a great place to work out and even grab a smoothie. The problem is if you are not enrolled in a summer class, you cannot be a part of this. If you’d like a summer pass, you have to pay $68. Do we not pay enough as it is for the likes of tuition, student fees, books, and housing? The university should give us the ability to be healthy without a cost if we choose that lifestyle. After all, we contribute a good amount to making that building what it is.
Downtown is a breath of fresh air for students who need to unwind after a long week. We contribute a lot to these places, and they show us respect by catering to our needs. Fridaynights before football games, the Marching Band plays downtown, social lives blossom, and the food is always good.
With the high reward to being downtown, there is also a risk. Iowa City or UI police officers often target students for tickets in this area. In 2013, there were 1,314 arrests near the campus— 46 percent of which involved students, according to the UI annual crime report following that year. I am in no way condoning illegal behavior; I am saying that police give students no breaks and are very strict in the high-density Pedestrian Mall. We are growing into mature adults, and although there are a few outliers, we deserve to be treated as such.
If you ask many full-time residents, they will say that living in Iowa City is a Catch 22 because they have to deal with students and the hassle of us. However, if it were not for the university, there may not be as many amenities in a smaller market. Student life is all about taking advantage of experiences in their locale. Shouldn’t the university help us accomplish that in a meaningful way?
