Many of us have nicknames for various things at Dordt.  For example our far-away, freeze-to-death-walking-back-to-your-room parking lots are nicknamed “Siberia” and “Italy.”  The B.J. Haan Auditorium is the “Beej”, and..well…you get the picture.  Well, I’m not sure if you’ve heard the term “the highway” used at Dordt, but if you haven’t, you better become aware.

What is “The Highway” you ask?  The highway is the sidewalk that runs the main stretch of campus.  It takes students all the way from Covenant Hall to the Campus Center with stops along the way.  I use it every day and find it quite obnoxious when I have to wait to merge into the crowds of people.

There are quite a few reasons why I believe it’s not safe.  First of all, people walk on both sides of the highway and it’s difficult to judge how fast they are coming and going, and, depending on how many people are on it, you might bump into them.  I have rubbed shoulders with quite a few people trying to get to and from places on campus.  It’s also hard to merge into the traffic when you’re coming from the apartments, because you have to wait for the crowds to subside.

A second reason the highway can be dangerous, especially for those on foot, is because longboards and skateboards weave in and out of traffic.  It’s hard to know when they’re coming and it’s embarrassing when they startle you.  They think they’re so cool…

Basically, the lanes of this highway just aren’t wide enough.  Dordt seems to have money to do tons of other projects that don’t even affect the students.  Why not spend that money on things that affect the student population at Dordt, which is the biggest population on campus? We work hard and deserve some special treatment.

Plus, when I walk to class with my friends, I’d like to be able to have a conversation with them and not be forced to walk in a single-file line.  We like to have fun, but we’re not going to start the Conga on the way to class!  Let’s build some community and give us space to talk to each other while we walk.

A solution I’d like to propose in order to eliminate this problem is that we get rid of this “aesthetically-pleasing” green space and widen the road!

Claire Annette, Columnist