By Jesse Dolojan, Staff Writer 

Xavier provides its students with everything they need to live on campus. Whether it is a place to sleep, a place to buy meals or a place to study, it is all available here. There is no need to leave campus during your four years here. Just like all college campuses, Xavier provides students with everything they need so they can focus on their classes.

However, it is easy for students to feel trapped on campus, especially those who become super involved in campus life. Students often only leave campus on the weekends and take Uber or Lyft to get downtown, ignoring the bus system, which is always available to them.

The fact that Xavier students can, and often do, choose to stay on campus can lead to a sense of isolation from local communities around campus. Students very rarely engage with anyone in Norwood and often do not travel downtown — the heart of Cincinnati — unless there is an event such as Oktoberfest. 

It can be easy to forget that there is an entire world outside of Xavier that anyone can access. Cincinnati has a number of parks, restaurants, coffee shops and events nearby that many people are not aware of. There is more to the city than just the landmark events. 

Isolating oneself on campus is easy because there is so much to do at Xavier. Between classes, clubs and on-campus events, students are given plenty of chances to be involved and become a part of the Xavier community. However, when we keep ourselves on campus and ignore the world around us, we also ignore the people and opportunities around us. 

Getting off campus can be daunting for students without a car. Luckily, students can always take advantage of the bus stops around campus. Public transportation is something that everyone, including Xavier students, should have access to. However, we do not take advantage of it despite how accessible it is to us. There are multiple bus stops surrounding campus: next to University Station, Smith Hall and close to the Village Apartments.

Cincinnati’s public transportation is not the best in the world, but that doesn’t mean it is terrible. Buses run every 20 minutes or every hour, depending on which line you are taking, and the schedule is readily available on apps such as Google Maps or Transit. One issue students may have is how intimidating it is to navigate public transportation, as many students have simply never used public transportation before.

A solution would be to incorporate learning modules on navigating the bus system into programs on campus such as Manresa and GOA or to host information sessions. The materials in both programs are similar, so adding something different, such as a lesson on public transportation, would be new and helpful to many students. 

One of the major complaints about public transit is that some bus stops around campus are unsafe, especially after dark. There is not enough light early in the morning and late at night at the stops. With the bus schedule fluctuating depending on how many stops they must make, students may feel unsafe for an extended period of time. The Metro should make sure that their riders are in a safe environment. Providing signage, lighting and other resources to ensure riders feel safe will play a big role in displaying that the Metro cares about their safety.  

Additionally, with the Metro extending their free bus pass until the end of the semester, it is clear that they want Xavier students to use the bus stops around campus. So the Metro, whether through SGA or OSI, should engage with Xavier students to improve bus stops and how to get students to use the buses.

 During the day, students should be willing to explore and engage with local communities and businesses. The fact that buses are right there means students, even those without a car, are able to explore local areas. Public transportation is an invaluable resource, yet not enough people use it. The bus stops close to campus make it easy to explore and appreciate Cincinnati and Norwood.