OSU-Cascades students kick off fall term on new Bend campus
It was an historic day as the fall term kicked off on Wednesday at the brand new, 10-acre OSU-Cascades campus on Bend’s Westside.
The university hosted resource fairs and offered free coffee to students, which was provided by Starbucks.
OSU-Cascades is currently holding off on issuing parking passes to students until a new parking system is installed.
Officials told NewsChannel 21 they want students to use all of the transportation options to help decrease the traffic impacts on the west side of Bend.
Students were in line getting their student ID cards, which can be used to get not only a free bus ride to and from campus, but also free bus rides all around the city.
Junior Phillip Orellana said he just moved back into his parents’ house in Bend to finish his school at the new university.
Orellana is carpooling with another students, as he knows the traffic on the west side can be complicated.
“It’s more of a convenience since he only lives two minutes away from me,” Orellana said.
This is a convenience the university wants students to use, as they have provided several options for students to commute to class. Students can use the bus, bike and also carpool with their classmates.
Kate Soliz drives from Prineville to get to Bend, but she also wants to be sustainable while commuting to school.
Soliz rented a bike Wednesday after parking her vehicle in an off-parking site. She said it saves her time, but also gets some exercise in before and after class.
If students still want to drive, monthly passes are available after the new parking system is completed.
Austin Smith lives in the dorms at Juniper Hall on the Central Oregon Community College, he’s waiting to move into the new dorms in January.
Smith said he’ll have to find a way to get to campus as the winter is fast approaching.
“It’s hard to bike to school in the snow and the bus system runs every hour in the winter,” he said. “It’s going to be difficult when winter comes around.”
The university said it’s providing relief for those transportation headaches.
They plan on holding a transportation summit for students on Thursday..
