Drue Sokol, Photo Editor
With the myriad of activities and events that occur on campus, it’s easy to get sucked into the UR bubble and stay there; but there is a thriving, multi-faceted city beyond our borders with much to offer. While students can look online or receive recommendations from friends to discover what the city provides, it would be more convenient and more accessible if the information were available in one centralized location, such as the Common Connection.
According to the University’s website, the Common Connection, located on the second floor of Wilson Commons, “offers a multitude of services to meet the needs of the . . . campus and community.” These services range from providing general information to supplying campus maps and bus schedules. What the Common Connection fails to offer, however, are maps or guides about the city itself, a disservice to students and visitors to the University that needs to be addressed.
While the Common Connection does keep more specialized materials in stock, such as guides to restaurants in the South Wedge and businesses on Mount Hope Avenue, these materials only provide general information about specific areas and do not paint a broader view of the city.
It is reasonable that a majority of the materials the Common Connection has are related to UR and the immediate surrounding area, but there is also a need for information about the rest of the city. Not only could students benefit from a more convenient way to learn about opportunities in Rochester, visitors to the University would also be able to find information about places to visit after they tour the school.
Furthermore, Meliora Weekend, during which the University opens its doors to alumni, parents and other guests from all around the world, is less than a month away. At this time it would only be logical that the Common Connection — a source of information on so many topics — could offer these visitors information on the very city in which this school is located.
A multitude of maps and guides are currently published about Rochester and are available at a number of locations throughout the city. Since the Common Connection is already stocked with information on a number of University services and local businesses, it would be logical if it offered materials with information about the rest of the city as well. This would encourage students to get off campus more often, as well as spark more connections between the University and the city.
