My first impression of Sac State after the first two weeks is a good one. My only complaint would be about all the complaining. I have heard everything from there is not enough parking, not enough desks, not enough places to eat, and so on. I think everyone should stop whining and appreciate the fact we have it good here, and concentrate on what really matters.

I really do not mind if I have to sit on the floor to get an education, considering many students were denied access because of the budget crisis. When I attend school, I worry about three basic questions. Am I going to be safe, where am I going to eat, and where am I going to park?

I have not heard any complaints about the campus police. According to the police log I read in the paper, they appear to be very active in the campus community. I also think the criminal justice student cadets that patrol the campus are a great idea, because a radio can be just as effective as a gun. I would have picked a better color than baby blue for them to wear, but I still feel safer on campus with them walking around.

Many complaints come from people who think there should be a bigger selection of food choices on campus. Fast food is always the staple of any student diet. However, if anyone can tell the difference between McDonald’s chicken nuggets and Burger King’s chicken nuggets needs to cut back. In addition, a taco from Taco Bell almost tastes the same as a taco from Del Taco, and it travels through your digestive tract at the same rate and consistency. The next step up from fast food is also available, like the ToGo’s and Round Table that seem to be student favorites. If anyone is complaining that there is not an Outback Steakhouse or Applebee’s on campus needs to get out a little more.

I have heard various complaints about the parking situation on campus. It seems little stirs the passion of students and faculty more than finding a parking space. I do not share the same disgust that other students seem to have. Maybe it is because I get here at 8 a.m., but I learned to get on campus early at freshman orientation in one of the workshops specifically addressing the problem of parking. My first class does not start until 10 a.m., but I come early because I do not want to walk a quarter-mile. If you go to a concert or a Kings game at Arco Arena, it is the same principle. The first-comers are the better served. Besides, it only takes about 6 minutes to walk from the overflow parking lots to the University Union.

No one knows better the ire of students and faculty than Nancy Fox, manager of UTAPS, which controls parking and enforcement on campus.

“When talking with students and employees regarding parking, I sometimes hear about their difficulty with finding a parking space on campus,” Fox said. “When in fact, parking is available and the difficulty is with finding a close parking space.”

We all need to accept the fact walking is a part of the educational experience. Perhaps teleportation instead of telecommuting will be an option for students and employees in the near future.

Yes, there are twice as many semester permits issued than parking spaces available. However, “varied class schedules, including different days of the week and times of the day or evening, naturally creates a turnover of student parking spaces several times each day,” Fox said. “To help ensure adequate parking, UTAPS has leased additional parking spaces…”

There are also numerous alternatives to driving your own car to the campus listed on the UTAPS website. I cannot imagine what else the university needs to do to resolve the complaints about parking.

Instead of the new parking structure planned near Hornet Stadium, perhaps the demolition of some building strategically centered on campus could make room for a lovely 10 story parking structure would quell parking complaints. Who wants the beautiful serene landscaping of the campus anyway? What matters most is that no student has to walk far to class. Asking a student to leave 10 minutes earlier for class because they may have to park a quarter-mile away is preposterous.

There were 1,208 citations issued the first week of school. I seriously doubt all of the tickets were given to the 2,455 new students on the campus, but given to the over 24,000 continuing students trying to cheat the system. The dog ate my permit, or I am illiterate and could not read the sign has never worked when appealing a ticket.

We have all we need on this 300-acre university. We are safer on campus than in the city limits, according to the crime statistics. We have fast food, and the next best thing, Round Table. We even have two places to buy beer. And, for goodness sakes, we have enough parking.