A Twitter post from the ASWSU President on March 1 brought my attention to the fact Cougar Health Services will no longer be offering free parking.
ASWSU President Curtis Cohen said he thinks the decision is disheartening because it adds another barrier that could impair students seeking physical or mental health services.
Cohen said he mentioned the WSU Athletics subsidy in his post as a frame of reference, illustrating that if the university can find two to three million dollars to dedicate toward Athletics, they should be able to find $40,000 for a parking lot that could affect student well-being.
Cohen and I were both a bit stunned that such a small parking lot could cost $40,000 to maintain. Cohen estimated that the parking lot is perhaps a quarter of the size of a soccer field.
WSU students are now required to pay for parking at Cougar Health Services, a cost that used to be free.
CHS made the decision in December 2020 after the cost of upkeep of its parking lot became too expensive, said ASWSU President Curtis Cohen. CHS pays WSU Transportation Services approximately $40,000 per year to manage the lot.
“This was a collaborative decision between CHS and WSU Transportation Services that was implemented before fall semester,” said John Shaheen, director of WSU Transportation Services.
Last spring, CHS approached WSU Transportation Services about continuing to keep the parking lot exclusive for Washington Building patrons, he said.
Starting today through March 19, WSU undergraduate and graduate students can support local Pullman restaurants with $5 off their meal as the third Restaurant Week kicks off.
The first 50 undergraduate students and the first 50 graduate students each day will receive the discount. The discount does not apply to alcohol. ASWSU and GPSA host the event in partnership with various restaurants in the community, GPSA Programming Chair Rachel Wong said.
Restaurant Week started last year at the beginning of the pandemic because local restaurants were not getting a lot of business because of COVID-19 restrictions. Wong said GPSA had the funds to provide discounts for students and that the week was a way to encourage students to eat locally.
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With Washington state recently moving into Phase 2, the university is planning and preparing for an in-person experience for this fall. Phase 2 will allow the university to have more in-person activities on campus, said Phil Weiler, WSU vice president for marketing and communications. “The University Recreation Center and the Chinook have increased the capacity.