On April 25th, SMU administrators and high-level donors will experience a once-in-a-lifetime event-the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
Undoubtedly, the opening of the Bush Center, which includes the Bush Institute and Library & Museum, will be a great addition to our campus and will be a place of scholarly ideas and solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing issues.
With dedication events happening across campus for four days this April, SMU administrators and a variety of security agencies will-and already are-busy putting plans in place to provide the influx of thousands of visitors with commodities and conveniences that will make their dedication experience as enjoyable as possible.
On April 25th, SMU students will also experience a once-in-a-lifetime event-a nightmare parking situation and an unreasonable university administration.
While Bush Center guests are being directed through campus to parking spaces most convenient to the new Bush Center, SMU students will be directed to cram all cars belonging to students in on-campus housing into Airline garage or the University Boulevard lot and for commuter students to park in Mockingbird Station. I am sure students living off campus cannot wait to battle for parking spots in Mockingbird Station’s DART parking lot, wait for seats on a crammed bus that will shuttle them to and from campus amongst the traffic of hundreds of other cars trying to enter campus to attend the dedication and then force their way through the thousands of Bush Center dedication attendees to get to their classes.
And since the student body clearly is so important to the administration during this memorable time, it is completely understandable why we have not yet been extended an invitation to the dedication, right?
But alas, feel free to file into McFarlin Auditorium to watch a live stream of the ceremony, instead of staying in your dorm or apartment to watch the same thing on your computer or TV, because you’ll quickly realize that not attending class on April 25th is the most practical solution.
Alexander is a senior majoring in English and political science.
