Stop me if this happened to you before: while getting ready for class, you see on TV or find online that there’s bad weather coming but for whatever reason, you step out of your car or your dorm without your umbrella, and by the time you get to class, you feel like you’ve taken another shower. There is very little to no cover along the campus’ many winding paths and class waits for no one.
David Delgado | The Daily Cougar
On Feb. 18, I found myself running in a torrential downpour, sans umbrella, to the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library for a research workshop. Skipping it was not an option, and not attending would affect my grade. I had to sit soaking wet through an hour-long seminar.
“There was once a 10 percent chance of showers in the afternoon, but it ended up being a downpour in the morning instead,” said UH-Downtown history senior Julie Workman. “Of course I did not have my umbrella, so at first I tried to just wait it out but then I had to make a dash in the rain to my car, as I had an appointment to get to and couldn’t wait. I was drenched but on time.”
On my long 90-minute drive home through evening traffic, still soaked, the realization dawned that the University needs to figure out some way to help students when it rains.
“I would suggest building a walkway where students can walk through just in case it rains,” pre-business sophomore Roxana Guzman said.
That is a solution, but a costly one.
A more feasible option would be for the University to adopt an umbrella system like those used by outdoor malls. For example, Market Street in The Woodlands has made more than 500 large umbrellas available to retailers and restaurateurs. Each shop typically has an umbrella stand with five to 10 umbrellas and when it rains, patrons take one and deposit it at any of the shops when they are done. This is all done on an honor system.
It is possible for the University to adopt this system. The umbrellas could have the UH logo and logos of sponsors so they would be easily distinguishable. These sponsors could fund the purchasing of the umbrellas and stands. We could name them “Pride Parasols,” “Cougar Cover,” ”Shasta Shelter” or something less dorky. Thus, the University bolsters school pride, provides advertisers with another avenue for ad revenue and keeps students and their stuff dry.
Now, the honor system might not work at UH; students love free stuff and might be prone to keep the umbrellas, even if they’re supposed to return them. To get around that, the University could require students to pay a small deposit. Then, when the student returns the umbrella, they could get their money back or at least a portion of their money back.
Workman gives another suggestion that may be more cost effective.
“You could use the same idea, but instead of using umbrellas, use plastic see-through ponchos with the logos displayed on them,” Workman says. “It would be more cost effective in the long run since those could be mass produced easier and cheaper than umbrellas.”
While some people might say “just bring an umbrella with you,” many people often do not for various reasons. Not everyone has time to grab one on the way out the door or out of the car, remembers to check the weather in the morning or simply forget. An umbrella system would be a great convenience for the students, faculty and guests of the University. I love the sound of rain, particularly when it is falling on an umbrella instead of my head.
Sarah Backer is a business sophomore and may be reached at [email protected].
I actually like the honor-system-umbrella idea. However, instead of just having it say UH and the donor names on it, maybe have it actually say ‘donated umbrella for use at UH if found please return to campus’ or something like that. If someone is walking around with it outside of campus, they might be shamed into returning it because everyone can read that it was taken off campus.
Eh, that’s kind of the problem when you have a bunch of decentralized buildings with wide open spaces in between and stupidly winding pathways.
I know it’s not like UH is going to reconstruct their campus buildings to be ultra-dense, compact and easy to get through, but at least raise the sidewalk levels in some areas and at least try to build better pathways.
I disagree about UH having to do anything for those without an umbrella. It’s just tough luck, and I’m talking as a person that uses the bus a lot. If there wants to be a voluntary student-led effort for such an idea, awesome. But I don’t think it’s wise for UH admin to focus on it, and our money being spent on it.
The ponchos idea with the deposit does sound better at least, though setting up a system and maintaining it will take money and time of course. Honestly, the reasons you list at the end are all avoidable. If you don’t have time to grab one out the door, then why don’t you place one near the door? If it seems like it’s rainy, why not remember to take it out of your vehicle or out the house if you walk/bike/bus? Checking the weather is not an issue buying turning on the TV, looking at your phone, newspaper, computer, whatever for like 10 seconds at most.