We asked students about how easy they think it is to get off-campus and why they do or don't venture out:
Nathan Shaner is a college senior:
For me personally it's not a problem because I have a car, but during the school year it's hard because of classes.
Tico Wolff is a college first-year:
Sometimes I think about taking a bike ride into the country, but I don't have a bike.
Renee Timberlake is a college first-year:
I get off campus a lot because I have family nearby. Oberlin can get a little monotonous.
Peter Teel is a first-year double-degree:
It's near impossible unless you have a car. Once I went on a walk to the supermarket. Even people with cars don't go anywhere. Maybe there isn't really anywhere to go except for Cleveland.
Thomas Wadsworth is a college sophomore:
Yeah, I think it is hard. I do sometimes, but it's definitely difficult because a lot of people don't have cars. There's hardly any public transportation, and there's so much work to be done it's difficult to get off campus.
"Mike" is a bus driver for Lorain County Transit:
Yeah, I've heard of all these students getting lost and forgetting how to get back on the bus. But it seems to me, if a kid is smart enough to go to a $30,000 a year college, he oughta be able to find his way through a bus route. It's not that hard ... If kids get left behind, they get left. I'm sure they can afford taxis. What am I supposed to do? I'm a bus driver, not a chaffeur or a baby-sitter.
Brita Olsson is a college first-year:
Yes, for freshman especially because we're not allowed to have cars. To get to outside cities like Cleveland, taking taxis is way too expensive. Most students don't do it. I haven't left campus unless I'm going on soccer trips.
Katy Durham-Hammer is a college sophomore:
I knew I was supposed to catch the bus at Rax, but I didn't know where Rax was. I was thinking R-A-C-K-S. I want to see what's around off-campus but I haven't gone yet because I don't want to go by myself.
