A week before fall semester started, the school announced that there will be a change in the route for the campus shuttle bus starting this semester.
The buses originally followed two routes: the Main Gate Local Route and the Main Gate Direct Route, both routes starting off at the Main Gate. The Main Gate Local Route would make a stop at the Art & Design Building, the Ewha-POSCO Building, the intersection near the engineering buildings, the Hanwoori House, and the Research Cooperation Building. The Main Gate Direct Route would only stop at the Ewha-POSCO Building and the intersection near the engineering buildings.
Starting from Sept. 4, the new routes for the campus shuttle bus are the Research Cooperation Building bound Route and the Hanwoori House bound Route. The Research Cooperation Building bound Route is basically the Main Gate Local Route but minus the stop at the Art & Design Building and the Hanwoori House bound Route is the Main Gate Direct Route plus a stop at the Hanwoori House after the one at the intersection near the engineering buildings.
This change, despite the school’s good intentions, will cause an impact on engineering students, because it will get harder for them to take the bus.
Engineering students usually take classes at the Asan Engineering Building, the New Engineering Building and the Research Cooperation Building, and their walk to class is more like a hike: go pass the Ewha Complex Center, up the slope to the Ewha- POSCO Building, get in the line for an elevator and go up five floors, exit the building and enter the Science Building Hyundai Motor, walk across the hallway to another line for an elevator and go up six floors, exit the building, go up a flight of stairs, walk a very steep downhill, enter the Asan Engineering Building or walk further to enter the New Engineering Building and finally to the floor of the classroom. The way to the Research Cooperation Building does not stop there: they must get to the fourth floor of the New Engineering Building, exit, and walk up a steep flight of stairs. Not to mention the lines for the elevators get very long during class periods and may even take up to 20 minutes, forcing students to use the stairs, eventually getting to class completely exhausted.
Because of this highly arduous commute, it is especially crucial for these students to take the shuttle bus. However, during class periods, the line to get on the bus gets extremely long, sometimes even to the point where it almost reaches the actual Main Gate. Even prior to the change in routes, engineer majors must arrive and get in line 20 to 30 minutes before their class starts, even earlier at times, to get there on time. Now, the newly planned routes both make a stop at the Hanwoori House. Although this may be significantly beneficial for those living in dormitories, these students usually have the luxury of waiting long minutes in line. On the other hand, it is not always possible for engineering students to get to school so early, and many times, witnessing the endless line, they have no choice but to walk their way to class.
For a long time, students have been requesting for a direct route that stops at the Ewha-POSCO Building, the intersection near the engineering buildings, and the Research Cooperation Building, at least during class periods. However, it has yet to be applied.
Like any other student of Ewha, engineering students need a proper campus environment to learn and grow as a promising engineer. A route like this will allow these students a better environment to focus in class and a better campus life that they rightfully deserve.