Members of the Bonaventure community will swarm the Barclays Center in Brooklyn this weekend, cheering on the men’s basketball team in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. For some, intensive planning allowed for attendance. For others, fulfilling their dream of participating in the festivities might take another year.
The Bonnies are set to play their first tournament game at 9 p.m. tonight and, although attending on-campus games is an easier feat for students, making the trek to Brooklyn poses several obstacles.
Many students agreed that most of the roadblocks faced involved the finances and planning required to attend the game. Students added that professors generally accommodated their missing end-of-the-week classes.
Olivia Merrill, a junior journalism and mass communication major, said that she had to miss lectures in multiple classes.
“There have been a lot of obstacles that I have faced since I decided to go to Brooklyn this weekend,” said Merrill, who’s attended the tournament two times already. “One of the biggest obstacles is that I have to skip class, especially because my friends want to leave on Thursday. This means that I have to skip four of my classes. Luckily, my teachers were really nice and understanding when I talked to them, considering I very rarely skip class.”
After speaking with professors, Merrill said her next step was to plan the trip itself. Merrill added that getting the full city experience carries a pretty price tag, posing a struggle for those lacking extra spending money.
“Between gas money, hotel money, drink money [and] ticket money, it adds up really fast, and my parents aren’t going to contribute a dime,” she said. “I’ve always been good about saving money so that I am able to do fun things like this, so I dug into my savings and made it work.”
Carlos De la Rosa, a sophomore marketing major, also said that professors understood his inability to make his Friday classes; however, he experienced some transportation complications.
“At first, I was unable to find a ride to Brooklyn,” said De La Rosa, who attended the tournament last year. “This meant that I had to pay around $70 to get to Brooklyn by taking the only bus in Olean that takes you to New York City. That is a lot of money for a college student. In the end, a close friend of mine offered a ride and made things a whole lot easier.”
Kristen Caputo, a junior journalism and mass communication major, said she’ll be unable to attend the event, due to the lack of affordable housing near the Barclays Center.
“I have a ton of family from New Jersey, so I planned on staying with them, but with all my friends going it wouldn’t work out as I had hoped,” Caputo said. “Instead we looked at hotel prices and if there was anything available (and being college students and all) it’s sometimes hard trying to find a price everyone can agree on.”
Merrill and De la Rosa agreed that Bonaventure could better help alleviate transportation issues by offering a bus to Brooklyn for the Friday game.
Abby Cohen, the associate director for club sports, intramurals and student engagement, said transportation to the game will be provided this Sunday, given the team wins both Friday and Saturday’s games.
“This year, there’s no transportation for Friday’s game but then there’s transportation for Sunday’s game through Covered Wagon…It’s fully refundable if the bus does not end up going but that allows students to at least go to the final game on Sunday if Bonaventure is actually a part of that.”
De la Rosa said that he believes Bonaventure should have provided transportation to the team’s game tonight, although Cohen said the university has considered and reconsidered the idea. According to Cohen, the possibility of students not getting back on the bus after Friday’s game posed some safety concerns.
“Although Bonaventure is providing buses, it is only for the final and that depends if Bonaventure makes it,” De la Rosa said. “Bonaventure should provide buses for the quarterfinals so students can watch the entire tournament. Many students want to go but do not have a way to get to Brooklyn.”
Merrill added that she feels Bonaventure should have considered cancelling classes today, allowing students who are unable to miss class to attend the game.
Regardless of differing opinions regarding the university’s aiding in students’ struggles, those able to attend Friday’s game said they’re looking forward to the experience. For those unable to make it to the quarterfinals, reserving a seat on Sunday’s bus might allow for a taste of the Atlantic 10 experience.
Cohen said that those interested in possibly attending Sunday’s game can call 716-372-1230 to reserve their seats on the bus.
mcgurllt14@bonaventure.edu
