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Detours to the Western Farm at the University of Findlay causing students to be late to class
By Laila Zugg, ZuggL@Findlay.edu
A significant number of University of Findlay equestrian and animal science students need to take a detour on various backroads because of construction on U.S. 68, which leads to the Western Farm at the University of Findlay. As a result, they have had to depart approximately 15 minutes earlier than usual to arrive at their classrooms in a timely way.
This problem has affected a large number of students, including Annette Laporte, who is a student at the University of Findlay and majors in Western Equestrian Studies.
“It’s just been a lot of backroads and extra time that shouldn’t be being used,” Laporte said.
The construction began on Aug. 19, the same day the fall semester at UF began.
“I have to leave a lot earlier since the normal route was like 15 minutes and now it’s more like 25, so I have to leave much earlier and take backroads if necessary,” Laporte said.
Construction is supposed to last 75 days, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation, so it is expected to end around the beginning of November 2024.
Carol T. Browne, who serves as the Administrative Coordinator of the Animal Sciences Center at the Western Farm, identified an additional problem that is associated with the ongoing road work.
“In order for them to reach the English Farm, they are required to cross a railroad track, and the train that arrives in the morning is the one that passes through,” Browne said. “The fact that it sometimes stops causes them to be late.”
Some students are late to class because the train stops for 10 minutes or longer on Olive Street, which is one of the two routes that the school suggests the students take. The route that leads to the English farm is the one that has the rail tracks on Olive Street.
“They (instructors) are encouraging good time management skills to their students,” Browne said. “They’ve had four weeks of driving it so their schedule should adapt to getting here on time.”
Laporte says many of her friends are late all the time to their other classes due to the road closures. For Laporte, her schedule is a bit more flexible and she takes a lot of online classes, but for a freshman with all in-person classes driving back and forth between the main campus and the barns, it is a daily struggle.
“It hasn’t been too bad for me, but I know many people that complain about it every day,” Laporte said.
