So you don’t have a car? Utah Tech University’s campus has easily accessible resources for students who don’t have vehicles.
The task of getting groceries can become quite a burden if getting to the grocery store is an issue. The Utah Tech campus offers multiple store options for students to pick up snacks and meals.
The Trailblazers Cafe, Stacks and Grazers are all places on campus where students can get prepared meals. Stampede Station and Brooks’ Stop are stores on campus that are similar to convenience stores, offering students many snack and drink options.
With all of these places being on campus, they are easily accessible for a student whose main means of transportation is walking.
When the snacks from the convenience stores aren’t cutting it, off-campus grocery shopping is an option for students. The Utah Tech campus is located where popular shopping options such as Harmons Grocery and Target are less than a 15-minute walk away. However, it is farther away from more affordable shopping options such as Walmart, which is a little over an hour’s walk away from campus.
For shopping options other than groceries, St. George Boulevard and North Main Street offer an array of antique and novelty shops and restaurants. These shops vary in distance from campus, but many can be walked to in about 20 minutes and biked to in less than 10. Along with the stores, there is also an art gallery and an art museum up the road.
The walkability of St. George really depends on timing and distance. Students have to be strategic about when they make trips due to the heat that is experienced in this area during most of the year. A midday trek to the store in August is going to be more difficult than one in November.
Moe Thu, a freshman design major from Myanmar, Southeast Asia, said it’s hard to walk to places in the afternoon due to the heat which causes people to get tired really easily.
When traveling to another country, international students face the hurdle of not having a car with them. If walking isn’t an option, asking someone you don’t know for a ride to a grocery store can be nerve-racking.
Cristina Martinez, a sophomore environmental science major from Madrid said to help with this need, the International Students and Scholars Office offers freshman international students rides almost once a month to go get groceries.
When having someone else take you to the store isn’t an option, some students use grocery delivery to get their groceries delivered to their dorms. This opens up more shopping options that students can’t physically get to without a car.
Rebekah Phippen, a sophomore environmental science major from Layton, said while grocery delivery can be useful, in her experience, it is “certainly not affordable.”
“All the fees that come with delivery aren’t really worth it, and they add up quick,” Phippen said.
The SunTran is the public transit system in St. George. This service is an option for students who need to travel outside of campus for shopping and/or getting to and from work. Students are able to use the service for free when they show their student ID cards.
Another transportation option available to students are Spin scooters. These orange electric scooters can be found around campus and at charging hubs around the city. By downloading the Spin app, students can scan a QR code on the scooter to ride. The scooters have a base fee of $1 per ride and a per-minute fee that will vary based on the trip.
Don’t let the lack of a car stop you from enjoying your college experience. There are resources to be utilized and adventures to be had.
