Every year there are new incoming freshmen and with them comes a greater number of bus riders. There is a big divide with the students who ride the bus and those who do not. Many students have the option for rides home from parents or are able to drive. For the other half, it is mandatory for them to ride the bus.
Although free transportation is provided for all students, many of them decide to drive themselves or carpool with a friend or sibling. For students who are able to drive each year, Camas high school sells parking passes for thirty dollars so they are able to park in the school parking lots. Some students, including senior, Lily Haddan, prefer to drive to school rather than take the bus. Lily said that ¨it is a time to relax and breath before school. And when I do get to school, I feel a lot calmer and it is easier for me to focus.” Some more reasons that riding the bus is dreaded are that the other students who ride are inappropriate, the loud talking is unbearable, and the compact space where around 73 students are sitting enclosed in an eight-foot-wide school bus is not ideal.
On the other hand, Josue Espinoza, a football player, says, “I like riding the bus with my friends you can lay back and talk. The charter buses are better because you get individual seats. But I like both because they are two different environments.”
Although many students despise riding the bus, there are other students who like to ride the bus saying that it is a good environment to think about the school day and relax before going home.Freshman Rachael Edwards said, “I like riding the bus after school because it is fun, and I like to talk to people.”
There are many ways that a student can get to and from Camas High School. There are hundreds of cars in the parking lot and this number is growing with the new house additions and students who are able to get their license. Numerous students have expressed their feelings about the bus whether good or bad.