Shaikha Almawlani
Staff Writer
Cars are an important part of a college student’s life, especially for a school known as a commuter campus, such as the University of La Verne.
ULV has a variety of cars parked on the five-floor paring structure and around campus, ranging from economical to luxurious. The cars, majority well-maintained, decorate the blocks between Bonita and Wheeler.
Jose Guzman, a senior business administration major, test drove a Corvette, Camaro and a Mustang before purchasing his 2014 Ford Mustang based on the car’s power.
“I used to have an Infinity,” Guzman said. “I had it modified as well but for my taste it wasn’t as fast. It was fast but it wasn’t as fast as I wanted it to be.”
Guzman’s Mustang has a 47 pound steel injector, a jail peak holder intake, and a bamma 85 tuned. His modifications came from his inclination towards the racing culture and participation at the WillowSpring racing track.
“I don’t think there is a big racing culture in La Verne,” Guzman said. “Out of all the students that go, and I talk to a lot of them that have nice cars, only two of them race.”
Guzman said he has noticed the abundance of high end cars on campus.
“It’s interesting because you see all types of cars,” Guzman said. “For example, the rich international students bring a lot of high end cars, high end foreign cars, there’s a wide variety.”
Jaime Moreno, senior business administration major, has one of the oldest well-maintained cars on campus. The black 1965 Ford Mustang that has caught the attention of plenty of students was passed on by his father as a birthday and graduation present in November 2012.
“I get a thumbs up or a head nod, or sometimes ‘cool car’ or ‘nice ride,’” Moreno said. “I love (old cars), I think they’re easier to maintain. In case a problem occurs, it’s easier to fix and I believe newer cars are more electronic.”
Moreno said the different cars in La Verne showcase the diversity that is present in the school.
“Cars represent a part of your personality to some extent,” said Moreno. “They represent something that you like, and La Verne is very diverse based on the range of cars that we have.”
Koby Babb, freshmen criminology major, bought his 2016 Dodge Challenger SXT on his way to another dealership.
“I was supposed to get a Takoma,” Babb said. “On our way to see a 2016 Takoma, we stopped by a Dodge dealership because they had a sale, and we got a really good deal on a package and upgraded speakers so I bought it.”
Babb also commented on the diversity of cars available on the main La Verne campus, saying cars range from convenient good-quality automobiles to standout cars.
“I’ve seen some Lamborghinis before,” Babb said. “It’s pretty cool, like some Maseratis and stuff like that. There’s a Reventon, there’s a Bentley, and they are at La Verne because they have the La Verne parking permits. There’s jaguars, some of the international students have Mercedes, which are pretty cool, and athletes have trucks and stuff for equipment.”
In regards to the future of cars in La Verne, Babb said that he expects a prominence of Corollas and Ford Trucks on campus next semester.
He said that Corollas, being well-quality low maintenance durable cars, have the desirable traits college students look for in cars.
Shaikha Almawlani can be reached at shaikha.almawlani@laverne.edu.
