By Tenley Baxter
Owning a car at Southern Virginia University opens up a myriad of opportunities to enjoy the benefits of living in the Shenandoah Valley. Whether it’s a calming joyride taking in the vast beauty of Blue Ridge Parkway, a 4:00 am milkshake run to Cookout, or in the rare case of one of these cars, a quick trip to rescue students who have locked themselves out of their dorms, the vehicles at our campus often become the source of many adventures. Here is another round of rating the rides of the students and staff of SVU.
Maxym’s Nissan
Name: Maxym Sutton
Grad Year: 2025
Major: Biochemistry
Hometown: Brentwood, California
Fun fact: Went to Korea on his mission
What is your vehicle?
Max owns a black 2006 Nissan 350z. He bought it off of the assistant MVB coach, Russ. He explained that he agreed to buy the car before his mission and followed through as soon as he got back. He had always been a fan of the car, partly because it has a manual transmission which he prefers. This is an ideal ride for Sunday drives on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
“It feels like I am driving a race car”
How good is it?
Favorite thing: Manual transmission.
Least favorite thing: Fixing it up is a pain. Also, it takes premium gas which adds to expenses severely.
What do you rate it? 10/10
What we rate it: This small, sporty car is pretty uncommon which makes it more noticable. Although I appreciate its stylish aethstetic, the gas expenses make it a pricier option. I give it an 9/10 rating.
*Edit: Maxym has since sold his car. Guess it wasn’t a 10/10 after all.
Cam’s Ford
Name: Cameron Gabrylczyk
Grad Year: 2025
Major: Political Science with a concentration in Pre-MPA
Hometown: Rapid City, South Dakota
Fun fact: “I’m color blind. Driving is like a competitive sport.”
What is your vehicle?
Cam has a white 2003 Ford Escape understandably dubbed “Crack Pipe”. It originally belonged to his dad’s cousin, but when the cousin overdosed, it was given to Cam. He claims that “the car chose him”, and uses it for cruising around the parkway and Cookout runs. I asked what makes the car unique and he replied, “What doesn’t? When I first cleaned it out, I found a bottle of urine. And the owner had died a full year before.”
How good is it?
Favorite thing: None of the dashboard works. Speedometer, odometer and fuel gauge are all broken.
Least favorite thing: It takes five minutes to warm up or it will stall out after starting.
What do you rate it? 14/10
What we rate it: Having driven in this car before, I can verify that it is certainly unusual. The “Crack Pipe” sets itself apart with its iconic lingering cigarette scent and the mysterious items in the trunk that Cam has been hesitant to move. I’m surprised it can drive at all. I rate it a solid 3/10.
Security’s Golf Cart
Name: Joe Harris
Years working at SVU: 2 and a half years
Occupation: Chief of Safety and Security
Hometown: Waynesboro, Virginia
Fun fact: I love Yorkie dogs. “When I was a big old cop, I’d walk a two-pound yorkie. She was my police dog.”
What is your vehicle?
Security has a 2023 Vitacci Rover-200 EFI. It was purchased as a replacement for our old car which got wrecked in mid-Jan 2024. I asked, as I do in all my interviews, “why did you choose it?”, to which Joe quickly replied, “I didn’t”. This vehicle is used for routine patrol, carrying cones and other items for traffic control. It is perfect for getting places on campus that cars aren’t able to, such as getting across the quad and in tighter off-road places.
How good is it?
Favorite thing: “I like the color.”
Least favorite thing: “It’s cold in the winter weather.”
What do you rate it? 6/10
What we rate it: Joe also mentioned that this vehicle is restricted in some places on main roads. He also noted that it can be a little loud. Because of the inconveniences these attributes create for security, I give it a 5/10.
The vehicles in this edition of “Campus Rides” take the definition of iconic to a new level. These cars have often been noticed around campus and it is about time we have talked about them. If you or a friend have a vehicle just as unique to tell the world about, please reach out to us by emailing The Herald at theherald@svu.edu
Check out other “Campus Rides” articles:
Campus Rides: Rating Vehicles at SVU | by Tenley Baxter — Medium
Campus Rides 2.0: Rating Vehicles at SVU | by Tenley Baxter
Campus Rides 3.0: Rating Vehicles at SVU was originally published in The Herald on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
