A new parking opportunity has been offered for juniors and seniors this year. Unlike past years where the two grades had specific parking areas, parking spaces are now open and unreserved for student drivers who pay for the parking permit.
Although the rule already has a lot of support, some students have noticed that the opportunity may also come with consequences: attendance, disagreements between upperclassmen, and fewer senior privileges going into senior year. So far, the students observed both the good and bad.
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea, I just think it can get out of hand sometimes,” junior Abby Diskins said.
After purchasing a parking pass and paying the fifty dollar permit fee, students are able to drive to school and park in any available space. Despite the perceived high price that leave many students unwilling to spend and without a spot, junior Riley Van Pelt still finds buying the pass worth it for herself and her family’s routine.
“My parents don’t have to get off work earlier to come down and get me; it’s easier for me to get to and from school,” Van Pelt said.
For Van Pelt, finding a spot is now easier than ever.
“There are a lot of open spots and I think it’s relatively easy just to find one,” Van Pelt said. “It might be a little more beneficial to some people to be be able to park wherever they can just because they don’t have to stress about finding that exact spot, parking in it, and having to get out of it, especially if it’s on the side of the football field where people wouldn’t give them enough room to back up.”
That being said, she hasn’t witnessed too many disagreements yet.
“I think it will just cause a few problems, like seniors might start to get mad at juniors because they might think of [the spots] as theirs, but in reality, now that it’s mixed up, you have to find any spot you can,” Van Pelt said. “If you have a problem with someone taking a spot you want, get to school earlier or find a spot near it.”
Recurring problems such as traffic and accidents could be solved by putting another crossing guard in the parking lot to direct the traffic like previous years. In addition to helping everything run smoother, it may keep people from blocking the school intersection and preventing accidents.
Ultimately, many students like Van Pelt feel that the tradeoff with potential future senior privileges for more convenience now is worth it.
“I think it would be a really fun experience to be able to paint my parking spot and have it as my own for that year, but I also like the idea of being able to park wherever,” Van Pelt said.
Other students like Diskins would rather have assigned parking spots.
“It would be easier to know where you’re going to park everyday and not have to go and find a random parking spot. It’d be nice to have one that is just yours,” Diskins said.
Whether the change is for better or worse, the new parking rules are going to take most new drivers some time to get used to.
