Near the auxiliary gym entrance, adjacent to the senior parking lot, remains a parking area that when seen in the morning, has very few cars parked in it. Why are there so few cars parked in the lot, and so many parked along the street? The answer is simple: juniors cannot park in that parking lot. This matter has generated controversy in the past few weeks between administrators and students. Students believe that they should be able to park there, since it is basically unused during the day, and it creates an inconvenience for them. However, administrators have kept true to their policy, and have ticketed those juniors who park there without a parking pass. Junior students, as well as Assistant Principal Dr. John Doll answered some questions on the matter to elaborate on the confusion associated with the rumors about the non-existent “junior lot.”
When asked if the junior lot exists, Doll said that there is no specific designated parking area for juniors, and “they can park on the street” and added, “they can park in any area that has a non-designated sign, requiring a decal.” If the parking area requires a decal, and one does not have a decal, Doll said that a parking ticket is the consequence for parking in the wrong place.
In addition, Doll said that parking passes cannot be obtained by underclassmen, and the idea of parking passes coming into play for juniors later in the year “has not been decided by the administrators.” So if someone does not have a parking decal, they may have to wait until the school reaches a decision. Doll also said that the only time underclassmen can park in the senior lot will be “when they become seniors,” voiding any changes made by the school administration this year. As for after school, the parking lots are open to everyone at 3:30, according to the signs in the lots. Once underclassmen become seniors, they can purchase a parking pass for $50.
Junior Andrew Maddox, a student who drives to school most days, had something to offer on the subject; saying that he believes “it should be the space for everyone to park, seniors included.” Maddox also added: “there are two other grades that need parking aside from the front and the field.” This issue is still debated amongst juniors, but the fact remains that one must have a parking pass to park in the lots where it is specified that a decal is required to park there.
Twins Claire and Caitlin Shea, also juniors, shared their thoughts on the controversial matter.
“Most of the teachers get there before 8:00 so it should be that teachers get priority of any of the spaces in the lot before then. Parking is impossible; so many people have cars,” said Caitlin Shea.
“We [junior drivers] end up having to park far away which makes us late,” said Claire Shea.
It seems as though the general student attitude towards this issue is negative, and they would like their problems to be addressed.
In the end, it is apparent that the school is sticking to its policy of ticketing in the junior lot. Juniors should respectfully obey the policies the school has set in place, so long as they wish to remain ticket-free. However, they should also be listening for changes, as the administration may change its policies if the junior lot becomes a bigger issue.
