By Jane Bowden
Managing Editor
I’m the kind of person who likes to arrive early for everything. Doctor’s appointments, dinner reservations, movie showings — you name it. If I’m not 20 minutes early, then I’m late.
I also live approximately two minutes and 30 seconds from the College’s campus; three minutes on days in which I’m feeling more lethargic than usual and don’t have the energy to drive much more than the speed limit — but it’s a quick drive nonetheless.
With this logic, you’d think it’d be easy for me to make it to class on time.
But after just a week of driving to class every day, there’s something that has turned my peaceful morning walks to class into full-on sprints like I’m training for a marathon: the College’s parking spots, or lack thereof.
According to the College’s website, there are about 6,580 full-time undergraduates. That’s about 4,935 cars if each student had a car, not including the freshmen class.
Tell me — why does it feel like there are -5,000 parking spots for almost 5,000 cars?
While I’d known about the College’s lack of lots before I even set foot on campus, it wasn’t until I became one of the desperate students whipping her car around each lot and the parking garage that I realized how limited parking was. It shouldn’t take me more than 30 minutes to find a spot to park my car.
At this rate, it’d be faster for me to walk to campus than to drive and get — and inevitably not find — a parking spot.
But when a snowstorm hits in late January, I certainly won’t be the one to throw on a parka, lace up a pair of heavy-duty snow boots and make the trek to class.
Of course, there is always the option of creating your own parking spot and running the risk of getting a ticket.
But as broke college students just trying to graduate, our options shouldn’t be limited to circling the parking lot like hawks and being late to class or paying a ticket after parking illegally.
In fact, on Aug. 27, a student from the College even created an online petition demanding that the College create more parking spots for its students. As of Monday, Sept. 2, the petition has almost 300 signatures.
Whether it be building another few stories on the parking garage or waving a magic wand and yelling “Accio parking,” the College needs to accommodate its students better by providing more parking spaces.
