2008 Woodie Awards
One student's message to fed up drivers: park by the GMC!
Issue date: 2/12/08 Section: Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor,
[In response to Suha Diab's article, "Where do I park?", Feb. 5] As a student with a parking decal, I am all too aware of the parking situation on campus. I have been late to class on an occasion or two because I spent time driving around Lots F, G, H and J (the non-reserved lots closest to the main buildings) unable to find a spot to park my car. It's frustrating, but I don't think that the situation was deserving of as much criticism as I read in this article. Each day that I arrive on campus and find no parking in the Lots mentioned above, I drive to the back end of campus next to the up-and-coming Green Music Center. There, of course, are endless numbers of open spaces of which I can take my pick. The walk to class may take a minute or two longer, but at least I get to enjoy the walk next to the lake on my way. I agree that the numbers don't seem to make sense. It seems odd that the administration would sell more decals to students than the number of available spaces, but maybe it's based on figures we don't know about (i.e.: the number of full- vs. part-time students or the estimated number of students on campus during the day vs. the evening). But I have NEVER seen EVERY space occupied... if you are considering this back lot. So, even though it may be a little bit longer of a walk to your first class, there ARE options for parking. My suggestion: Save yourself the headache of driving in circles in the lots that are in high demand at high traffic times, and park near the Green Music Center. Maybe your legs will look trimmer from walking those few extra steps when summer rolls around.
~Andrea Johnson, Junior
[In response to Suha Diab's article, "Where do I park?", Feb. 5] As a student with a parking decal, I am all too aware of the parking situation on campus. I have been late to class on an occasion or two because I spent time driving around Lots F, G, H and J (the non-reserved lots closest to the main buildings) unable to find a spot to park my car. It's frustrating, but I don't think that the situation was deserving of as much criticism as I read in this article. Each day that I arrive on campus and find no parking in the Lots mentioned above, I drive to the back end of campus next to the up-and-coming Green Music Center. There, of course, are endless numbers of open spaces of which I can take my pick. The walk to class may take a minute or two longer, but at least I get to enjoy the walk next to the lake on my way. I agree that the numbers don't seem to make sense. It seems odd that the administration would sell more decals to students than the number of available spaces, but maybe it's based on figures we don't know about (i.e.: the number of full- vs. part-time students or the estimated number of students on campus during the day vs. the evening). But I have NEVER seen EVERY space occupied... if you are considering this back lot. So, even though it may be a little bit longer of a walk to your first class, there ARE options for parking. My suggestion: Save yourself the headache of driving in circles in the lots that are in high demand at high traffic times, and park near the Green Music Center. Maybe your legs will look trimmer from walking those few extra steps when summer rolls around.
~Andrea Johnson, Junior