Bloomington South National Honor Society gives its members the opportunity to park their cars in the front parking lot their senior year.
In the past, there have been lottery drawings done after the first NHS meeting to determine who will get the coveted spaces. However, this year the parking pass lottery was done through a poorly advertised Canvas inbox email and a Google form. Many students ended up without spaces, frustrated that they were not informed about the new change to the parking lot system.
Other students gleefully purchased their parking passes, but have found that parking in the front lot presents more of a challenge than a privilege. If you’re planning to stay after school, the front lot is fine; but if you’d like to get out of the parking lot quickly, you should leave before fifth period even starts, as parents have likely already lined up during fourth to pick up their children.
“There’s no use in parking [in the front] because parents are dropping their kids off in the morning and afternoon,” senior Will Davis said.
This is a problem that South must address, as it seems to have been reaching a boiling point. At the very least they should consider restructuring the parking lot so that students who drive could get out of the front lot instead of being blocked up by parents parked on both sides of the road. Whether that means moving student pickup to a different side of the school, or having security guard staff direct the traffic, something must be done.
Parents themselves, although likely frustrated by the long wait to pick up their children, are also major contributors to the problem. If parents are willing to help establish a lane that would allow students to leave quickly after school, this issue might be lessened.
The amount of time it takes to get out of the parking lot after school is simply outrageous, but for many it is tough to determine whether the shorter walk in the morning and easy access to your car during the day outweighs the negatives. Regardless, it seems as though the front lot parking pass has become less of a privilege and more of a pain.
