Approaching the first few days of school, the main subject of chatter amongst senior drivers was the parking pass situation.  Those participating in classes like Clinical Observations and LE Out flaunted their parking permits over snapchat while other seniors anxiously waited for the parking pass lottery winners to be posted.  The simple overhanging pass would not seem like a boast worthy topic, but it delineates a student’s means of transportation for the remainder of the year.

In previous years, those with cars could park in the front lot with ease.  A parking permit was still required, but, due to the larger quantity of available passes, was rather effortless to obtain.  Jason Walker, head of the North Building security team, explained the straightforward reasoning behind the limited number of permits in hopes to relieve confusion.  Walker said, “All of the parking lots out by the main office, all of the stone lots, are going to go away.  All of the faculty [personnel] are going to have to park out front as well, and that’s going to eliminate parking for everybody.”  The loss of the staff parking facility due to heightened construction creates a lower availability for student parking.  In turn, this unsolvable supply and demand issue prompts the metallic passes to become more coveted than ever before.

Katherine Groves, a senior who received a temporary pass, offers a testament to this struggle.  “The whole ordeal caused a lot of stress during the weeks leading up to school, and this stress will continue, considering I lose my pass after the first semester.  Having a twin brother, both of us with jobs and spring sports, it’s going to require a lot of planning in order to get us to the commitments we made,” Groves said.  Students without a full year parking pass will have to be very conscientious in how they choose to juggle their after school obligations.  This factor adds a sense of disappointment amid upperclassmen.  Groves stated that, “The seniors I have talked with feel like our class has definitely gotten the short end of the stick with this construction.  We have had to deal with countless distractions and inconveniences due to the construction yet we will never get to experience the finished building.”  This sentiment appears to be the consensus of thoughts within the senior class.  This particular group of students has experienced multiple forms of adversity through both school schedules (regular and block), a construction zone, and now the parking pass dilemma.

Perhaps the most obvious remedy for the matter is to establish carpools within the student body.  Many students are already working diligently with their friends to construct a reliable mode of transportation to and from school.  Michelle Peffer, the current PTSO president, encourages this form of problem solving and reminds students to, “pay attention to signs posted in neighborhoods and be respectful of the laws against parking on private property without permission.”

Although the circumstances regarding parking may be inconvenient, this situation is just an obstacle.  Soon, State High students will adapt to the changes and overcome this bump in the road.