I go to a small, division three, private liberal arts college in Minnesota. There are just under 3,000 students enrolled. You wouldn't think that parking would be a problem with so few students in comparison to larger universities, but let me remind you that this school is not only small on a population scale, but a geographical one as well.
It takes no more than ten minutes to walk from one end of campus to the other so real estate is limited when it comes to parking spots.
With the increasing freshman class sizes from year to year, more cars keep appearing as if by magic (or so it seems to the residential life staff, because they cannot seem to comprehend this problem well enough to address it, let alone solve it).
Sometimes I feel as though I am living in a large city like New York or Chicago. I pay a fee for a parking spot yet am left stranded every time I try to find a place in the vicinity of my actual living quarters.
Like I said before, this campus is not huge, and walking from a parking spot across campus to my room is not a big deal UNLESS...
It is in the negative degrees (and that is without windchill, people).
It is raining cats and dogs.
It is snowing cats and dogs.
It is so windy I cannot walk in a straight line. (I am 5'1" and weigh all of 110 pounds so I don't have much leverage when it comes to wind resistance).
I have a class in ten minutes and cannot waste valuable time circling and circling for a spot near the department building only to realize I have to park in another galaxy.
Also, this is a private school so the tuition is not cheap. But instead of invest the money on parking lot additions or constructions, the staff decides to buy new trashcans and put up vinyl stone stickers in the cafeteria. #classy
I am here to speak for the students. It is our tuition money (or our parents'). We believe it should be spent to our benefit. I do not care if I am looking at a blank wall or a fake stone facade while scarfing down my baked potato. I do care if I will be able to avoid frost bite because I won't have to worry about finding a parking spot near my dormitory.
It has come to the point on certain days where I am reluctant to leave campus at all even for necessities simply because I do not want to lose my prime parking spot.
What is the point of having a car on campus if one does not enjoy the luxury of driving it?
Hopefully this tragedy will subside. If we unite our voices and raise them to the administration of our institutions, perhaps one day we will be loud enough to make a difference. We deserve parking spots. Everyone deserves parking spots. #justiceforstudentparking
