The price of parking permits seem to be rising each year at The University of Southern Mississippi. And for what? The limited space for parking seems to only get worse, especially after the recent selling of the parking lot across Hardy Street, which accommodated approximately 200 cars.

With the financial woes of “bonus bucks," campus housing, and student bills, attendees also have to worry about the expense of parking. The USM parking management provides a statement for students and staff declaring “parking is a privilege that may be revoked temporarily or permanently for justifiable reasons.”

Parking is a privilege?

I’m sorry, but with the amount of money students pay to attend colleges, parking should be considered a necessity.

Driving like a maniac through the parking lots of Southern Miss is unfortunately a daily routine for me. Cars race to death, stalking other students to ensure they have a parking spot. I’ve become an expert in finding a parking spot. I have constructed different strategies until I found the most successful way to find a space.

I first scope out a driver in my rear view mirror with my foot slightly on the gas, then proceed to follow them as they walk to their car. To my desperate drivers, you're welcome. Students make desperate attempts by asking the famous phrase: “Did you park over here?”

Oh and my all time favorite, “Are you leaving?”

Most schools don’t reveal that parking permits are oversold to students. The theory behind this is that students have class at different times, but this logic fails due to the apparent evidence of cars circling the parking lots throughout campus. Getting up early just to look for a parking spot is inconvenient, as well as useless. I’ve spent 30 minutes before class searching for a spot only to waste gas, sleep, and time.

Some may argue that walking to class is an option, but for those that live far away on campus or commute, walking is a nuisance. I’m sure many students want to avoid arriving to class drenched in sweat or with frozen hands from the winter climate. For students in band carrying their instruments and my counterparts in journalism toting large camera bags, I feel your pain and frustration.

As more students attend the University, the space only becomes more limited. This may appear as a minor problem for those not experiencing it, but when it leads to parking lot arguments, excessive ticketing due to lack of parking, and arriving late for class, then it becomes a problem.

A possible solution would be for Administrators to partner with community officials to construct plans that involve implementing “on-street” parking available to staff and students. This would help provide more space on and around campus.

If this isn’t a big enough concern, students at Southern Miss have issued a “Petition for Parking” requesting for more acceptable parking on campus. The petition is available online at change.org under the title “Improve Campus Parking at USM.”