By J.D. Eddy, Editorial Editor
Parking on campus is an issue that students and faculty have differing views on.
Is there enough parking for everyone? That all depends on how far you want to walk. With the construction at South Hall, it has transitioned Coronado to be a coed dorm. That means less parking close to campus for students who live in the dorms, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t any parking.
Walking in this heat is not something that most students want to do, but I understand the reasoning behind the decision. One thing that does not work for me is that most students will park in the lots meant for commuters.
This has created a very compact parking environment, with the campus being one square mile. There is enough parking, but not for students who live off campus.
I live off campus now; walking a mile to school every day is not something viable. Some things are out of our control.
For example, the South Hall renovation is taking longer than expected, so students have to park in lots meant for only one dorm, not two.
Some things have been done to try to open up the parking lots. Something I have noticed is that campus police seem to be giving out more warnings and tickets. That is enough to make anyone not park in these spaces anymore.
Most of the time, these tickets are given to students parked in the Wellness Center parking lot. The ones that are not from the Wellness Center come from students parking in a fire lane or a handicapped spot. (If you see red curbs or blue signs, don’t park there.)
The cost of these tickets would keep anyone from parking in these spaces more than once. If you don’t have a ticket yet, then you are lucky or smart.
As I have stated before, there are places to park, and the lots for South Hall are open to every dorm. I understand that you will have to walk, but it is not that far.
The campus is not that big. It takes no longer than five minutes to get from the parking lot to where you are going, I have walked it a few times to get my steps in for the day.
There are plenty of spaces on this small campus, and if you do not want to walk the distance, I understand that. But it must be done, for the time being, at least until the end of the renovation and Coronado is no longer coed.
There is parking on campus if you are willing to walk a farther distance. It is not that big of a change in distance, but it does inconvenience you a little bit more.
If you can get to a parking spot closer beforehand that is good, but do not take the parking of students that commute every day. The renovations will be completed soon, and then you will have ample parking for every dorm, until that time just be patient.