The world we live in is barbaric, and nowhere is this more apparent than in LSU’s parking lots.
I am a senior, and almost all of my classes are near the Quad. I spend my days with hours of breaks between classes, and after a long day I embark on a trek to reach my car — why?
Because LSU does not segregate commuter lots based on seniority. As much as I enjoy witnessing peculiar events happening on campus, the hours I spend walking back and forth from my vehicle each week could be put to better use.
Upperclassmen have been here for longer than anyone except for graduate students and those who change their majors. We do not have as many options when we schedule classes, and sometimes we have long breaks.
We should segregate commuter parking by giving upperclassmen the closest commuter lots on campus. We could let the upperclassmen keep the current commuter parking color — blue — and give the peasants an inferior parking color — pink.
Not all parking tags are created equal. Separating parking tags based on seniority will allow for easy towing of intruders in the wrong lot. Students who park in the wrong lots get towed all the time, so it’s an easily enforceable standard.
Upperclassmen will have the stadium parking lots, the ROTC lot and the LSU AgCenter lot. The underclassmen can have the leftovers. Let them hike to the lots behind Patrick F. Taylor, the Cow Pasture lot or the overflow lot.
The upperclassmen deserve the security offered by closer lots. We have a hard enough time already — we don’t need something happening to our cars. Let the freshmen and sophomores take the seemingly questionable security of Hart lot.
Not all the seniors and juniors will find a spot, but this will give us a better chance to avoid distant parking. The inflow and outflow from these lots will allow upperclassmen to have spots when returning from breaks.
Upperclassmen shouldn’t have to watch as noobs who might drop out in a few weeks take every spot close to campus. We must assert our dominance.
Sure, there will be complaints, but who cares? If they don’t like it, they can drop out. According to the Office of Budget and Planning, 15 percent of last year’s freshman class did not return this fall. LSU also reported that the retention rate from first to third year was only about 73 percent.
With this many freshman leaving after the first and second years, why should we waste the space of those seeking to graduate on time? Upperclassmen are already ahead of them, so we should take priority.
LSU should also give upperclassmen discounts on parking fees. As students progress, they’d be rewarded for sticking with LSU. To maintain fee revenue for the university, raise the prices on underclassmen so the average student pays the same amount.
Instead of waiting for the ridiculous traffic and extraneous journeys associated with far lots, I would rather spend the extra time studying for exams.
Some will depict me as a parking supremacist, but to seniors seeking short walks to campus, I will be LSU’s Mussolini.
Garrett Marcel is a 21-year-old petroleum engineering senior from Houma , Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @Gret419.
Opinion: Upperclassmen should get the good parking spots
October 4, 2015
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