It’s no secret that Wooster’s first-year class is, to say the least, huge. In addition, it seems that a large number of these first-years have brought their cars to campus.† Any senior (and the few juniors) living in Armington or Stevenson, as well as any upper-classmen living in Kenarden, Andrews or Douglass, can most certainly attest to the reoccurring difficulty of finding a parking spot within a reasonable distance from their dorms. According to Security’s records, there are currently 647 parking passes registered to students for North and South lot parking, and although this seems a small number compared to our student population, somehow parking is still an issue. Security was unable to confirm the number of parking spots each class had purchased.
Students who live near the first-year corner of campus most likely experience more difficulty with parking close to their dorm as opposed to the residents of Holden or Luce Halls. I do understand the importance of keeping first-year students closer together and think it is a positive aspect, but that does not mean their cars need to be close to them as well. Once Bissman became a first-year dorm, all the first-year students who live there now also park their cars behind Bissman, Stevenson, Armington, Andrews or Kenarden.
Now, of course we live on a small campus and at any state school living in Armington and parking somewhere as far as Luce could be considered close.† Nevertheless, this is Wooster and when I live in Armington and have to park behind Bornhuetter because there is nothing available in any other lot, I confess I get annoyed.† As it is getting darker earlier and another Wooster winter is on its way, my issues with parking only grow.† While Wooster is a very safe campus, having to walk alone in the dark is never my favorite thing to do.† After paying $175 for my parking pass (which I realize is a small expense compared to other schools) I would at least like to be able to park on the same side of the street as my dorm.
Some schools have tried to come up with solutions to this problem.† In my hometown of Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan, first-years simply are not allowed to have cars. Yet at Miami University of Ohio, some first-years, depending on how far away their hometown is from campus, are allowed to have cars.† Still, I do not find either of these options to be suited for Wooster because, let’s be honest, Wooster is in the middle of nowhere and if we couldn’t leave every once in a while, we would all go insane.
As a senior, I do not feel that it is asking too much to be able to park in or close to my dorm’s parking lot. College, just like high school, serves as a rite of passage that you begin as a first-year and eventually complete as a senior (or fifth-year senior) who has earned the right to “be on top” and have special privileges such as an I.S. carrel, first pick of rooms and first-pick for classes. By giving seniors priority even in rooming and class selection, the College is clearly rewarding each step their students take towards graduation by giving them more privileges and recognizing a student’s rising status as they complete each school year.
I suggest that parking should be one of the next steps.† I am in no way saying we should move all first-year cars to some remote area of campus that no one even knew existed.† However, I do believe that limiting where first-years can park, particularly concerning first-years who reside close to upper-classmen dorms, should become a consideration for next year’s parking especially if Admissions is expecting another large class in the future.
A possible solution could be to number each parking space and assign a permit to each student to ensure that they are able to park in the same spot.† Wooster already lets seniors buy their parking permits first and this could be handled similarly to class selection ó people have certain times and days to buy their pass and pick their parking spot in proximity to their dorm.† Wooster could also make a small fortune with parking tickets this way for those who ignore the parking permits.
With all my complaints and suggestions, the College has made vast improvements with the anticipation of a larger class such as more dining options and professors letting more students into introductory classes which are clearly much more important than how far I have to walk in the snow.† Still, I do believe that parking is one more aspect that the College will need to address in the near future.
Elle Bloom is a Features Editor for the Voice. He can be reached for comment at EBloom11@wooster.edu.