Here at WMC, parking and its regulations is regarded as a hot-button topic. Its sometimes questionable fairness, as well as its limits for different grades, have given both the juniors and seniors reasons to be upset and confused.

For all seniors who have their license, not winning a pass in the lottery is a thing of the past. Seniors automatically get passes because of seniority, while juniors have to enter in a lottery to win a pass. This rule is fair, as the seniors have been here for almost 4 years and deserve to have guaranteed spots in parking lot before juniors, who have had their license for less than a year. Many seniors have complained, however, that the juniors that have won passes are taking up the spots that seniors would like.

I think that this particular complainant is not justified, as the seniors already have more privileges than seniors and can park literally anywhere. It is not about seniority, because although the seniors have gone to WMC longer, they have not owned or used a specific spot in the parking lot for that long. Also, it is a double-edged sword. Seniors have started parking in the gravel lot, where juniors tend to park because they either don’t have a pass or do not want to park where seniors traditionally parked. Therefore, its uncalled for to complain about juniors parking in certain spots, while seniors are taking up the spots that are usually for juniors.    

Another issue is whether or not juniors should be allowed to park at all, as they take up spaces from seniors and sometimes administration. Although this is true, there are plenty of spaces for people who are guaranteed parking, and for those who have gone through the process of getting a license, it is frustrating to not be able to reap the benefits of having a license (like not taking the bus in the morning and afternoon).   

Overall, parking and its rules have various reactions with each affected grade. While the opinions are constantly changing, one thing does not: the debate for parking privileges is long from over.