OPINION: Give seniors priority parking

By Zach Bergevin,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Five minutes late with a Dutch Bros drink in hand, the average senior strolls into class from the large parking lot that is too crowded with inexperienced drivers to capture one of the elusive senior spots. Having waited two years for their turn, seniors should be granted the privilege of a parking space close to the high school without the nuisance of underclassmen.

Due to the limited supply of parking spots close to campus in the large parking lot, controversy over which students are entitled to these commodities has polarized underclassmen from the senior class.

Many sophomores and juniors that have passed their driver’s test and supposedly proven themselves as road-worthy claim that all parking spots at Davis High should be divvied out on a first-come, first-serve basis. They maintain that no senior has the right to hinder a younger student from capturing a preferred spot merely because of the number of years they have been institutionalized in public education.

However, seniors have weathered the high school storm until now and are often the ones who roll up to school 30 seconds before the tardy bell rings; they need those coveted spots to salvage what is left of their attendance record.

Although according to page four of the planner it would be unethical and against the rules to discriminate against any student for reasons pertaining to age, I am not calling for a written rule. The underclassmen should respect the unwritten rule and wait until senior year to park in a desired spot before seniors arrive. Granted, if they have an important exam or otherwise worthy reason of desperately needing to get to class on time, there are exceptions to the rule.

Celeste Kaplan has followed this unspoken rule where seniors are given priority, and would like to have that continue to apply to others as she is now a senior. 

 “As a sophomore and junior, I never parked in the senior parking, so it would be nice to have a little treat as a senior,” Kaplan said. 

To any sophomores and juniors that feel that they are drawing the short end of the stick in this deal, just remember that as long as you stay in school, you will have that opportunity yourself.

Senior Shay Shaffer also agrees with Kaplan.

“Not everyone cares about parking in the front, but it is nice to know that younger students respect you and will wait their turn to be seniors,” Shaffer said. 

Administration need not intervene in this issue. As long as underclassmen respect their older peers and wait their turn to enjoy the fruit of their academic labor, the large parking lot shall remain a place of peace and collaboration.