Dear Editor,
I write as a man who loves much about Bryan College but would like to see one thing change. It is an issue that we are all familiar with and one that affects many on campus, especially those with cars. The issue: parking tickets.
Now, lest the reader presume me a vigilante seeking to abolish all parking regulations, I must concede that rules about parking are necessary. I recognize that some have paid good money for premium parking, and they deserve to park in better spots than those who have not. And of course, I think our hard working staff and faculty deserve the spaces closet to the buildings.
The problem I want to address has nothing to do with dorm or commuter parking. I would like to call into question the practice of giving tickeats after hours in the Mercer and Rankin parking lots. There are a couple of reasons I believe this practice to be unjust.
First, let us examine the spirit of the law. As I stated earlier, the law is in place to allow faculty and staff to park in close proximity to the buildings. But with the exception of those cleaning the buildings and teaching night classes, most faculty and staff have left the parking lots by 5 PM. As we all know, the Mercer and Rankin parking lots are nearly empty by the time night classes begin. If students were allowed to park in these lots after hours, it would not be infringing on anyone’s parking privileges.
Second, the townhouses are quite a distance away from Mercer. Right now, the weather is lovely and as a result, so is the walk. But winter is fast approaching, and what is now a lovely stroll will soon become a very cold hike. Night classes begin at 6:30, which is often right in the middle of dinner preparations for those who are not on the meal plan. It would certainly be nice to have an extra ten minutes to eat dinner before heading up to class. Also, there are several in the townhouses who frequently work at Rankin on either the Triangle or film projects, activities which often go late into the night. No one is using the spaces – why not save those in the townhouses from a long walk after a long night class?
I hope my thoughts will be considered by the student body, as well as those in administration who make decisions about such things. Thanks for taking the time to read these words.
– Senior Bryan Saylor