EDITORIAL
I have to park where on campus?
Students return to campus to find the parking system
completely changed
Even with all of the construction and other changes made
throughout the summer around campus, students were still
surprised at the drastic amendments to parking on
campus.
First of all, when students went to buy their parking passes
this year, they saw a rather large change in price from $55
to $80.
On top of that, students who commute to school and are
living on the east side of campus discovered that even with
their more expensive parking pass, these East Elon (EE)
commuters are not allowed to park as close to campus as they
are used to.
EE commuters, who last year were able to park in the
McMichael commuter lot, now are required to park on the far
side of the new Koury Business Center (KOBC). This is fine if
you are a business student and all of your classes are in
KOBC.
But all the other EE students who have classes on main
campus now have a trek to get to class, yet they are still
paying the full price to park on campus.
There is no shuttle running to the KOBC commuter lot. Just
last week, a student was attacked while walking the stretch
between main campus and the KOBC lot.
Another group of students that were greatly affected by
parking changes were those students residing in the 10-minute
walking radius. This mainly affects students who live on the
west side of campus, including West End Apartments and Old
Trollinger.
These students do not even need a parking pass. Why? Because
they cannot park on campus except between 7 p.m. and 7
a.m.
Even though Danieley Center is within a 10-minute walking
distance, students living there are allowed to park anywhere
on campus after 5:30 p.m.
How is this fair? Yes, Danieley Center is housing through
the university but they are also provided tram service until
3 a.m. whereas the West and East shuttles stop running at 7
p.m.
Why should certain students be allowed to park earlier than
others when they are technically the same distance from
campus?
Another issue with the limits on where commuters can park
on
campus is that they were not given a reduced price for this
new inconvenience. Yet students who park in areas used for
game-day football parking get a 50 percent discount for
having to move their vehicles to another lot for the six home
football games on Saturdays in the fall semester.
Shouldn’t commuter students who have to park basically
off campus all year get a discount as well?
Other campuses do have more stringent parking regulations
where freshmen can’t park or have hundred-dollar
parking passes, but at those schools the students know this
going into it.
When returning Elon students are used to previous parking
rules and prices, all of these changes without notification
is unsettling.
Many students may have chosen other places of residence or
may not have brought their vehicles at all.
Maybe freshmen shouldn’t have cars since they are
required to live on campus their first year. That would open
up many parking spots for upper classmen as well as commuter
students on campus.
But whatever the decision, students should be informed and
part of the decision-making process
When Elon decides to make changes, like the ones that
happened with parking this year, that greatly affect the
student body, students have a right to know
beforehand.
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