Hurley Qi ’22 

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Seven forty five, seven fifty, seven fifty five. The student anxiously looks around the Strake Jesuit parking lot, desperately hoping to find a spot before the bell. In the end, his efforts are futile. Slowly sinking into his seat, the student accepts the fate of another PH. 

In the academic year of 2021-2022, Strake Jesuit breaks its long-lasting tradition and grants parking tags to a limited number of sophomore students. With the sudden increase in students requiring parking spots and the construction of Loyola Hall, juniors and seniors suddenly find themselves unable to find a parking spot. The once peaceful and tranquil morning has been turned into a fierce battleground between anxious students hopelessly searching for that one last spot. While many complaints have been made to the school regarding the parking situation, the bigger question is how the problem can be solved. 

Naturally, the situation can be resolved when Loyola Hall and its parking lot finishes construction in December. However, with the school’s continuous increase in enrollment and students illegally parking without parking tags, the best solution to this problem is to assign students with specific parking spots. 

By assigning specific parking spots to students, the school will be able to eliminate the need for patrols to check if students are parking at school without parking tags. If each student has their own assigned spot, students will be able to self-report to the Dean of Students if another car is occupying their spot. 

The self-patrol system will greatly help to decrease illegal parking within the school. Furthermore, students will have the incentive to arrive early to school in order for their own spots to not be taken. 

Specific parking spots can also help to decrease the traffic around the morning school rush as it eliminates the need for students to look around the school for parking spots. Students will be able to quickly and efficiently arrive at their designated spots, thus saving time and lessening school traffic. 

The school can implement specific parking assignments gradually to test the effectiveness of this strategy. While the Loyola Hall parking lot can prove to be a temporary solution, the school should assign designated parking to students in the upcoming school year because of its ability to create a self-check system, decrease illegal parking, and save students time to park at school.