Simpsonian

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Another academic year has arrived, and with it comes the same problem Simpson College has every year: parking.

With a record enrollment and large first-year class, students yet again have to vie for parking spots.

The parking problem has a different twist this year, though. The areas covered by the first-year students' silver parking pass are more extensive than the areas for upperclassmen parking.

First-year students with silver passes are allowed to park behind Station Square, the most coveted residence on campus, but people actually living in that building can't park that close to their own building.

The Washington/Colonial lot, behind two upperclassmen apartments, is filled with silver-pass cars. There aren't enough spots left for people who actually live in those apartments.

True, Simpson students still have closer parking than at large universities, but that's part of the reason why they go here. They didn't choose to attend a university where they have to take a bus to their parking lots.

After having to walk across campus to get their vehicles in past years, upperclassmen have finally earned the right to close, convenient parking. Instead, first-years share the premium spots.

Simpson should become wiser and change their parking lot assignments. First-year students should only be given parking in the Barker lot and the baseball and pool lots. They shouldn't be allowed to take spots from upperclassmen, or Simpson should provide more parking on the east side of campus.

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