During home football games this season, parking is horrible for students. The parking behind Cresswell and Hathorn dorms has become a routine hassle for their residents. On Fraternity Row, Greeks are regularly harassed and blocked from parking in front of the houses they pay to live in.
Many of the students living on campus are irritated by the way the university gives them the back seat on game days. The opposing teams’ fans and Mississippi State alumni often get preference over students.
Some students have been informed the parking section they paid for at the beginning of the year is full. Others are blocked from entering their parking area by university-paid attendants.
It is irresponsible on the university administration’s part when a student doesn’t have a place to park at his own residence, especially when an LSU family of eight has taken up three parking spaces behind Hathorn Hall.
Inconsiderate treatment of current students on game day is slowly coming to the attention of many. Student Association Sen. Philip Bass voiced his displeasure with the problem. Bass, along with many students, feels that the administration is taking advantage of students.
“It’s ridiculous how much we pay to live and park here (Cresswell Hall) and then on game days we’re asked to pay again,” said Bass.
During a home football game this year, Bass was not allowed to park behind his residence at Cresswell. The parking attendant insisted that he pay to park there.
Those regulating parking behind Cresswell and Hathorn should worry more about making sure there are enough spaces for the residents of those two halls rather than turning them away.
On Fraternity Row, Greeks-whether they live in their fraternity house or not-are usually stopped from going to their house. In one case, a Greek was forced to pay $10 to enter the Row and get to his house. The university is clearly taking advantage of its students in order to make a profit.
The university should figure out a system that allows students to get to their houses on the Row without being turned away or forced to pay additional fees.
Perhaps the administration could issue a nifty little sticker to put on the cars of all those in a fraternity that routinely park in front of their house. Or maybe they could have a list of names at a checkpoint. Both ideas must have slipped the minds of the higher-ups when making parking decisions.
The university believes that it can make a profit by selling parking spots to visitors that they already sold to current student living on campus. And as of now, they are getting away with it.
Students are being mistreated by the university administration. They need to speak up or nothing will ever change. The students combined have a large voice and can have an impact on our university.
Charlie Swanson is a freshman business administration major. He can be reached at [email protected].