By Alexis Johnson-Williams
At the age of 16, a person can obtain a license and legally drive. When entering high school, almost every student wants to start driving, having the freedom of going anywhere (anywhere = wherever your parents want you to go). Driving to school for the first time can be exhilarating, as well as nerve racking.
For a lot of students at Shreve, the Lee Hedges lot is the perfect parking lot to start off in. Not having to deal with a lot of cars, or worrying about backing in or out, only having to fight off buses or parents quickly dropping off other students. Everyone who I’ve spoken to loves parking in Lee Hedges due to its quick in and out nature. However, on Friday February, 9 students who park in Lee Hedges were told that they would have to walk around to the front of the school to get in.
This new rule provides a major inconvenience for students, who are comfortable parking in these spaces.
“I just started driving this year and so I felt comfortable parking in Lee Hedges due to its size. Now having to park in one of the front parking lots, it is definitely a major adjustment,” senior Uzziah Anderson stated.
Due to the new rules, the front two parking lots (Business Center and Magnet Hall) have gained tons of new cars, causing more traffic in the morning and increased congestion at the end of the day.
“Going from Lee Hedges to the front parking lot traffic has its different battles. In Lee Hedges, although you have to deal with the buses, it was easier to get in and out. Now in the front parking lots the traffic is inescapable,” senior Katherine Young said.
The important question is, why would the administration create this new rule?
During the week of February 6-9 multiple fights broke out across campus which in turn had bad consequences for the whole student body.
“As a theatre kid, due to the fights we can no longer sit in the auditorium foyer without being asked to go into the auditorium. The fights created problems for everyone which is not fair,” junior Teresa Franks said.
Parking at Lee Hedges presented the biggest repercussions of them all, as well as having the largest long-term effect.
“At the beginning of the school year, when coming back from the Career Center there were a plethora of spots to park in. Now there is very limited space which is not fair,” senior Ta’neya Addington stated.
Good and bad effects have resulted from this new parking change. Although students were not encouraged to park in Lee Hedges originally, this new order has permanently changed the parking practices. The main question being asked now is if this new change will continue into next school year?
“I believe these events should have never occurred on school grounds, now there is additional security and merely being in the hallway is a problem. All I want to do is go to school and hang out with friends in peace,” senior Emerson Harris stated.