Last Friday we all experienced the first snowstorm of the new semester here at Shippensburg.
I hate winter.
I hate snow.
So, when I awoke to both of these harassing elements last Friday morning the first thought to creep into my head was walking to class.
I live off campus and do not have a parking pass because my apartment is not too far from campus.
With this in mind, I wavered on two decisions. One, cut my losses and skip class. Two, drive to campus, and gamble that I would not receive a parking ticket.
Considering it was the first week of classes I accepted the latter option and began warming up my car.
I drove to the parking lot just behind the CUB and chose a spot that appeared to have suitable walking distance to my class.
I got out of my car, locked the door and headed to class like the semi-responsible student I am.
When I returned from an invigorating 50 minutes of literature, I was greeted by a tiny yellow piece of paper on my windshield.
After rescuing what I learned was actually an envelope from the snow that had accumulated on top, I came face to face with the first parking ticket I had ever received.
I knew that I was gambling by parking here, and yet I did it anyway.

At first, I was angry and upset because believe it or not that was my first run-in with the law.

My record was ruined.

When I was driving back to my apartment cursing the Shippensburg Police Department in more than one way, a thought popped into my head.

Why are there not more parking lots on campus?

Now, there are places to park but you need to buy a parking pass for the year in order to park there.

I think that is ridiculous.

We pay enough in tuition and fees.

Every college campus has parking fees and I do not think it is fair.

Shippensburg students have to pay $65 for a parking decal while faculty only have to pay $1.

For some students, driving is the only option they have in order to make it to their classes, which, they are paying for.

So why should students pay any more?

Honestly, until someone can give me a legitimate reason as to why I should pay so much to drive my own car to get to school, I will continue to be bitter toward this.

At Penn State University, at their main campus, parking permits for the year, depending on where students would like to park, are around $640 for the year.

That is more than three months of my rent.

Does anyone else think faculty should pay more?

I do.

If not, switch the prices of student and faculty parking, then at least, split the cost down the middle and have every spot be the same price.

Some of the parking lots on campus are so far from campus that by the time I park and walk to class, I feel like I should have saved gas, and just walked instead.

This is ridiculous.

We are all making the effort to come to school everyday .

We are poor college students, not Mark Zuckerberg.

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