When the bell rings at 2:15 on Friday afternoon, students are eager to leave school and start their weekend, but only one thing stands in their way: top lot traffic. One of the most frustrating experiences is sitting in the parking lot for up to 20 minutes, waiting to move a couple feet closer to the exit. The crazy traffic at the end of the day is a big issue for students who drive and for parents who pick up their teens from school.

The solution is simple: park at the bottom.

Senior Liz Iwanski said, “I like to park in the top lot because of the extremely unpredictable weather.” Many students are not willing to walk from the bottom lot to the school entrance in the pouring rain or freezing temperatures.

Senior Colin Pauley likes to park in the bottom lot to avoid traffic and to park near his friends. “My friends and I all like to park together because at the end of the day it makes it more convenient to plan our after school activities. We also enjoy hanging out together and listening to music before going into school in the morning,” says Pauley. He arrives at seven o’clock, plenty of time to socialize and get to class.

Compared to Iwanksi’s 20-minute wait in the top lot, Pauley has the luxury of waiting about five minutes to get out of the bottom lot.

But, the sun sets even in paradise. Pauley says that if he waits too long to leave school while parked in the bottom lot, he will get stuck behind the buses. Having to wait for the buses to exit adds an additional five minutes to Colin’s seat time.

Mr. Jan Witt, assistant principal in charge of parking, explains that the current parking lot design was chosen because it is the safest and most convenient option for staff and students. The parking lot was designed to allow the buses the right of way. This is also the reason why one of the exits in the top lot is being blocked off by a school bus.

Parking is a privilege. It makes sense that buses go first. The buses must stay on schedule for middle and elementary school pick-ups.

Everyone likes to whine about something.

Parking in the bottom lot is a more efficient and a healthier alternative. Taking the extra strides burns 22 calories to the school entrance and back every day. That’s 110 calories burned every week!