PATROLLING THE PARKING LOT

By MELISSA NOLAN 

Using the front parking lot at Washingtonville High School is a privilege for all seniors who complete the required assignments to obtain a parking pass for the year.  Seniors are thrilled to discover that they get to park in the front of the school for their last year of high school.  Unfortunately, with limited spots in the lot, some students feel the need to park in spots that are prohibited.  These spots come with consequences- and not good ones. 

MELISSA NOLAN FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY

Every year, there seems to be a problem with students bending the rules to fit their own needs as far as parking is concerned.  The majority of people who do this are the ones who have late arrival.  This is when students get the chance to come into school a period or two late.  Since the parking lot gets filled by around 7:15 every morning, the late arrival students have to battle it out for the final spots. 

Interim Assistant Principal, Ms. Diamond-McGorman, is in charge of the class of 2018’s parking infractions.  In other words, when students try and park in illegal spots, such as the bus garage, handicap or visitor spots, she is the one that deals with the situation.  McGorman explains, “The first offense of parking anywhere other than in student spots in the senior lot is a lunch detention, a phone call home, and moving the vehicle.”  She also adds, “The second offense is a call home and central detention.  Any subsequent offense will result in the loss of your parking pass and parking privileges on campus.” 

In the beginning of the year, McGorman points out, “We had a handful of problems and then again when the semester changed.  It never completely goes away, and there are at least 1-2 violations a week.  I would say it remains a steady problem but most students are not repeat offenders.”  Furthermore, many violations include driving too fast in the parking lot, pulling through spaces to exit and driving the wrong way through the lot all leading to consequences that could be avoided in the first place. 

Students parking in illegal spots.

In  January, senior  Sydney Fernandez, decided to park in the staff parking lot because it was a cold day and she was going to be late to class.  As a punishment, Sydney got central detention after claiming, “I parked there three times and instead of telling me the first time to move my car, they waited until my third offense to give me CD.  It was a lose-lose situation and now I’ve learned to get up a little earlier to get a spot.”  Sydney, among many other students at WHS have realized their car misconduct and plan on fixing it in the future. 

Since seniors are halfway through their last high school year, drivers should be mindful of where they park and the way they drive.  For the rest of the year, students should learn from their mistakes and drive responsibly and resourcefully.  Remember- parking is a privilege!